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    Home / Desserts / Cakes & Cupcakes

    Cointreau-Glazed Cranberry Clementine Tea Cake

    Published Dec 25, 2012

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    slice of cranberry tea cake

    I've wanted to make a gussied-up version of this coffee shop staple ever since I learned that it was a coffee shop staple, which happened, several years ago, while I was working in a coffee shop. Slicing up loaf after loaf of this fragrant cake every morning at 5am never failed to cheer me.

    orange zest

    Ok, it always failed to cheer me.

    cranberries on cloth

    But sometimes my attention to inconsequential details can have deleterious effects, as was almost the case for this cake when my love of alliteration nearly prevented me from making it.

    butter in a bowl

    Ever since cranberries came clamoring into season, I've been waiting (not so) patiently for clementines to make their appearance so that I might marry them into holy, buttery-loaved bliss. Week after week, with "clems" scrawled hopefully on the shopping list, I passed over several types of mandarins and every variety of orange. Satsuma Triple Sec Sour Berry Sweet Bread just wouldn't have had the same ring. Cara caras could have worked, but would have been a bit of a mouthful. And I wasn't about to lie and use a clementine imposter. I wouldn't do that to you.

    cranberries in a pot

    Meanwhile, the fresh cranberries were dwindling, and with them, my determination. Fairchilds did look an awful lot like clementines, surely no one would be able to tell the difference from a photograph...

    But suddenly there they were one day, in all their tangeriney glory – darling clementines with a fragrance like sun-drenched flowers and segments as sweet as candy.

    cake mix in a bowl

    The real impetus for making this cake happened when I found the world's most perfect pound cake recipe several years ago in an old issue of Fine Cooking. After several sad pound cakes whose thin batters let berries slip through to congregate on the bottom of the pan, I was euphoric when I cut into this cake to find the berries dotted evenly throughout the batter.

    The secret ingredient is cream cheese, which gets whipped into the butter and sugar base, and keeps the batter sturdy enough to hold the berries aloft while simultaneously adding moisture and tangy richness. Had I more room up top, you can bet I'd have titled this recipe Cranberry Clementine Cointreau Cream Cheese Tea Cake.

    tea cake before glaze

    A simple glaze made from powdered sugar whisked with Cointreau orange liqueur is brushed on the still-warm cake, crackling as it cools and locking in moisture. It doesn't taste obviously boozy, but it adds a little je ne sais quoi. (Now Cointreau really would cheer me up at 5am.)

    glaze brushed onto tea cake

    Cranberry-orange (or "cran-o" as we hollered it throughout the morning rush at Farley's) is a classic combination for good reason, and the brighter, flowery flavor of clementine zest only improves things. The sweetness in the cake and glaze counterbalances the tart cranberries, and keeps the cake moist, but not so sweet to put you off reaching for another slice, say, with your morning tea or coffee. The cake slices cleanly, with a beautiful crumb that will remind you of a creamsicle in its creamy-vanilla-citrusiness, punctuated by pockets of jammy fruit. (Speaking of which: creamsicle martinis. Yes.)

    top down shot of tea cake on wire rack

    This recipe is forgiving and easy to whip up. It can be eaten warm from the oven, or cooled and kept for up to 5 days at room temperature. Make it with fresh cranberries as clementines are beginning their season, or use frozen berries later on.

    close up of glazed cranberry tea cake

    But if you choose to make this with tangelos, pixies or murcotts, it can be our little secret.

    top down shot of cranberry tea cake

    More Tangerine Recipes:
    • Tangerine Olive Oil Pound Cake
    • Tangerine Blood Orange Upside-Down Cake
    • Persimmon and Tangerine Smoothie with Vanilla, Ginger and Turmeric
    • Tangerine Poppy Seed Brunch Cake

    *Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram,  Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this cranberry clementine tea cake recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet  and  #bojongourmet.*

    cranberry tea cake
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    Cointreau-Glazed Cranberry Clementine Tea Cake

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    This delicious tea cake is the thing of dreams!
    Alanna Taylor-Tobin
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Total: 1 hour 35 minutes
    Servings: 8 to 10 servings (mMakes one 8x4 or 9x5" loaf).

