Old Time-y Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake

thekitchn.com sent me the "Best of the BAKE-OFF Collection" a collection of recipes from the Pillsbury bake off that was first published in 1959 (with adorable old-time-y illustrations and flavors) for being one of the first to enter their quick weeknight meals contest.

When I saw fresh cranberries at the market, I knew I had to grab them. I came home with an idea about a cranberry cobbler or cranberry coffee cake and I decided to take a peak in the book to see if there was anything like that. Sure enough: Cranberry Crisscross Coffee Cake! PERFECT.

I prefer using a 9x13 casserole dish to the 8x8 dish suggested by the recipe so I multiplied all the ingredients by 1.5. Also, I added some orange juice to the cranberry orange mixture and a brown sugar/cinnamon topping at the end. I also swapped the shortening for butter. Mmm butter.

This cake was really moist and delicious, a more interesting take on a standard coffee cake. Really delicious!

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
For cranberry mixture:
3 cups (12 ounces) fresh cranberries
Zest from 2 oranges, and juice from one.
1/2 cup walnuts, ground [I used pecans, because I could]
1 1/8 cup brown sugar
1.5 tablespoons flour

For cake batter:
2 1/4 All Purpose Flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (one stick) butter, softened
1 egg + 1 egg white, beaten
1.5 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup milk

For topping:
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
2 tsp cinnamon

0. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. In a food processor or blender, pulse the cranberries to break them up. Move into a medium size bowl and add the orange rind, orange juice, walnuts, brown sugar and 1.5 tablespoons flour. Set aside.

2. In another medium bowl, sift the remaining 2 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter. Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter/sugar mixture.

4. To the butter and sugar mixture add in alternating installments the milk and the dry ingredients. The batter will be VERY thick.

5. Line a 9x13 casserole with parchment paper or aluminum foil and grease.

6. Spread half of the cake batter in the bottom of the dish.

7. Spread half of the cranberry mixture on top of the cake batter (don't worry too much about neatness).

8. Spread the remaining cake batter on top of the cranberry layer.

9. Spread the remaining cranberry ontop in any pattern you like (I did criss cross). It's best to leave at least a little of the batter exposed in the middle so that you can test more easily with a tooth pick.

10. Bake in the oven for 30-45 min until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Note, the cake we baked did not brown. Take cake out of oven and turn oven to "broil"

11. In the meantime, mix the 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon butter, and 2 tsp cinnamon in a small bowl. When cake is done baking, sprinkle on top of cake, trying to coat evening.

12. Put the dish back under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until the top is nicely browned.

13. Allow to cool and enjoy!