White Chocolate Orange Cranberry Cake (Print-Friendly Format)

Luscious cake with orange, cranberry, creamy buttercream, and silky white chocolate ganache. Perfect for winter celebrations.

# Ingredients You’ll Need:

→ Orange Cake Layers

01 - 360 g all-purpose flour
02 - 350 g granulated sugar
03 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
04 - 1 teaspoon salt
05 - 5 large eggs, at room temperature
06 - 120 ml buttermilk, at room temperature
07 - 240 g sour cream, at room temperature (full fat preferred)
08 - 240 ml vegetable oil
09 - 120 ml freshly squeezed orange juice, at room temperature
10 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
11 - 3 tablespoons orange zest

→ Cranberry Orange Filling

12 - 340 g fresh or frozen cranberries
13 - 250 g granulated sugar
14 - 80 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
15 - 1 tablespoon orange zest
16 - 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

→ Orange Buttercream

17 - 570 g unsalted butter, slightly cool
18 - 950 g powdered sugar
19 - Zest from 2 large oranges
20 - 2–3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
21 - Pinch salt
22 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
23 - 15–45 ml heavy cream

→ Vanilla Buttercream (Decoration)

24 - 340 g unsalted butter, slightly cool
25 - 625 g powdered sugar, sifted
26 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
27 - Pinch salt
28 - 30 ml heavy cream
29 - Green gel food coloring (Wilton Leaf Green and Wilton Juniper Green)

→ White Chocolate Ganache

30 - 450 g white chocolate baking bar, chopped
31 - 135 ml heavy cream
32 - 1/2 teaspoon white icing coloring (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 177°C. Grease three 20-cm round cake pans with non-stick spray, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and re-spray the pans.
02 - Whisk flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
03 - In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat eggs, buttermilk, sour cream, vegetable oil, orange juice, vanilla extract, and orange zest until homogeneous.
04 - With mixer on low speed, add half the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and combine for about 30 seconds. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix just until no dry streaks remain. Avoid overmixing.
05 - Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake for 23–27 minutes, until a toothpick emerges with moist crumbs. Allow cakes to cool slightly, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Trim domed tops for a level surface.
06 - In a saucepan over medium heat, combine cranberries, sugar, orange juice, zest, and cinnamon. Stir frequently until cranberries burst and mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Cool fully before assembly.
07 - In stand mixer, beat butter, salt, and orange zest until light and smooth. Gradually add 950 g powdered sugar, alternating with orange juice and heavy cream, mixing until fluffy and spreadable.
08 - Beat butter and salt until pale and aerated. Add sifted powdered sugar a few cups at a time, incorporating cream to maintain spreadable consistency. Beat until very smooth, then tint with food coloring as desired.
09 - Warm heavy cream in saucepan or microwave until simmering. Pour over chopped white chocolate and let sit. Stir until smooth. Add optional icing coloring for bright white color. Allow ganache to cool to room temperature.
10 - Place a small amount of buttercream on cake board, set first cake layer. Spread orange buttercream on top, pipe a rim around edges, and fill with cranberry orange filling. Stack second layer and repeat. Place third layer with flat side up.
11 - Apply a thin layer of orange buttercream over entire cake and refrigerate for 10–15 minutes until set.
12 - Pour cooled white chocolate ganache on top of the cake, spreading with offset spatula so it coats the sides. Smooth with cake scraper and refrigerate until firm.
13 - Using the tinted vanilla buttercream, pipe tree decorations around the cake sides in desired colors and shapes. Decorate creatively, adding sugared cranberries if desired.

# Extra Tips:

01 - Using room temperature ingredients ensures even texture in cake layers and buttercreams.
02 - For a smoother fruit filling, puree cranberry orange mixture after cooking.
03 - Chilling the cake before coating with ganache helps achieve clean, defined edges.
04 - White chocolate ganache should be pourable and at room temperature to prevent running off the cake.
05 - Buttercream for tree decorations can be colored with various gel tints for dimension.

Return