Cranberry Cake

By Liz and Steve -
So we spent a lovely Thanksgiving at Steve's parents' house. The dinner was delicious and it was great to visit with the family. In addition to the pumpkin pie, I brought a cranberry cake which was really good (and really easy to make)! I would have posted a picture but we ate it all too fast!

From Simple Vegetarian Pleasures by Jeanne Lemlin

The Bottom Layer
2 cups of cranberries
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sugar

The Batter
1/4 lb (1 stick) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly butter a 1& 1/2 quart pie plate or Pyrex (not a spring form pan).
2. Arrange the cranberries evenly on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle on the walnuts and sugar.
3. For the batter, in a large bowl use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar together until light and somewhat fluffy. Add the egg and the extracts and beat until smooth and fluffy.
4. Sprinkle in the flour, baking powder, and the salt and beat a few seconds. Pour in the milk and beat just until incorporated.
5. Using a spoon, drop small mounds of batter over the cranberries. Smooth the batter evenly over the cranberries.
6. Bake 45 minutes or until the cake springs back when you gently press the center with your finger. The cake will be a golden color. Cool completely and then dust with confectioners sugar.

I omitted the walnuts, but that is definately a personal preference. Enjoy!

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