A soft, fluffy and tender orange layer cake with cranberry filling. Bursting with fresh orange flavor, tart cranberry sauce and tangy cream cheese frosting. Garnished with cranberries, pomegranate arils, orange zest, coconut, and rosemary.

This twist on my classic everyday orange cake recipe is easy to make and only gets better over time. This delicious cake is perfect for the holidays!
The flavor combination idea for this cake came from Lin, one of my readers and fan of my classic orange loaf cake. I so appreciated her inspiration and set out to make this delicious layer cake for the holiday season.
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How to make two 9″ orange layer cakes
- Beat eggs and sugar together. In an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment or using a handheld mixer, whisk together eggs and sugar on high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Since we’re using oil instead of butter for extra moisture, it’s really important to properly beat your eggs for a light and fluffy crumb.
- Mix dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour and baking powder together. Set aside.
- Slowly add oil, orange juice, zest, and vanilla extract. Put the mixer on low, and slowly pour in the oil, followed by the orange juice, zest, and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients. Keeping the mixer on low, add the flour mixture, but do not overmix the batter. Just mix the batter until the flour is completely combined.
- Bake at 350°F/180°C on the middle rack. Pour the batter into greased or buttered & floured 9-in round pans. The cakes will be finished in 30-40 minutes. The trickiest part in making this recipe is being careful not to overbake it. I like to use a toothpick to test for doneness; it should come out clean when done but may have a few crumbs. If it comes out gooey then it needs more time.
- Cool. Allow to cool 10-15 minutes before removing from the pan. To remove cake, flip pan upside down onto a cooling rack and remove the pan to allow cakes to cool completely before assembling layer cake.
Baker’s tip: While you can certainly measure your ingredients by volume (most home bakers do), for the best results, I highly suggest measuring ingredients by weight using a food scale.

Tips for making perfect orange cake
- Use fresh oranges. Just like in my lemon bundt cake, using fresh citrus really helps the flavor burst through in each bite. To keep things easy, I use the zest from the same number of oranges I use for juicing, 4 total. I find it easier to zest the oranges before juicing them. To punch up the orange flavor even more, add extra zest!
- Don’t overmix your batter. Once you have fully beat the eggs and sugar to a beautiful fluffy texture, you don’t want to continue beating it to much once you add the rest of the ingredients. Simply combine everything until all ingredients are incorporated, but no more.
- Let the cakes rest for a day at room temperature before eating. For the best texture, I highly recommend making the cakes a day in advance. The orange flavor becomes stronger over time, giving you a juicy punch in every bite.
- Storage. Cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container for best results.
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Cranberry Filling
Make the cranberry filling while the cakes are baking. The layer of cranberry sauce consists of fresh cranberries (divided), granulated sugar, orange zest, freshly squeezed orange juice, and a pat of butter. Cook 1 cup of cranberries over medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Cranberries will pop and mixture will start boiling. Using a potato masher, crush cranberries. Reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes while stirring frequently. Remove from heat, stir in butter and remaining half cup of chopped cranberries. Place cranberry sauce in a bowl. Cover mixture with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for a minimum of one hour to set. Mine set in the fridge overnight. Natural pectin in the cranberries will give a jam-like texture to the sauce without the need for added thickeners.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Creamy, fluffy and rich, this melt-in-your-mouth cream cheese frosting is perfect for topping cakes and cupcakes with. It’s not overly sweet and has a satiny-smooth texture you’re going to love. Click here to learn how to make cream cheese frosting absolutely perfect! To make this frosting thicker, keep adding more powdered sugar.
How to make cream cheese frosting
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a handheld mixer), beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1-2 minutes.
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, and beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then on high speed for 1-2 minutes until smooth and fluffy (Note: If you want a thicker frosting, feel free to add more powdered sugar).
Tips for making the cream cheese frosting
- Use full-fat, block cream cheese. Cream cheese that comes in the plastic containers doesn’t work well for frosting – it doesn’t hold it’s shape and your frosting will be runny. Also, full fat cream cheese helps stabilize the cream cheese so it holds it’s shape (and of course, tastes better).
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Cream cheese and butter should be room temperature before making the frosting.
- Sift the powdered sugar. For a smooth, velvety frosting, make sure you sift the sugar so it’s not lumpy and easily absorbs into the frosting.
- Use the frosting at room temperature, it will be much easier to spread the crumb coat.

