This gluten-free Cranberry & Browned Butter Cake is the epitome of a Christmas cake. All of the warm spice you'd hope for is found in the soft sponge layers. Tart cranberries with hints of orange, thyme, and rosemary create a beautiful balance to the rich toffee flavor in the buttery frosting. This is a perfectly balanced cake that isn't too sweet and you can always use frozen cranberries if you want to enjoy it in the middle of the summer.
Ingredients
The ingredients for the cake, cranberry filling, and browned butter frosting are simple and straight-forward.
Cake Layer:
- Lightly Salted Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs
- Whole Milk
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Gluten Free Flour with Xanthan Gum
- Baking Powder & Salt
- Cinnamon, Ginger, & Nutmeg
Cranberry Filling:
- Cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- Fresh Oranges
- Granulated Sugar
- Fresh Rosemary
- Fresh Thyme
Browned Butter Frosting:
- Lightly Salted Butter
- Cream Cheese
- Powdered Sugar
Make the Cranberry & Browned Butter Cake
Begin by browning all of the butter for the cake and frosting at once and letting it cool. Follow this link for detailed instructions on how to make browned butter. It is very easy! Then make the batter for the cake layers. Simple and straight-forward, combine the flour, baking powder, and spices in one bowl. Cream the browned butter and sugar in another. Add the eggs, then the milk and vanilla. Finally combine the wet and dry together. Divide the batter evenly between the two parchment lined round cake pans. Bake and allow to cool before cutting each cake in half.
Make the Cranberry Filling
All of the ingredients go in the pot at the same time and are brought to a low boil over medium heat. As the fruit heats up, the cranberries will burst. This process can be sped up by mashing the fruit with a potato masher or the back of a spoon. You can leave the filling as chunky as you like.
Make the Browned Butter Frosting
Combine the browned butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Use a hand or stand mixer to blend the ingredients together. Increase the speed to whip air into the frosting.
Bring the Cranberry & Browned Butter Cake Together
I use this inexpensive cake cutting tool that keeps the layers even and the height is adjustable, allowing you to easily trim a rounded top off a cake too. Cut each cake in half and trim the tops if needed. Spread cranberry filling on top of the first layer of cake, browned butter frosting on the second layer, more cranberry filling on the third layer, and then coat the whole cake with browned butter frosting. An offset spatula and a rotating cake stand are helpful tools for achieving a more polished finish when frosting cakes.
Tips
- Refrigerate the cake after putting a very thin layer of frosting all over the top and sides until the frosting is no longer sticky. Then apply the final thick coat of frosting for a smooth and crumbless finish.
- Although the cake needs to be refrigerated due to the cream cheese in the frosting, allow it to come to room temp before serving for the best texture and flavor.
- Cover the cake well when storing to prevent the cake from becoming dry.
- The browned butter, cranberry filling and frosting can be made in advance to speed up the process on the day of serving.
Cranberry & Browned Butter Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup lightly salted butter - browned & cooled
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Cranberry Filling:
- 12 ounces whole cranberries - fresh or frozen
- 2 large oranges, pulp diced - skin, seeds & tough segment walls removed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves - tough stems removed & finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves - tough stems removed & finely chopped
Browned Butter Frosting:
- 1 ½ cups lightly salted butter - browned & cooled to room temp
- ¾ cup cream cheese - room temp
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
- In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt all 2 ½ cups (5 sticks) of butter. Stirring continuously until the milk solids turn light brown. Remove from heat and let cool to room temp.
- Stir the cooled browned butter to evenly distribute the browned bits. Remove ¾ cup of the browned butter for use in the cake batter, what remains will be used for the frosting. *See Note.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat ¾ cup browned butter and the granulated sugar with a hand mixer until creamy. Add the eggs, next the milk and vanilla, mixing until combined well.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg. Stir with a large spoon to mix well.
- Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and use a hand mixer on a low speed to blend the batter. Then turn the speed to high and allow the batter to aerate.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until set in the middle. Remove and allow to cool before turning onto a baking rack. Slice each cake in half evenly.
Cranberry Filling:
- Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently. Once the cranberries pop and the mixture begins to reduce and thicken, about 15-20 minutes, remove from the heat and cool to room temp or store covered in the fridge until ready to use.
Browned Butter Frosting:
- Whip the remaining browned butter (*see note) and the cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl using a hand mixer. Gradually add in the powdered sugar until it is sweet enough to your taste. Whip at a high speed to aerate the frosting.
Assemble the Cake:
- Assemble the cake by beginning with the first layer of sponge on a serving plate, then spoon the Cranberry Filling on top leaving about ½ inch from the edge. Add the second layer of sponge and top it with Browned Butter Frosting. Another layer of sponge and Cranberry filling, then the top layer of sponge and final layer of Browned Butter Frosting gets spread on the top and sides. Decorate as you wish and serve. The cake is best the first day but can be stored covered at room temp for up to 3 days.
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