By DiAne Gates
Photos by DiAne Gates
If a little bit’s good, a lot is sure better! And after one taste of this sweet treat, I’m sure you and your guests will agree—several dollops of this slick trick to whipping cream are indeed better than one.
During this holiday time, with the abundance of fresh cranberries and guests and dinner parties, this cake is an easy, delicious treat.
Notice there is no baking powder or soda; the eggs are your leavening ingredient, so be careful to complete the beating process.
I’ve also added almond flavoring to the original recipe, and next time I make this treat, I will probably add nuts…what’s not to like about pecans or walnuts in anything? So, let me know what you think about this taste-bud-teaser.
Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
¾ cup butter, softened (not melted)
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
2 cups flour
12 oz. fresh cranberries
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash, sort, and thoroughly dry fresh cranberries.
Mix eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until thickened and color is light—about 5 to 7 minutes. This mixture should double in size—don’t cut this step short. When you lift the beaters out of the eggs and sugar they should form a smooth ribbon.
Add butter and vanilla and mix for two more minutes.
Stir in flour until just combined.
Add cranberries and stir throughout.
Spread in buttered 9 x 13 glass dish. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I sprinkle with powdered sugar…of course!
Let cool completely before cutting. The original instructions indicated cutting the cake in small pieces allows guests to pick up and gobble in a single bite. As you can see by my servings, I like to top with fresh whipped cream. Oh my, it’s delightful.
Whipped Cream:
1 half pint heavy cream (be sure to check date)
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
¼ cup Mascarpone Cheese softened
Place dry mixing bowl in freezer for ten minutes before using. Mix heavy cream on medium ‘til it begins to thicken, then beat on high, watching closely to be sure you don’t make butter.
Add sugar, extract and Mascarpone Cheese and whip to fluffy.
The addition of the Mascarpone will allow you to make the whipped cream ahead of time with no weeping or loss of viscosity. This mixture will be okay for use the next day too! Enjoy and be thankful for the blessing of desserts.
