Fresh Cranberry and Cardamom Cake

Ingredients: 

• 1 stick of unsalted butter
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1/2 cup of oat milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 2 cups of cake flour
• 2 cups of whole fresh cranberries, washed and rinsed (you can use frozen, but don't thaw)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly spray a 9×9-inch baking pan. I like to line mine with 2 sheets of parchment paper with long ends, so I can lift it out later for easy slicing.

Cream the soft butter and sugar together for about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of your bowl as needed, until light and fluffy. This step helps lighten and aerate the cake.

Mix in the oat milk, vanilla, and lemon juice.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, and keep scraping that bowl.

Lower your mixer speed and blend in 1/2 the flour mixture, just until it's almost all blended, then the rest of the flour. Just blend until the flour is incorporated, and then stop.

Gently fold in the cranberries, making sure to get them evenly distributed but not crushed. If you like you can reserve a handful of cranberries to pop onto the top of the cake before baking.

Spread the batter (it will be quite thick) evenly into your pan. Add your extra cranberries to the surface of the cake, pushing them in gently.

Sprinkle the sparkling sugar over the surface of the cake and then bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until risen, golden, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out without wet batter on it. Try not to overbake the cake, and check on the early side, especially if your oven runs hot.

Let cool for 15-20 minutes in the pan, then, if you used parchment, you can remove the cake to cool completely, or slice it while still slightly warm.