Chocolate Cranberry Cake is an easy and festive holiday dessert that’s perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas. It’s decadent and fudgy, and studded with dark chocolate chips and tart fresh cranberries. It’s also vegan and comes together in just one bowl!
*This recipe was originally published in December 2018 and has been updated with new text and photos. The recipe remains the same. Scroll to the bottom to see an original photo.
Reasons you’ll love this vegan bundt cake
- It’s made with healthier and wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour, extra virgin olive oil, coconut sugar, unsweetened cocoa and fresh cranberries.
- It tastes rich and decadent and has the fudgiest texture with melty dark chocolate chips throughout the cake.
- It comes together in just one bowl and you don’t need any special equipment.
- You can make it in advance for an easy holiday dessert, and it freezes well too!
Details on a few ingredients
Whole wheat flour: I usually go for whole wheat flour when making cakes and breads, and with the chocolatey flavour of this cake, you can’t even tell it’s made with whole wheat. If all-purpose white flour is your preference, you may need to adjust the quantity of flour used. I haven’t tested this recipe with white flour, but it isn’t as absorbent as whole wheat flour, so 1:1 substitutions don’t always work.
Coconut sugar: This is my sweetener of choice in baked goods. It has a similar flavour as brown sugar but its unrefined. It can usually be found in the organic section of grocery stores. If you can’t find any, you can substitute brown sugar.
Unsweetened cocoa: I’ve made this cake with both dutch-processed and natural cocoa, and both work fine. Dutch-processed is darker in colour, so it produces a dark, rich chocolate cake. It’s also the one I usually have in my cupboard, so it’s my go-to for this cake.
Fresh cranberries: The pop of colour they add to this cake makes it truly festive. The tart taste also pairs nicely with the rich chocolate flavour of the cocoa and chocolate chips.
Dark chocolate chips: Dark chocolate contributes to the decadent taste and fudgy texture of this cake. To keep the recipe dairy-free and vegan, be sure to use vegan chocolate chips. Otherwise, you can use any kind of dark chocolate chips or chunks you have on hand.
How to make this chocolate cranberry cake
- Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. If your cocoa is lumpy, you may want to sift together the ingredients.
- Step 2: Pour in the nut milk, oil and vanilla, and stir until the dry ingredients are well incorporated.
- Step 3: Gently fold in most of the cranberries and chocolate chips.
- Step 4: Add the batter to a greased 10-cup bundt pan. Press some reserved cranberries into the batter around the edges of the cake.
- Steps 5 and 6: Bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes and cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Step 7: For the glaze, heat chocolate chips and coconut oil in the microwave and stir until smooth. Pour over the cooled cake (see photo below).
Frequently asked questions
Can I use frozen cranberries? I tested this recipe using frozen cranberries and it resulted in a bit of an undercooked texture around some of the cranberries in the cake. I’m guessing this is because the frozen cranberries added more moisture to the cake. If you only have frozen, I suggest letting them thaw first and patting them dry before adding them to the cake batter.
Can I use dried cranberries? I haven’t tested this recipe with dried cranberries, but it would definitely change the taste and texture of the cake. The two cups of fresh cranberries add a tart flavour. Dried cranberries are less tart and more sweet. They also have a chewy texture. If you try dried cranberries, I wouldn’t add them to the top of the cake, as I did in this recipe, as they will likely burn.
How long should you let this cake cool? I usually let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Letting it cool slightly in the pan gives it time to firm up but make sure you don’t leave it too long as the bottom of the cake may get soggy.
How do you store this cake? How long will it last? This vegan cranberry cake is best stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It should last for 4-5 days.
Can you freeze this dark chocolate cranberry cake? Yes, but I would freeze the cake without the melted chocolate on top. You can either wrap the fully cooled cake in plastic wrap and freeze, or cut the cake into slices and layer them between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container. Just defrost at room temperature when ready to eat, and serve with the melted chocolate topping.
Additional recipe tips and substitutions
- I like to reserve some cranberries to press into the batter around the edges of the cake. This is optional but it adds a pretty detail around the bottom of the cake once it bakes up and it’s flipped out of the pan.
- The chocolate glaze is also optional. If you add it, you can either pour it over the cooled cake and let it set up, or you can add it to each slice just before serving.
- For an added treat, you can also serve this cake with coconut whipped cream and cranberry compote.
- I used a star-shaped, 10-cup bundt pan for this recipe to create a festive holiday bundt cake. You can use another shaped bundt pan, just make sure it’s 10-cup. If you use a larger bundt pan, you will need to reduce the bake time.
- Make sure you grease your bundt pan thoroughly, especially in the nooks and crannies, so the cake doesn’t stick.
- Feel free to leave out the cranberries for a fudgy and chocolate vegan bundt cake any time of year.
Other cranberry desserts for the holidays
- Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft and chewy almond flour cookies. They’re grain-free and dairy-free and packed with fresh cranberries and chocolate chips.
- Cranberry White Chocolate Rolls make a decadent and delicious addition to your holiday brunch with tart cranberries and melted white chocolate.
- Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies are grain-free with a sugary coating and a cranberry orange filling.
If you make this chocolate cranberry bundt cake, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below.
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Print
Chocolate Cranberry Cake (Vegan Bundt Cake)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Chocolate Cranberry Cake is an easy and festive holiday dessert that’s perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas. It’s decadent and fudgy, and studded with dark chocolate chips and tart fresh cranberries. It’s also vegan and comes together in just one bowl!
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips
- Optional chocolate glaze:
- 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, virgin and cold pressed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 10-cup bundt pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. If your cocoa is lumpy, you may want to sift together the ingredients.
- Pour in the milk, oil and vanilla, and stir until the dry ingredients are well incorporated.
