Festive Cakes

Cranberry-Pecan Coffee Cake

Makes 1 (10-inch) cake

½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1¼ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons orange zest
2½ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sour cream
½ cup chopped pecans
1½ cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries
Pecan Streusel (recipe follows)
Orange Glaze (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 10-inch tube pan with baking spray with flour.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and orange zest.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2½ cups flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Stir in pecans.

4. In a small bowl, toss together cranberries and remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Gently fold cranberry mixture into batter. Spread batter into prepared pan; sprinkle with Pecan Streusel.

5. Bake until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour, loosely covering with foil during last 15 minutes of baking to prevent excess browning. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack.

6. Drizzle Orange Glaze onto cooled cake. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Pecan Streusel

Makes 2⅓ cups

½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup finely ground pecans
⅓ cup sugar
1½ teaspoons orange zest
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
½ cup chopped pecans

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ground pecans, sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, and salt. Using your fingers, work in cold butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in chopped pecans.

Orange Glaze

Makes ½