    Ingredients

    Cake:

    • 4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature (1 stick, 1/2 cup)
    • 3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
    • 1 1/4 cups sugar (preferably organic cane sugar)
    • zest of 3 clementines (or other medium tangerines)
    • 3 eggs, at room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 2 cups fresh cranberries, halved (if frozen, probably no need to defrost first)

    Glaze:

    • 1/2 cup powdered sugar (sifted if clumpy)
    • 4 tablespoons Cointreau (or other orange liqueur), or enough to make a thin glaze

    Instructions

    Make the cake:

    • Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325º. Line an 8x4 or 9x5" loaf pan with a sling of parchment paper (or just shove a piece of paper in there, creasing the folds flat). (Lacking parchment, you can generously grease the pan and dust it with flour.)
    • Combine the butter, cream cheese, sugar and zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium until light and fluffy, 3 - 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined after each addition, and scraping down the sides of the bowl and the paddle as needed. (The mixture may break, and that's ok.) Stir in the vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, then add it to the batter, stirring on low speed until just combined. Fold the batter a few times with a rubber spatula, scraping the paddle and bottom of the bowl, to make sure the batter is thoroughly combined, and that any zest clumps are distributed throughout the batter. Gently fold in the cranberries. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
    • Bake the cake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs attached, 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours. Let the cake cool for 10 or 15 minutes, then remove it from the pan, and peel away the parchment. Poke it all over the top and sides with a toothpick or skewer.

    Make the glaze:

    • While the cake is cooling, whisk together the powdered sugar and cointreau until you have a glaze that's about as thin as half and half. Brush the glaze all over the top and sides of the warm cake. Let the cake cool completely, at least one hour.
    • The cake keeps well, wrapped, at room temperature or in the fridge, for up to a week.

    Notes

    Adapted this Lemon Huckleberry Tea Cake, which I originally adapted from a pound cake recipe in Fine Cooking.
    Clementines come into season as cranberries are on their way out. You could certainly substitute other citrus zest for the clementines, or use frozen cranberries (probably no need to thaw first). And I'm eager to try this with rhubarb in place of cranberries in the spring.
    An 8x4" pan will yield a tall loaf, like the one pictured here, but if a 9x5 incher is what you've got, that will work just fine.
    Enjoy this cake with breakfast, brunch, or, as the name implies, afternoon tea.
    Nutritional values are based on one of eight servings.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 435kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 5gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 207mgPotassium: 109mgFiber: 2gSugar: 42gVitamin A: 605IUVitamin C: 5.4mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 1.5mg
    Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!

    Cointreau-Glazed Cranberry Clementine Tea Cake

    Adapted this Lemon Huckleberry Tea Cake, which I originally adapted from a pound cake recipe in Fine Cooking

    Clementines come into season as cranberries are on their way out. You could certainly substitute other citrus zest for the clementines, or use frozen cranberries (probably no need to thaw first). And I'm eager to try this with rhubarb in place of cranberries in the spring. An 8x4" pan will yield a tall loaf, like the one pictured here, but if a 9x5 incher is what you've got, that will work just fine. Enjoy this cake with breakfast, brunch, or, as the name implies, afternoon tea.

    Makes one 8x4 or 9x5" loaf, 8-10 servings

    Cake:
    4 ounces (1 stick, 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
    3 ounces (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) cream cheese, at room temperature
    1 1/4 cups sugar (preferably organic cane sugar)
    zest of 3 clementines (or other medium tangerines)
    3 eggs, at room temperature
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    2 cups fresh cranberries, halved (if frozen, probably no need to defrost first)

    Glaze:
    1/2 cup powdered sugar (sifted if clumpy)
    4 tablespoons Cointreau (or other orange liqueur), or enough to make a thin glaze

    Make the cake:
    Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325º. Line an 8x4 or 9x5" loaf pan with a sling of parchment paper (or just shove a piece of paper in there, creasing the folds flat). (Lacking parchment, you can generously grease the pan and dust it with flour.)

