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Grain-Free Cranberry Orange Breakfast Cake

Grain-Free Cranberry Orange Breakfast Cake made with fresh cranberries and orange zest is a perfectly sweet treat that is healthy enough for breakfast or snack! This paleo cake recipe will knock your socks off and please your guests!

This post is Sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. Check out more delicious healthy recipes, snag coupons and find stores near you at BobsRedMill.com!

grain-free cranberry orange cake on parchment paper on top of a baking sheet, sprinkled with powdered sugar with fresh cranberries and oranges next to the cake

Well, hello, cranberry-studded cake of zesty bliss!

If you’re jonesing for a fresh, seasonally-inspired cake recipe that also happens to be lower in sugar, you’ve landed on the right piece of internet!

This grain-free cranberry orange breakfast cake is all things:

  • Gluten-free and grain-free
  • Naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup
  • Lower in sugar/carbohydrate than a traditional cake recipe
  • Fresh and frisky in flavor
  • Perfectly moist and fluffy

And marvelous for sharing with friends and family! Particularly over the holiday season.

The way I see it, this paleo cranberry orange cake is marvelous as a make-ahead breakfast for entertaining guests during the holidays.

It’s so palate pleasing, requires zero hoops through which to jump, and can be consumed as breakfast, snack, OR dessert.

That’s versatility!

What Type of Grain-Free Flour to Use:

I have tested this recipe using both Super Fine Almond Flour and  Bob’s Red Mill’s Paleo Baking Flour, which is a combination of almond flour, arrowroot starch, coconut flour, and tapioca flour. It can be used as a 1:1 replacement for almond flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour.

The end result is a baked good you’d never guess was gluten-free, much less grain-free! For those of you who enjoy making paleo baked goods, or anyone who is looking for cleaner treat options, I highly suggest you give the flour a whirl!

package of bob's red mill's paleo baking flour with cake next to it

Let’s bake it!

How to Make Grain-Free Cranberry Orange Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line the bottom of a 8-inch spring form cake pan with parchment paper. Note: you can also use a regular cake pan – simply spray with cooking oil.

Combine the wet ingredients (eggs, oil, pure maple syrup, vanilla extract, and orange zest) in a bowl and whisk until well-combined.

Add the remaining dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, sea salt, and cranberries) to a separate bowl and stir. 

large measuring cup with dry ingredients, a small measuring cup with wet ingredients and a package of flour

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until well-combined. The batter will be thick! This is normal.

Measuring cup with cake ingredients being stirred together
large measuring cup with cranberry orange cake batter all stirred up

Transfer the cake batter to the prepared cake pan and smooth into an even layer. 

cake pan with cake batter in the center

Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the cake has set up and the edges turn golden-brown. Turn off the oven and allow the cake to sit in the still warm oven for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.

Remove cake from oven and allow it to cool at least 30 minutes before releasing the mold, slicing, and serving.

plate with a slice of cranberry orange cake with a fork and fresh cranberries

If desired, sift maple sugar (or powdered sugar or powdered erythritol over the cake) for added sweetness.

Recipe Adaptations:

  • Use either 2.5 cups Paleo Baking Flour or 2.5 cups almond flour.
  • Use algae oil, olive oil, coconut oil, or almond oil in place of avocado oil.
  • Swap honey, agave, or coconut nectar for the pure maple syrup. If you use pure maple syrup, keep a watchful eye on the cake, as honey tends to burn easily.
cranberry orange cake on a baking sheet with slices, sprinkled with powdered sugar with fresh cranberries and oranges surrounding cake

You May Also Love:

Enjoy this healthy cranberry orange cake!

My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!

If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!

grain-free cranberry orange cake on parchment paper on top of a baking sheet, sprinkled with powdered sugar with fresh cranberries and oranges next to the cake

Grain-Free Cranberry Orange Breakfast Cake

A zest, grain-free healthy cake recipe with all the spunk!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
1 (8-inch) cake

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line the bottom of a 8-inch spring form cake pan with parchment paper. Note: you can also use a regular cake pan – simply spray with cooking oil.
  • Combine the wet ingredients (eggs, oil, pure maple syrup, vanilla extract, and orange zest) in a bowl and whisk until well-combined.
  • Add the remaining dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, sea salt, and cranberries) to a separate bowl and stir. 
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until well-combined. The batter will be thick! This is normal.
  • Transfer the cake batter to the prepared cake pan and smooth into an even layer.  Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the cake has set up and the edges turn golden-brown. Turn off the oven and allow the cake to sit in the still warm oven for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Remove cake from oven and allow it to cool at least 30 minutes before releasing the mold, slicing, and serving. If desired, sift maple sugar (or powdered sugar or powdered erythritol over the cake) for added sweetness.

Notes

*You can also use powdered maple sugar

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 12Calories: 226kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 7gFat: 14gFiber: 3gSugar: 9g
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: almond flour recipes, breakfast cake, cranberry orange breakfast cake, gluten free cake recipes, gluten free desserts, grain free cake recipes, grain free desserts, paleo dessert recipe
Servings: 1 (8-inch) cake
Calories: 226kcal
Author: Julia

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Pinterest collage for paleo cranberry orange breakfast cake
Recipe Rating




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Eileen

Saturday 24th of December 2022

Is it possible to use regular white whole wheat flour instead of almond flour ? Thank you

Jessica

Thursday 3rd of December 2020

I really like this cake! I zested 2 oranges but only got (at the most) 1.5 tablespoons of zest. I wanted to make sure I had a good amount of orange flavor in there, so I lowered the maple syrup to 1/3 cup and added in orange juice until the liquid level reached 1/2 cup total. Probably not as sweet as original recipe but I don’t mind at all. It’s deliciously festive! I used almond flour. Also used an 8” square glass pan.

Julia

Thursday 3rd of December 2020

I'm so happy you like it, Jessica!! Thanks so much for letting me know your substitutions. Hope you have a fabulous holiday season! xoxo

Jessica

Thursday 3rd of December 2020

Forgot to add I subbed grapeseed oil for avocado oil!

Mary

Saturday 1st of February 2020

Do you think this could be converted to vegan?

Stephanie

Monday 25th of May 2020

I have made this several times using flax eggs and it's delicious!

Alene

Wednesday 11th of December 2019

Yikes! I have all the ingredients! And a perfect way to use up some of my cranberries. I can't wait to make this. Thank you!

Julia

Friday 13th of December 2019

I hope you love it, Alene! xo

Brandy B.

Sunday 8th of December 2019

Hi there, I’m wondering about using ghee instead of avocado oil. I love the taste of ghee. I’m also thinking about using half the syrup and 32 drops of clear liquid stevia (I found a post online of someone who has experimented with stevia as a sub for honey and indicates that 8 drops of stevia per TB of missing honey/syrup is a good sub). However, this may indicate a need for more moisture back in the cake (such as using more oil/ghee). Any thoughts on this?

Thank you for all your recipes!! I have Lyme, Epstein Barr, SIBO, and candida. It’s gotten so much better and I’m grateful for the joy your recipes have brought me in my food limitations.

Julia

Monday 9th of December 2019

Hi Brandy!

I love the thought of using ghee instead of avocado oil for a nice buttery flavor! I would offset the loss of liquid by either adding full-fat coconut milk (from a can) or more ghee. Let me know how it turns out! xoxo

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