Celebrate the holidays with this cranberry eggnog coffee cake! Light, tender and topped with plenty of streusel, it’s impossible to resist. And includes some healthier swaps. Vegetarian with dairy free option.

This cranberry eggnog coffee cake was originally posted in November 2012. The post has been updated as of December 6, 2017 with new photos, text and a revamped recipe.

Let’s talk cake filled with all the wonderful and festive flavors of the season.

Cake that just so happens to be topped with a delightful oat pecan streusel AND a perfectly sweet eggnog glaze.

Coffee cake FOR LIFE.

Now. Let me be very clear here. If you don’t enjoy baked treats with fresh cranberries, well, then you aren’t going to dig this cake. So don’t say I didn’t warn you, capeesh?

But. For those of you who are like me and actually enjoy fresh cranberries, well, then I think you are definitely in for a treat.

With a light and tender base stuffed with those aforementioned cranberries, and a sweet and slightly crunchy topping, I personally think that this cake is most excellent for the season.

Now, let’s talk about the flavor. When freshly made, the cranberries are much more tart. But after the cake has had a chance to settle, the flavor mellows out.

I actually think this cake is best the second and third day, after the flavors have sort of melded, if you will.

And as for the eggnog, it’s not super prominent but is definitely there. Especially if you top with the glaze. Which I HIGHLY encourage. Highly indeed.

Tips & Tricks

1. This cake is completely revamped from the original recipe I posted five years ago. While that version was totally fine, this one is my jam. And is based off my blueberry pistachio coffee cake. There’s some healthier swaps that make it much more my style (although let’s be clear, this is absolutely 100% still very much a dessert!). However, I do have the original version saved if you need it. Just hit me up.
2. Let’s talk about measuring out your flours. Be sure to scoop the flour into your measuring cup with a spoon and then level off. Otherwise you’ll likely use too much.
3. I personally love the richness that the olive oil gives this cake. But another oil should work just fine in its place if you want to substitute. One caveat – if you use melted coconut oil, be sure that any cold ingredients are at room temperature (otherwise the batter might harden up).
4. I’ve tested this cake with both dairy free eggnog and regular eggnog. Either works. However see the next point for important info on the bake time.
5. I included a wider range for the bake time down below. Check your cake at the 35 minute mark to see if it’s done (and then bake longer as needed). This is especially important if you use a dairy free eggnog. I’ve found that the cake bakes up quicker that way (likely because dairy free nogs tend to be a bit thinner and not as rich). In my oven, the cake is done at about 37 minutes with dairy free, and at about 42 minutes with regular eggnog.

Additional Eggnog Recipes:

• Cranberry Orange Eggnog Muffins (Dairy Free)
• Eggnog Waffles (Dairy Free Option)
• Eggnog Mini Loaves
• Eggnog Biscuits

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

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Cranberry Eggnog Coffee Cake

Yield: 1 (8x8 inch) cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Celebrate the holidays with this cranberry eggnog coffee cake! Light, tender and topped with plenty of streusel, it’s impossible to resist. And includes some healthier swaps. Vegetarian with dairy free option.

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Ingredients

For the streusel:

• ⅓ cup white whole wheat flour
• ⅓ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• ¼ cup coconut sugar
• ¼ cup chopped raw pecans
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• pinch of fine sea salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

For the cake:

• 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• ¾ cup eggnog*
• 1 ½ cups fresh cranberries, tossed with ½ tablespoon flour

For the glaze:

• ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons eggnog*

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line an 8×8 inch baking dish with parchment paper (cut a big enough piece so that the paper hangs over the edges of the pan on two sides).
2. Spray lightly with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

For the streusel:

1. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, oats, coconut sugar, pecans, nutmeg and salt until well combined.
2. Add in the oil and mix again until combined and evenly moistened. Set aside.

For the cake:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the white whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and salt.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, oil, honey, maple syrup and eggnog until well combined.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Gently fold in the cranberries.
4. Transfer to the prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle the top with the streusel.
5. Bake for about 35 to 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Set the pan on a wire rack.
6. Let cool completely, then use the parchment overhang to lift out of the pan.

For the glaze:

1. Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and eggnog in a small bowl. Adjust the quantities if needed to get the glaze to your desired consistency.
2. Drizzle over the cooled cake. Let the glaze set, then slice and serve!

Notes

*To keep this dairy free - use dairy free eggnog. Also, check out the tips & tricks section in the post above for info on the bake time!

To store this cake, let the glaze set then slice into squares. Place a few pieces of paper towel in the bottom of a container, then add in the cake pieces. Cover with a lid, then store at room temp for two to three days.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 222Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 153mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 2gSugar: 16gProtein: 4g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.