Cranberry Crumb Cake

One of my very favorite winter dessert flavor combinations is orange and cranberries.  I can smell that sweet aroma in every bakery and pastry shop I pass this time of year and it always calls my name.  And crumb topping?  Well, that's a treat I love pretty much every day of the year!

Most of the bakeries around here make orange cranberry scones at this time of year but I was in the mood for a great crumb cake and it was the perfect marriage of all these flavors.  A tall, moist coffee style cake, studded with tart cranberries, perfumed with orange zest and topped with generous layer of buttery crumb.  I may not like winter all that much but this helps make it bearable.  Enjoy!










Ingredients

Cake:
3 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups sugar
1 1/2 Sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon orange zest
1 1/2 Cups sour cream
2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
2 Teaspoons baking powder
1/4 Teaspoon baking soda
1 Teaspoon salt
2 Cups cranberries

Crumb Topping:
1/2 Cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 Stick unsalted butter, melted
1/4 Teaspoon salt

To make the crumb topping, combine the sugar, flour and salt in a bowl.  Stir in the melted butter and let sit while you assemble the rest of the cake.

To make the cake, cream the eggs and sugar together using either a stand mixer or a hand mixer.  Beat in the butter.  Add the vanilla, orange zest and sour cream and continue mixing until combined.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Place the cranberries to a small bowl and add a tablespoon of the flour mixture.  Toss the berries in the flour to help prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.  Stir the flour mixture into the wet batter and mix.  Add the cranberries and stir just until combined.

To assemble the cake, pour the cake layer batter into a buttered and floured spring-form pan.  If you know your oven cycles too much and leaves cakes wet in the center, you can also bake this in a tube pan for better results.  With your fingers, crumble the crumb topping evenly over the batter and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for approximately 50 - 60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.  Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.  Dust the top with powdered sugar, if desired.  Makes approximately 10 servings.