This Ina Garten Cake Is Perfect for the Holidays (It's So Good)

This easy Ina Garten cake is not overly sweet and tastes even better the day after baking. It's so simple that you can mix it up by hand.

Ina Garten and a slice of cranberry apple cake with whipped cream — Simply Recipes / Getty Images

I know a good cake when I see one, and when I came across Ina Garten’s Apple and Cranberry Cake, I knew I had to give it a try. I am a huge fan of fresh cranberries; their tart astringency is not for everyone, but I love the unexpected tanginess they add to baked goods.

This cake is unique because you pour the batter over the apple and cranberry filling rather than folding the fruit into the batter. It reminds me of the way you’d make the classic French dessert, clafoutis. While I love the look and flavor of this cake, I learned a few tips and tricks (the hard way!) that will make baking this a bit easier for you.

A cake studded with cranberries—the cranberries bleed into the cake, giving it beautiful red splotches — Simply Recipes / Molly Adams

My Tips for Making Ina Garten's Cranberry Apple Cake

First, if you don't love cranberries, I suggest reducing the total amount to six ounces, or approximately half of the bag. You can leave the apple as-is or double it to make up for the cranberries.

The best part of the fruit filling is the fresh orange juice and zest. While I usually encourage home bakers to switch up the citrus used in baked goods, orange is the only fruit for the job here. Lemon would be too acidic, given the zip the cranberries provide.

The recipe does not instruct you to use a deep-dish pie plate, but I strongly suggest you do. The first time I made this cake, I used a standard 10-inch glass pie plate, and some of my batter spilled over the sides during the baking process.

On that note, make sure you butter the pie plate before adding the fruit filling. This will make slicing and serving easier. Finally, set the cake on a rimmed sheet pan while it bakes to catch any drips.

A wedge of the cranberry apple cake on a square plate, topped with a dollop of vanilla Greek yogurt — Simply Recipes / Molly Adams

The batter is super simple and flavorful. Ina instructs you to use an electric mixer, but you can easily assemble this by hand. Just make sure to whisk the eggs thoroughly before adding the sugar. There is no baking powder or baking soda in the dry ingredients, so the batter relies on the volume created by beating the eggs to help the cake rise.

The recipe calls for extra-large eggs, which I’ve never been able to find near me. They must have super chickens out in the Hamptons! I used standard large eggs, and the recipe worked just fine. The only tweak I’d encourage you to make to the batter is adding just a touch of almond extract in addition to the vanilla.

Once baked, the cake is the perfect cozy slice. I love that it’s not overly sweet, which makes it a great option during the holidays when everyone’s palates need a real change of pace. It’s wonderful topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream but equally delicious topped with vanilla yogurt for breakfast. I found that the flavor of the cake improved the day after baking, so feel free to make this cake ahead when entertaining.