Cranberry Pecan Dessert
A unique dessert bar where a moist cake-like batter is baked over a tart cranberry and pecan layer. Once flipped, it features a caramelized topping.
Servings: 12
Calories: 279kcal
Equipment
- 10-inch or a 10x6 inch (25 cm x 15 cm) rectangle pan
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups cranberries fresh or frozen (300 g)
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar for the cranberry layer (40 g)
- 1 ¼ cups chopped pecans, walnuts or pistachios (150 g)
- ¾ cup softened unsalted butter (170 g)
- ⅓ cup white sugar for the batter (60 g)
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (2.5 ml)
- 1 cup plain flour (120 g)
- 1 teaspoon icing sugar for dusting (5 g)
- 1 sacket vanilla sugar optional
- 1 tbsp orange juice optional
Instructions
- Make the cranberry layer: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a rectangular pan with parchment paper, then add the cranberries, sugar, and pecans. Give them a gentle stir with a spoon to combine. Set it aside while you prepare the batter.2 ½ cups cranberries, 3 tablespoons brown sugar for the cranberry layer, 1 ¼ cups chopped pecans, walnuts or pistachios
- Make the batter: Beat the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add the eggs, almond extract and vanilla sugar if using, then mix again until the batter looks light and fluffy. Stir in the flour just until combined—it will be thick, and that’s exactly how it should be.¾ cup softened unsalted butter, ⅓ cup white sugar for the batter, 2 eggs, ½ teaspoon almond extract, 1 cup plain flour, 1 sacket vanilla sugar
- Assemble and bake: Spread the thick batter over the cranberry mixture as evenly as possible. Don’t worry if it isn’t perfectly smooth—it will turn out great. Bake for 35–40 minutes, and check doneness with a toothpick.
- Flip the dessert: Once it’s baked, let the cake cool to room temperature. Then, carefully cut it into squares and place them on a serving platter so the cranberry layer is on top. Dust lightly with icing sugar. We loved it with a dollop of custard or you can serve it with a spoonful of healthy cream cheese frosting —so good and perfect for sharing!
Video
Notes
- Wait until the cranberry pecan dessert is completely cool before flipping. This allows the caramel layer to set so it doesn't run.
- Leave an overhang of parchment paper on the sides. You can use these as handles to lift the entire bake out of the pan easily.
- Insert a toothpick into the centre of the cake layer. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter.
- Breaking the pecans into smaller pieces ensures you get a bit of crunch in every single bite.
Nutrition
Calories: 279kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 98mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 412IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg
