This week’s Tuesdays with Dorie was selected by my good buddy Jessica of A Singleton in the Kitchen: not-just-for-Thanksgiving cranberry shortbread cake. With a name like that you’d think I’d have noticed this recipe on one of the many occasions I’ve sat down with the book and flipped through the pages. Somehow, though, it’s never caught my eye. Even upon a first read of the recipe, I wasn’t terribly intrigued – cranberry jam sandwiched between layers of shortbread – not the kind of recipe that I’d be running to the kitchen to make immediately. Boy was I ever wrong about this cake though; it may well be my new favorite recipe from Dorie’s Baking!
The first step in making the cake is to make the cranberry jam, which comes together in minutes on top of the stove. In addition to cranberries, the jam includes orange zest, juice and even the orange segments (I highly recommend cutting the segments over a measuring cup to collect the juice that escapes so you can use it as well). I cooked the jam with the minimum amount of sugar Dorie suggests, but wound up adding another 1/4 cup afterward as it was just too tart for me. The aroma of the jam as it cooked was amazing and smelled just like the holidays. Cranberry and orange pair beautifully and this jam was no exception.
As the jam cools, you can bring together the shortbread dough. The dough is divided in half and encloses the cranberry filling. I rolled the bottom layer out some but wound up pressing with my fingers to fit it completely across the bottom of the springform pan. I was unclear on whether we were to use the entire batch of cranberry jam for the filling and in the end, I didn’t. I spread an even, thin-ish layer that covered the dough completely and stuck the remaining filling in the fridge for another day. The top layer of dough is rolled and fitted over the jam then just before popping the cake in the oven, it is brushed lightly with water and sprinkled with sugar (I used turbinado sugar).
I tried my first slice of cake a few hours after I pulled it from the oven. The sweet, buttery shortbread was a great pair for the slightly tart cranberry filling. I liked it a lot, but thought it was missing something. I went back and read Dorie’s serving suggestion in the book and found she recommended a scoop of ice cream to go with the cake. So, the next day I topped my second slice with a scoop of french vanilla ice cream and was blown away – the ice cream completed the dessert for me. Plus, overnight the texture of the shortbread had become slightly more doughy and 10x more delicious. I was such a big fan I could easily have eaten this whole cake myself, but instead I shared with Shane’s dad who emailed me to say it was a hit at his office too.
One of the best things about this recipe is that it’s so adaptable. Dorie suggests an apple filling or any kind of jam you favor, and I think each adaptation would be as delicious as the original. Many thanks to Jessica for helping me to discover this wonderful cake! You can find the recipe on her site here or on pages 208-209 of Baking: From My Home to Yours.
I had my doubts about this one too, but I liked it in the end. I used raspberries, but now I need to go and try a ‘next day’ slice, to see if it’s improved. No ice cream, though that’s probably a good thing!
🙂
I think this might be my new favorite Dorie recipe too! I didn’t have the highest hopes, but it really was amazing! Your cake looks beautiful, as always! 🙂
This looks glorious. I probably would have skipped over the recipe myself but after reading all the rave reviews today this seems like a must bake for turkey day.
Your photos are fabulous! Glad this turned out so well. The ice cream looks like a perfect compliment and I am sure it would taste great too!
This is really eye catching, love this pick for baking. Lovely all around.
I love the color of your jam. This cake can be very pretty. I used blueberries which is darker and I like the redder color, ever so much. Who really cares. This is the best cake, the best of them all.
Yummy photos, Tracey! 🙂 This one was amazing!
I heart shortbread, so I knew that this would be fabulous.
Next time I make it, I’ll be using strawberry jam.
Gorgeous! Gorgeous photos of it all. Yes, well, in response to your comment about it being so adaptable, I am thinking I could use with a little less adaptability so that I am NOT making this too often. Check out the slice on my blog, that was MY PIECE this week, not the guys’ huge piece that I usually photo…that was MINE! YIKES. So GOOD!!
looks great! i like the thin layer of jam. mmmm
Such beautiful pics of this fantastic ‘cake’! I loved the tartness of the jam with the sweetness of the cake. And ice cream would be pefect with this. Or maybe a cranberry coulee over the talk.
Rick was able to bring a piece home for me and I loved it! The buttery sweet shortbread complemented the tartness of the cranberry perfectly. I was out of vanilla ice cream but that sounded delicious too.
Tracey, your cake looks fantastic! I love your pictures, the red of the cranberry layer really pops. I’m so very happy that you enjoyed this cake, and I’m delighted it was a hit with Shane’s dad at the office as well. Thank you so much for baking along with me this week!
Yours looks perfect! Im glad you liked it! Im going to try it again with another filling! I love the crust. I think the ice cream is a great idea.Im picturing a caramel apple filling with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!
This was filled with fruit so I ate it for breakfast. I love cranberries, they did smell yummy while cooking. Shortbread is always tasty. This was a great combo. Your photos are beautiful, I always enjoy your creative blog. Have a wonerful day.
I’m going to make a point of having vanilla ice cream at the ready when I bake this cake again. Yours looks delicious; I’m thinking we baked it at the same time but twitter was down. That happened for one of the recipes recently; maybe this one?
what a great idea to serve with ice cream 🙂 love the picture of the jam in the spoon!
Yep, i love the different ideas bopping around my noggin too. So glad your father-in-law liked it. Nice to share the calories, right? he he Nicely done, Tracey
AmyRuth
I really wasn’t expecting this recipe to be so photogenic, but the cranberry filling is so gorgeous! I haven’t tried it with ice cream, but that sounds like a fantastic idea.
Tracey- I love your photos! Wasn’t this cake great? I loved it too.
I made the better-than-brownie cookies from your blog yesterday- whoa! are those a chocoholics dream or what! It just reminded me how much I love your blog. You always have great recipes, descriptions and photos. I come back time after time when I am looking for a great idea.
Tracey, I know I must sound like a broken record, but I really can’t stop gushing over your pictures. I swear you somehow manage to outdo yourself in the photo department – this could be on a magazine cover. Oh, and this cake is now among my favorites from BFMHTY as well. Glad you loved it!
I’m glad you liked this “cake” so much. I’m dying to make the cranberry filling after seeing how good everyones look.
Your cake looks spectacular! I should have shared some – I am eating way too much of this.
Great to meet you last night!!
Your photos are just beautiful – and your blog header is really cute!
This cake looks really good…I have to get the book.
I agree completely…this was one unexpected hit!I like your idea of not using all the jam at one time. I really liked the crisp shortbread with the jam. Definitely one of my favorite recipes from the book!
And to think…I almost skipped it!! Loved this one WAY more than I thought I would. Looks really pretty, too.
Your pictures are so bright and beautiful. I also liked this one better the next day – I think the texture improved. Nice job – baking and photography!
This is still one of my favorite TWD recipes. Thanks for the reminder, I think I’ll make it for Thanksgiving.