Assemble orange layer cake with cranberry filling
- Using a round lazy susan, place a dab of frosting in the middle to keep the cake in place while decorating.
- These cakes usually bake quite flat with not much center rise. If your cake has a center rise, feel free to cut it down to flat for the easiest cake assembly.
- Place one 9-inch round cake on the lazy susan. Using a piping bag with a round tip or a Ziploc bag with the corner cut, pipe a circle of cream cheese frosting around the top diameter of the cake. Mine was about 1 inch thick. This will create a nice boundary to keep the cranberry filling in the center of the cake.
- Place the cranberry filling on the middle of the cake and spread it out toward the edges of the cream cheese using an offset spatula.
- Place the second 9-inch round cake on top, ensuring it is even with the first cake round.
- Add a large spoonful of cream cheese frosting to the center top of the cake and use an offset spatula to smooth out the frosting to the edges. Add more frosting as needed.
- Crumb coat: I did a thin layer of cream cheese over the entire cake first. I refrigerated the cake for 15 minutes to set the crumb coat. Then I continued with another thicker layer of frosting over the entire cake.
- Garnish with leftover frosting, cranberries, pomegranate arils, herbs like rosemary or thyme, orange zest, and/or coconut for a snowy effect.

Orange Layer Cake with Cranberry Filling
A soft, fluffy and tender orange cake that’s bursting with fresh orange flavor and filled with a tart cranberry sauce. Coated with my tangy cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Orange Cakes
- 2 ½ cups (350g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) canola or vegetable oil
- 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
- Orange zest from 4 oranges (I use the same amount of oranges I use for the juice)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cranberry Filling
- 1 ½ cups (160g) fresh cranberries, divided
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 Tablespoons orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 Tablespoon butter, unsalted
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 12 oz full-fat block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup (173g / 1.5 sticks) butter, unsalted, softened to room temperature
- 4 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
Orange Cakes
-
Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease or butter & flour two round cake pans (either 9 x 9 inch pans or 8 x 8 inch pans for taller cakes) and set aside.
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In a medium bowl whisk together flour and baking powder. Set aside.
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Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a handheld mixer, whisk together eggs and sugar on high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. On low speed and with the mixer running, add oil slowly until combined. Add orange juice, zest, and vanilla extract and keep whisking slowly until combined. Add flour mixture and whisk just until combined. Don’t overmix.
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Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. If the top is browning quickly while baking, cover loosely with aluminum foil. Allow cakes to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes and then flip upside down to finish cooling completely on a wire rack. Cakes are best made a day in advance from assembly.
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Store cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For the best moist texture, the cake is best served at room temperature. This cake freezes well before it is assembled so if you cover the cake rounds well, you can freeze for up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge before you need them.
Cranberry Filling
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Make the cranberry filling while the cakes are baking. Cook 1 cup of cranberries over medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Cranberries will pop and mixture will start boiling. Using a potato masher, crush cranberries.
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Reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes while stirring frequently. Remove from heat, stir in butter and remaining half cup of chopped cranberries.
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Place cranberry sauce in a bowl. Cover mixture with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for a minimum of one hour to set. Mine set in the fridge overnight. (Note: If using frozen cranberries, use more time to cook the cranberry sauce.)
Cream Cheese Frosting
-
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a handheld mixer), beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1-2 minutes.
-
Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, and beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then on high speed for 1-2 minutes until smooth and fluffy (Note: If you want a thicker frosting, feel free to add more powdered sugar).
Recipe Notes
Assembling Layer Cake
- Using a round lazy susan, place a dab of frosting in the middle to keep the cake in place while decorating.
- These cakes usually bake quite flat with not much center rise. If your cake has a center rise, feel free to cut it down to flat for the easiest cake assembly.
- Place one 9-inch round cake on the lazy susan. Using a piping bag with a round tip or a Ziploc bag with the corner cut, pipe a circle of cream cheese frosting around the top diameter of the cake. Mine was about 1 inch thick. This will create a nice boundary to keep the cranberry filling in the center of the cake.
- Place the cranberry filling on the middle of the cake and spread it out toward the edges of the cream cheese using an offset spatula.
- Place the second 9-inch round cake on top, ensuring it is even with the first cake round.
- Add a large spoonful of cream cheese frosting to the center top of the cake and use an offset spatula to smooth out the frosting to the edges. Add more frosting as needed.
- Crumb coat: I did a thin layer of cream cheese over the entire cake first. I refrigerated the cake for 15 minutes to set the crumb coat. Then I continued with another thicker layer of frosting over the entire cake.
- Garnish with leftover frosting, cranberries, pomegranate arils, herbs like rosemary or thyme, orange zest, and/or coconut for a snowy effect.

Jennifer says
This cake looks amazingly delicious! I am looking forward to trying this! I gave it 5 stars, without having tried it, because your recipe is well- written with helpful suggestions.
Do you think it will work to use King Arthur’s Measure for Measure gluten-free flour?
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Hi Jennifer! It should work just fine with gluten-free flour – but I’d use a little less GF flour than what’s called for in this recipe. Typically GF flour absorbs more moisture so it can get a little dry if you use the exact 1:1 amount.
Rocio Hary says
I love the recipe I will make it and let you know how it came out. Thank you so much
Rocio Hary