    Combine the butter, cream cheese, sugar and zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium until light and fluffy, 3 - 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined after each addition, and scraping down the sides of the bowl and the paddle as needed. (The mixture may break, and that's ok.) Stir in the vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, then add it to the batter, stirring on low speed until just combined. Fold the batter a few times with a rubber spatula, scraping the paddle and bottom of the bowl, to make sure the batter is thoroughly combined, and that any zest clumps are distributed throughout the batter. Gently fold in the cranberries. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

    Bake the cake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs attached, 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours. Let the cake cool for 10 or 15 minutes, then remove it from the pan, and peel away the parchment. Poke it all over the top and sides with a toothpick or skewer.

    Make the glaze:
    While the cake is cooling, whisk together the powdered sugar and cointreau until you have a glaze that's about as thin as half and half. Brush the glaze all over the top and sides of the warm cake. Let the cake cool completely, at least one hour.

    The cake keeps well, wrapped, at room temperature or in the fridge, for up to a week.

    cranberry tea cake on a board

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anonymous says

      January 01, 2013 at 8:48 pm

      Looks fantastic! Do you have any suggestions for substitution for orange liqueur for non-drinkers (or those too lazy to go buy orange liqueur for a measly 4 TB)? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        January 02, 2013 at 4:41 am

        Absolutely - just use the juice from one of the clementines, and add it until the glaze is the right consistency (fairly runny, like half and half).

        Reply
      • Anonymous says

        January 03, 2013 at 6:45 am

        Thanks! I made this, and it was fabulous! Found this on Foodgawker, I will definitely return to your site!

        Reply
      • Alanna says

        January 03, 2013 at 6:50 am

        Yay! I'm so glad you liked it. :)

        Reply
      • DebsandJohn says

        December 12, 2013 at 8:05 pm

        I'm making this for the second time for a cake baking competition at my daughters' school. I'm going to try replacing the powered sugar with caster sugar so there's a bit of a crunchy topping :) I'm also going to replace some of the Cointreau with clementine juice just in case I get into trouble!! My first attempt btw was really delicious. Thanks for this recipe!

        Reply
      • Alanna says

        December 16, 2013 at 5:52 pm

        That variation sounds great! I'm so glad you like the cake - thanks for the sweet note. :)

        Reply
    2. Aurelia says

      February 09, 2014 at 5:44 pm

      Cointreau would cheer me up at 5am too! lol! I love this recipe and will definitely be making this, thanks for sharing it :)

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        February 09, 2014 at 6:58 pm

        Aw, thanks, Aurelia! Please let me know how you like it! :)

        Reply
    3. Anonymous says

      September 30, 2014 at 6:53 pm

      This is the best! I'm going to try and control myself by not eating the entire loaf but i'm not sure that will work out :/

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        September 30, 2014 at 7:10 pm

        I'm so glad you like the recipe! Thanks for the note and good luck with the self-control. :)

        Reply
    4. cheapgamingpcunder300.wordpress.com says

      June 24, 2016 at 1:06 pm

      You ought to take part in a contest for one of the finest websites on the net.

      I am going to highly recommend this website!

      Reply
    5. Brenda says

      December 13, 2016 at 3:27 pm

      Love, love this recipe. I shared with my sister and she loves it as much as I do. It's great for company any time of year..or just for your family anytime.

      Reply
    6. Kristina Schaldach says

      December 10, 2017 at 7:19 am

      Hi There! I absolutely love this cake! I would like to make a gluten free option. Do you have any ideas on substitutes? Thanks in advance!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        December 10, 2017 at 10:45 am

        Hi Kristina! I'm so glad you like the cake. :) I've actually been meaning to make a GF version of this myself! This cake is my GF version of pound cake; I think you could use the same base, then just swap in cranberries and tangerine for the huckleberries, lemon, and lemon verbena. Let me know if you try it!

        Reply

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