Festive Cranberry Vegan Christmas Cake Recipe

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This is one of the best Vegan Christmas cake recipes ever! It isn’t your traditional fruit cake. This cake is moist, light, and bursting with tart cranberries and warm spices. Perfect for the holiday season!

Love Christmas time recipes? Try my gluten-free pumpkin oatmeal bars or healthy snowball cookies next.

Keep reading for simple steps to making this easy vegan Christmas cake.

Even when I weighed nearly 300 pounds, I never liked dense fruit cake.  I Now that I have lost 125 pounds, I still don’t like it! But I do like fruit in cake, so I created this vegan cake and you and your guests will love it. It makes a beautiful presentation for Christmas day or any festive season. 

Before I show you how to make one of the best vegan Christmas cake recipes, please take a quick second to subscribe to my Intentionally Eat newsletter. It contains tips and recipes to help you live your healthiest life, plus you’ll get a FREE acid/alkaline chart to show you which foods you should eat for optimum health.

😍Why This is One of the Best Vegan Christmas Cake Recipes Ever

• Deliciously Moist: This cake is perfectly moist, thanks to the burst of juicy cranberries, making every bite a tangy sweet experience.

• Simple Sweetness: Applesauce, orange zest or lemon zest, and cranberries are an incredible fruit mix that infuses the whole cake with flavor. 

• Beautifully Simple: Not only is this cake a stunning centerpiece for your holiday table, but it’s also easy to make, so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time celebrating!

If you like this traditional Christmas cake recipe, you will love this vegan German chocolate cake.  

📃Ingredients and Substitutions

This great recipe features a few basic, wholesome ingredients. The printable recipe card below includes the complete list of simple ingredients, quantities, and nutritional daily value information.

All Purpose Flour

Baking Powder & Baking Soda – (I suggest aluminum free)

Sea Salt

Vegan Butter 

Granulated Sugar & Powdered Sugar – (I suggest organic because some sugars are not vegan since they are sifted through bone char.)

Vegan Sour Cream

Pure Vanilla Extract – you can sub almond extract.

Lemon Zest or Orange Zest– its optional, but it adds a nice zip.

Cranberries – I recommend using fresh or frozen berries, but I don’t recommend dried fruit. You want the moisture and tartness of fresh berries. If you don’t like a lot of tartness, I suggest chopping the cranberries, but I like them whole.

Cinnamon & Cloves – these spices add a nice warmth to the cake.

Almond milk – you can use soy milk, coconut milk, or any plant-based milk.

Applesauce – since this is an eggless fruit cake, the applesauce will act as an egg. I prefer unsweetened so you can control the amount of sweetness in the cake.

Looking for more Holiday Vegan Recipes?

Spicy Cranberry Salsa

Best Ever Sweet Potato Casserole

Tastiest Vegan Dressing

How to Use Leftover Pumpkin Pie Filling

🥄How to Make This Vegan Christmas Cake Recipes

Follow these simple steps for one of the best Vegan Christmas Cake Recipes:  

• Prep – preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease and flour a 9 1/2″ bundt pan.
• Mix Wet Ingredients – In a stand mixer or in a large bowl and with an electric mixer, beat together vegan butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add lemon zest, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cloves, applesauce and vegan sour cream. Beat until well combined, scraping down the sides when necessary.
• Mix Dry Ingredients – In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients. 
• Mix Together – Slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Do not overmix. Gently fold in the cranberries.
• Bake – Transfer into prepared cake pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool – Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Then flip onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Make Icing – Whisk together powdered sugar and almond milk to make the glaze. Drizzle the icing sugar over the cake once it has cooled.
• Serve and Enjoy!

Cindy’s Recipe Tips

• To make your cake as light as possible, make sure your oven is at the necessary temperature for at least fifteen minutes before you put your cake in.

• Have your cake pan ready in advance. If you leave your cake mixture while you deal with your cake pan, it has a chance to lose air and go flat, leading to less rising and a denser texture.

• Cream the vegan margarine and sugar together to capture air bubbles. Make sure to measure your flour exactly. Too much can contribute to a dense cake. I like to use a whisk and stir my flour before measuring.

• Be sure to grease and flour your pan; otherwise, your cake could stick. If you don’t flour the pan, the cake will soak up the oil and could become soggy.

❓Others have asked

🍰What’s in a vegan cake?

Most non-vegan cakes have eggs; however, vegan versions do not. If you are trying to veganize your favorite childhood cake recipe, you don’t necessarily need to use an egg replacer. Sometimes egg replacers like flax eggs can cause vegan cakes to become sunken and heavy. I suggest using a recipe that is already vegan, like this one.

🫙How to store vegan cake

To store your vegan cake, start by making sure it’s completely cool—this helps prevent any moisture buildup. If you’ve frosted the cake, you can lightly cover it with plastic wrap or pop it into an airtight container. For unfrosted cakes, just wrap them in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. If you plan to enjoy it within a week, feel free to refrigerate it. 

For longer storage, you can freeze it by tightly wrapping it first in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil; this will keep it fresh for up to three months. 

When you’re ready to indulge, simply thaw it in the refrigerator or at room temperature. And if it was frozen, for best results remove the wrap only after it’s thawed to avoid any condensation. These simple steps will keep your vegan cake fresh and delicious!

For more information about food safety, go to www.foodsafety.gov.

Recipe

If you like this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating and tell me how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

Before I say goodbye, I encourage you to take a moment to find out how I went from obese with a crippling back injury to 125-pound lighter -discover my transformation into a health coach!

About The Author

Although Cindy has lost 125 pounds, her path to success was not easy. Go here to read her incredible story, “From Morbidly Obese to Losing 125 Pounds and Becoming a Health Coach.” If you want to send Cindy a quick message, visit her contact page here.

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​Disclaimer: Please note that I am not a medical professional. The information provided on this blog is based on my personal experiences and research as a vegan recipe enthusiast. While I strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information, it is important to consult with a qualified healthcare professional or a registered dietitian before making any significant changes to your diet, especially if you have any underlying health conditions or concerns. The recipes and tips shared on this blog are meant for general informational purposes and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice. Always prioritize your health and well-being by seeking personalized guidance from a qualified healthcare provider.