- Fold in the cranberries and chocolate chips, and add the batter to the prepared pan. Reserve some cranberries to press into the batter around the edges of the cake.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the glaze, add the chocolate chips and coconut oil to a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for two 30-second intervals, stirring in between and after until smooth. Pour over cake and serve immediately, or let the chocolate set and serve later.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and enjoy within 4-5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months (without the chocolate glaze).
Notes
- I used a star-shaped, 10-cup bundt pan for this recipe but you can use another shaped bundt pan, just make sure it’s 10-cup. If you use a larger bundt pan, you will need to reduce the bake time.
- If you use frozen cranberries, just defrost them first and pat them dry before adding them to the cake batter.
- I used dutch-processed cocoa in this recipe, but you can also use natural cocoa.
- You can substitute brown sugar for the coconut sugar.
- I like to reserve some cranberries to press into the batter around the edges of the cake. This is optional but it adds a pretty detail around the bottom of the cake once it bakes up and it’s flipped out of the pan.
- The chocolate glaze is optional. If you’re planning to freeze this cake, I would wait to add the chocolate glaze until you’re ready to enjoy the cake.
- Be sure to check out the detailed sections above the recipe card for additional advice and suggestions for making this recipe.
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I absolutely enjoyed this. I got lots of compliments including “it feels like store bought!”. I used dried cranberries baked into the batter and i can definitely see how fresh ones would add more flavour. But this one was pure chocolaty decadence and this is going to be my go to recipe for chocolate cake. I’ll probably replace the cranberries with walnuts next time. I wonder if that would be good? Fresh cranberries are notoriously difficult to find here. The dried cranberries do taste good, no complaints, but I want to try a walnut variant if you have a recipe for that!
Hi Roshni! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment. I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake! If you get the chance to try the cake with fresh cranberries, I’m sure you will love it, but I’m glad the dried cranberries worked out. I haven’t tried making this cake with walnuts, but can’t see why it wouldn’t work out. If you give it a try, please let me know how it goes!
I made this for Christmas for twi of my grandkids . It was a huge hit. My 9 year old granddaughter said it tasted better than anything she ever ate in a restaurant.
I’m so happy to hear that Carolynne!
Can we use 9 inch pan?
The recipe has only been tested in a bundt pan. It will definitely be too much batter for a 9-inch cake pan. You could try halving the recipe, just make sure to reduce the baking time accordingly.
I make this cake all the time, it’s too delicious to save for just a couple of holidays. It’s really easy to make, and incredibly delicious. Everyone loves it, vegans and non-vegans rave about it. It makes a beautiful presentation, and it’s very special occasion worthy.
I’m so happy to hear that! I’m glad you’ve been enjoying the recipe. Thanks for the feedback Rosy!
This looks amazing, but we are avoiding oil. Do you think applesauce will work? Or any other options to replace the oil? Thanks!!
Hi Alex! Sorry, I haven’t tested this cake with an oil replacement so I can’t say for certain if apple sauce would work as a 1:1 substitution. If you don’t need this cake to be vegan, you could try replacing the oil with butter, but again, I haven’t tested this. If you give the cake a try, please let me know how it goes. Thanks!
Can you use unsweetened vanilla almond milk or just plain unsweetened almond milk?
Yes, vanilla will work fine!
HI, to make this cake gluten free can I use Bob’s Gluten free flour? 1:1 ratio ?
thanks. can’t wait to try this.
Hi Maggie! Sorry for the delay in responding. I haven’t tested this recipe with the 1:1 GF flour so I can’t say for certain how it will turn out. If you give it a try, please drop back to leave a comment as I’m sure others will find your feedback helpful! Thanks!
This bundt cake looks incredible, Leanne! I have some cranberries waiting to be used… will have to try it soon!
It’s a great way to use up those cranberries! Thanks Michelle.
Cranberries are an absolute MUST for the season. I love this incorporation of them into a classic dessert.
Totally agree Tasia. Cranberries are a must for the holidays!
Chocolate and cranberries is a delicious combination. This bundt is so beautiful, it’s still one of my favorites of yours! I need a giant slice to go with my coffee tomorrow!
Thanks Katherine! A giant slice with coffee sounds good to me!
I am SO excited to try this out on Thursday. I’m kind of interesting in macerating the berries in a sugar or brandy liquid ahead of time… any thoughts on how that might pair?
Hi Nicole! Sorry, I haven’t tested this cake with macerated berries but I think it would make the cake a bit heavy and dense. I would probably just stick with the whole cranberries. Let me know what you think if you end up making it. Take care!
Wow the texture on that cake is truly amazing and sooo moist! This would be perfect for some weekend baking Leanne!
Thanks Christie! The texture is my favourite part about this bundt cake!
Absolutely love the flavor of chocolate and cranberry together! This is a beautiful cake and perfect dessert to make for the Vegan guests during the holidays. I am bookmarking all the lovely recipes to make with fresh cranberries.
Thanks Sandhya! I hope you get a chance to make this one!
I love the combination of dark chocolate and cranberries! I bet the almond milk has a nice flavor with this cake as well. I can’t wait to try it!
Thanks Ashley! Hope you like it!
Such a beautiful cake! I wonder if I could use dry cranberries instead of the fresh ones, which I can’t find here…
Hi Maddie! You absolutely could substitute dried cranberries. I wouldn’t arrange them on top of the batter like I did with the fresh cranberries as they would probably burn. But they would be lovely baked into the batter. Let me know if you give it a try. Thanks!
Wow Leanne, this looks so amazing. I feel like I could eat this almost anytime of the year. Gorgeous!
Thank you! I’m definitely planning to make it with other fruit throughout the year. Fresh cherries are at the top of my list!