Chiffon Cake with Sugared Cranberries
Light and airy vanilla Chiffon Cake with with a marshmallow glaze and garnished with sugared cranberries!
I made this pretty cake specially for my dad’s eightieth birthday! Do you have family or friends that celebrate a birthday during the month of December?
It can be tough to coordinate a gathering during the holiday season to commemorate a birthday when our calendars are packed with different schedules.
Dad never makes any type of birthday requests, but this year is quite a milestone, so my siblings and I wanted to treat him to a night on the town, but he just wasn’t interested in going to a restaurant or anywhere for that matter!
His happiest moments are when he is surrounded by his immediate family telling stories, and hanging out right in the house where he raised his kids.
So that’s what we did. The frenzied holiday bustle came to a halt and we gave him the gift of time by surrounding him with four of his six grandchildren and two of his kids and son-in-law! It was relaxing and enjoyable for everyone!
One of the presents I gave him is this personal sized chiffon cake made just for him. The cake is light and airy, and pairs beautifully with a nice warm cup of Bigelow tea. I picked up Bigelow’s “Constant Comment” black tea at Walmart along with two other holiday flavors, Pumpkin Spice and Salted Caramel.
The “Constant Comment” is a delicious all natural blend of black tea with grated orange peel and ground sweet spices. The combination is subtle, flavorful and pairs perfectly with this delicate cake.
I also like that it’s the very first tea that the Bigelow Family created back in 1945 when my father was just ten years old!
You can make one large 10 inch cake with this recipe or a couple of small cakes using two 6 1/2 inch tube pans. You will need to beat the egg whites and yolks separately in this recipe to make the batter, which helps fold in lots of air so the cake nice and tender.
Finishing the cake with the marshmallow glaze and decorating it with the sugared cranberries was the fun part. The glaze is a simple powdered sugar glaze with marshmallow cream that comes together quickly.
The Cranberries are bathed in simple syrup which forms a sticky layer that helps adhere the sugar to the cranberries. I used the thick sanding sugar so that the red color would pop through, but you can also coat the cranberries with granulated sugar for a softer sparkling look.
Instead of rushing through the holiday season I hope you take some time to enjoy everyday moments like celebrating a birthday with the people you love and appreciate.
How about kicking up your feet for a couple of hours and do absolutely nothing while enjoying a slice of cake!
Chiffon Cake with Sugared Cranberries
Ingredients
- 7 large eggs separated
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 1/2 cups sugar divided
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- GLAZE
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk may need more for thinning glaze
- 7 ounce marshmallow cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- CRANBERRIES
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 3.3 ounce white sanding sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees
- Separate eggs in two large bowls and set aside.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining 1 cup of granulated sugar with the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Beat the egg whites and cream of tarter until foamy. Gradually add 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Beat the egg yolks, oil, milk, vanilla and almond extract until it thickens and turns to light pale yellow (6-7 minutes).
- Add the flour mixture beating until well mixed.
- With a wire whisk fold in the whipped egg whites. Pour the batter into an ungreased pan(s)*
- For large cake bake for 50 minutes, and then turn heat up to 350 and cook for an additional 10 minutes. For small cakes bake for 35-40 minutes at 325, then at 350 for an additional 10 minutes.
- Cool the cakes upside down (thread through a bottle for best results) for 1/2 hour before loosening edges and remove from pan. Cool completely.
GLAZE
- Whisk together powdered sugar with milk and vanilla extract (add one tablespoon at a time for desired consistency). Whisk in marshmallow cream and add additional milk if needed. Pour over cooled cake.
CRANBERRIES
- Line a baking sheet (with an 1/4 inch lip) with parchment paper. Place a cooling rack on top of the parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small sauce pan heat water and granulated sugar on medium heat until sugar dissolves. Put cranberries in a baking pan and pour simple syrup over the berries. Make sure coating covers all sides of the cranberries. With a slotted spoon remove berries and place on the prepared baking rack. Let sit for 5-8 minutes before rolling them in sanding sugar. Place on top of cake.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.
Recipe adapted from King Arthur.
This absolutely beautiful cake just screams CHRISTMAS!!!
Aww, thank you! I love it 🙂
how do I save this recipe thank you
Hi Kay, I’m sorry, I just now noticed that that save button isn’t supported. I’ll look into that. In the meantime, if you have a printer you can print the recipe or your can also bookmark the page and have it available anytime. Hope that’s helpful. ~Sandra
What is marshmallo cream? can’t wait to try this.
Hi Jean, Sometimes it’s called Fluff and its located in the baking isles of most grocery stores. You might find this article helpful – What is marshmallow creme?
What a delicious and gorgeous cake. I’m a fan of tea and I bet it tastes great with this cake!
This is such a gorgeous & festive cake! Love those sugared cranberries and the marshmallow glaze. 🙂
That is ONE beautiful cake!!! and I love that tea too!
Thank you, Renee! I’m enjoying a cup of the tea right now 🙂
Such a pretty cake! I can imagine this cake on a pedestal for Christmas! Also I LOVE constant comment tea!
This cake would be a great Christmas dessert to share!
What a fun and creative cake! I love this!
Thanks, Debi! I enjoyed baking this cake!
What a gorgeous cake for a special occasion! Your Dad must have loved it!
I knew he would enjoy this cake. We share the same sweet tooth gene 🙂
what a lovely holiday treat! Delicious tea + beautiful cake 🙂
The tea is a very good. Just the finishing touch to enjoy with this cake!
This is such a beautiful cake. I don’t know if I could eat it, but then again it sounds so delicious, how could you not eat it? I bet it does pair well with a warm cup of tea! [client]
The tea and cake are a match for sure!
What a beautiful cake. I definitely need some decaf today. Feeling very stressed about my to do list.
I know how you feel about that never ending list. I hope you get some YOU time, Christie!