Potato Flake Sourdough Cranberry Cake
This Potato Flake Sourdough Cranberry Cake is a perfect dessert for the holiday season. It has a soft, moist crumb; a little sweetness; and just enough tartness from the cranberries to balance it all out.
Equipment
- Hand mixer
- Large mixing bowl
- 9x13 baking dish
- Parchment paper or butter/oil for greasing
- measuring cups and spoons
- Silicone spatula
Ingredients
Before Fermentation
- 2 medium eggs
- 2 cups white sugar 400 g
- ¼ cup potato flake sourdough starter discard or active starter
- ¾ cup softened butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 300 g
After Fermentation
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries washed and dried
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt omit if using salted butter
Optional
- 2 –4 tablespoons turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Begin by beating the eggs and sugar together with a hand mixer. Beat on high speed for about 5 to 7 minutes. The mixture should become pale and slightly thick.
- Add in the potato flake starter, softened butter, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Use a silicone spatula to fold in the flour, stirring just until it’s fully incorporated. Overmixing can make the cake dense. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure there are not any dry ingredients remaining.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the batter ferment at room temperature for 8–12 hours. It could be mixed up in the evening and baked it the next morning.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare your 9×13 pan with parchment paper or grease it well with butter to avoid sticking.
- Sprinkle the baking soda and salt evenly over the fermented batter, then stir to combine. Fold in the cranberries, making sure they’re evenly distributed. Pour the batter into your prepared pan.
- Bake for 40–50 minutes. The top should be lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Baking time can vary from oven to oven so be sure to keep an eye on it towards the end. In my oven, this cake finishes around 44 minutes.
- If you’d like a lightly crisp, sparkling top, pull the oven rack out halfway through baking time and sprinkle the turbinado sugar evenly over the surface. It melts slightly as it bakes and gives the finished cake a beautiful finish with just a hint of crunch. I wait until about halfway through to add the sugar so that the sugar stays on the top of the cake.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing if you want clean squares. If you’re serving it warm to family, you can slice it sooner — the texture is soft and delicious either way.
Notes
How to Store the Cake
This cake stores well, which makes it a good make-ahead option.
Room Temperature: Keep covered in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Refrigerator: 5–6 days, tightly wrapped.
Freezer: Slice into squares, wrap individually, and freeze for up to 3 months. Frequently Asked Questions Can I use frozen cranberries? Yes — add them straight from the freezer. Don’t thaw them or they may leak color into the batter. Can I use dried cranberries? I have not done this, but it should work. I recommend soaking them in warm water for 10–15 minutes, then gently patting them dry before adding them into the batter. The cake will be sweeter and less tart, you might even want to reduce your amount of sugar slightly. Can I add nuts? Chopped walnuts or pecans are both good additions. Fold in about ½–1 cup of chopped nuts with the cranberries. Does the batter really need to ferment overnight? The fermentation improves the texture and flavor, so I do recommend it. You can shorten it a little if needed, but 8–12 hours gives the best results. If you decided to skip the fermentation all together, you will simply add the salt and baking soda in from the beginning rather than waiting until later. Can I bake this in a smaller pan? You can, but the cake will be thicker and will need a longer bake time, the smallest I would recommend would be 7x11. Using a smaller pan puts you at risk of your cake rising over the edges and making a mess in your oven. You could even make two cakes in loaf pans like a quick bread style. Although the cranberries tend to settle more in loaf-style cakes. Another idea would be to make a bunch of mini loaves to give out as gifts! You would need to adjust the baking time though. Should I use active or discard starter? This is another thing I love about this recipe! You can use either, both active or discard starter work great in this recipe!
Freezer: Slice into squares, wrap individually, and freeze for up to 3 months. Frequently Asked Questions Can I use frozen cranberries? Yes — add them straight from the freezer. Don’t thaw them or they may leak color into the batter. Can I use dried cranberries? I have not done this, but it should work. I recommend soaking them in warm water for 10–15 minutes, then gently patting them dry before adding them into the batter. The cake will be sweeter and less tart, you might even want to reduce your amount of sugar slightly. Can I add nuts? Chopped walnuts or pecans are both good additions. Fold in about ½–1 cup of chopped nuts with the cranberries. Does the batter really need to ferment overnight? The fermentation improves the texture and flavor, so I do recommend it. You can shorten it a little if needed, but 8–12 hours gives the best results. If you decided to skip the fermentation all together, you will simply add the salt and baking soda in from the beginning rather than waiting until later. Can I bake this in a smaller pan? You can, but the cake will be thicker and will need a longer bake time, the smallest I would recommend would be 7x11. Using a smaller pan puts you at risk of your cake rising over the edges and making a mess in your oven. You could even make two cakes in loaf pans like a quick bread style. Although the cranberries tend to settle more in loaf-style cakes. Another idea would be to make a bunch of mini loaves to give out as gifts! You would need to adjust the baking time though. Should I use active or discard starter? This is another thing I love about this recipe! You can use either, both active or discard starter work great in this recipe!