Cranberry Sauce Cake

This one-bowl cake turns a can of whole cranberry sauce into something special. The cranberry sauce does double duty here: most of it goes into the batter for bursts of tart berry flavor, while a few spoonfuls get mixed into the buttery confectioners’ sugar frosting spread over the still-warm cake.

Mayonnaise keeps the crumb incredibly moist without adding any detectable flavor. Combined with fresh orange zest and juice, every slice has that bright citrus-cranberry combination that works any time of year, not just Thanksgiving.

Chopped pecans scattered through the batter add crunch against the soft, tender crumb. The whole thing comes together fast since there’s no creaming butter or beating eggs.

Kitchen Tips

• Use whole berry cranberry sauce, not jellied. The whole berries create pockets of fruit throughout the cake.
• Don’t skip the orange zest. The oils in the rind carry more citrus punch than the juice alone.
• Spread the frosting while the cake is still warm so it melts slightly and soaks into the surface.
• Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. The mayonnaise keeps it from drying out.

Variations

• Swap pecans for walnuts or toasted almonds.
• Add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the dry ingredients for a spiced version.
• Use lemon zest and juice instead of orange for a sharper citrus note.