Posted by Homemade cranberry sauce is a key part of this Cranberry Poke Cake with whipped frosting. The cake is easy to make and perfect for a holiday celebration.
Servings15
Calories391kcal
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 box box white cake mix 15.25 ounces
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 3 large eggs
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
For the cranberry sauce:
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries about 2-2 ½ cups
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup cranberry juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
For the frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream cold
To garnish:
- coarse sparkling sugar
- chopped pecans
Instructions
Make the cake:
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Preheat the oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use an electric mixer with a large mixing bowl), mix the cake mix, milk, eggs and oil for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
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Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.
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Bake for 21-26 minutes or until the center of the cake bounces back when you touch it.
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Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes, then poke holes all over the top of the cake using the back skinny end of a wooden spoon.
Make the cranberry sauce:
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In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the cranberries, sugar and water until the sugar is dissolved. Heat the mixture to boiling, stirring often. The cranberries should start to “pop” and turn the sauce red.
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Remove from the heat and add the vanilla and butter.
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Mix until the butter has completely melted.
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Allow the mixture to cool while the cake is baking and cooling.
Make the frosting:
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Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together cream cheese, powder sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. (If you don’t have a stand mixer, use a hand mixer.)
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Switch to the whisk attachment and slowly add in heavy whipping cream. Whip until fully incorporated. Scrape the side of the bowl as needed.
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Beat topping until it thickens and forms soft peaks, about 3-5 minutes. It should have a light, creamy texture.
Assemble the cake:
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Spread the cranberry sauce over the top of the cake, allowing it to soak into the holes in the cake.
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Then spread the frosting over top the cranberry sauce.
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Top with coarse sparkling sugar and chopped pecans.
Notes
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Calories: 391kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 320mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 661IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 133mg | Iron: 1mg