Cranberry Orange Almond Cake with Almond Mascarpone Buttercream
This Cranberry Orange Almond Cake is the perfect holiday dessert. Fluffy almond cake, a bright cranberry-orange filling, and creamy almond mascarpone buttercream make it a holiday dream. You won’t be able to stop at just one bite!
Ingredients
Cranberry Orange Almond Cake
- 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 3 Cups Granulated Sugar
- 2 1/2 Tsps Baking Powder
- 1 Tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
- 7 Large Egg Whites
- 1 1/2 Cup Full-Fat Sourcream
- 2 Tbsps Canola Oil or vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsps Orange Zest
- 2 Tsp Almond Extract
- 1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Orange Cranberry Filling
- 2 Cups Fresh Cranberries
- 1/2 Cup Sugar or honey
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1/4 Cup Freshly Squeeze Orange Juice
- 2 Tbsps Orange Zest
Almond Mascarpone Buttercream
- 1 1/2 Sticks Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
- 1 Cup Mascarpone
- 7-8 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 Tsps Vanilla Extract
- 2 Tsps Almond Extract
Instructions
Cranberry Orange Almond Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. *Spray with avocado oil cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and sea salt.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth. Add the egg whites one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the sour cream, canola oil, orange zest, almond extract, and vanilla extract. *If you prefer a stronger orange flavor, add 1-2 tsp of orange extract.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops.
- Bake for 24-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cakes will continue to cook slightly as they cool, so avoid overbaking. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Orange Cranberry Filling
- Combine the cranberries, sugar, water, orange juice, and orange zest in a medium pot.
- Cook over medium heat until it simmers. Reduce the heat to low and stir every 4-5 minutes.
- Once the cranberry sauce thickens, remove it from heat and allow it to cool completely.
Almond Mascarpone Buttercream
- Beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy and smooth.
- Add the mascarpone and continue mixing.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, and mix on low speed until combined.
- Add the vanilla extract and almond extract, and beat until fully incorporated. *If the frosting is too thick, add more mascarpone or milk. If too thin, add more powdered sugar.
- Once smooth, increase the speed to medium-high and whip for 2-3 minutes to make the frosting light and fluffy.
- Frost the first cake layer and spread the cranberry filling on top.Add the second cake layer, frost the rest of the cake, and smooth the edges.Decorate with piped frosting, sugar-coated cranberries, slivered almonds, fresh rosemary, orange zest, and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Notes
Recipe Notes:
*Cakes will continue to cook slightly as they cool, so avoid overbaking.
*If you prefer a stronger orange flavor, add 1-2 tsp of orange extract to the batter, and even the buttercream.
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