Protein Cranberry Breakfast Bake

• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups all-purpose or gluten-free flour
• 2 cups whole cranberries, you can use frozen, but don’t thaw.
• 2 tablespoons sparkling sugar (or regular sugar)

Instructions

1. 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.
2. Mix the milk with lemon juice and set aside.
3. Mix the applesauce and protein powder together for about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of your bowl as needed, until creamy. This step helps lighten and aerate the cake.
4. Beat in the egg and extracts, followed by the baking powder and salt, and keep scraping that bowl.
5. Lower your mixer speed and blend in 1/2 the flour, just until it’s almost all blended, then add the milk mixture, and finally the rest of the flour. Just blend until the flour is incorporated, and then stop.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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 over bake the cake, and check on the early side, especially if your oven runs hot.
9. Let cool for 15-20 minutes in the pan, then, if you used parchment, you can remove the cake to cool completely, or slice into 12 pieces while still slightly warm.
10. Store the leftover cake in the pan on the counter covered with foil.

Makes 12 servings

This easy one-bowl cranberry cake is based on my super popular Rhubarb Breakfast Cake which so many of you have made and loved.

How to freeze cranberries 

Cranberries freeze easier than almost any other fruit ~ they will last the year in your freezer and come out looking just like the day they went in! The easiest way, and the way I do it, is to stack the bags of fresh cranberries, just as they come from the store, in the back of my freezer where they’ll stay nice and cold and perfect for up to a year.

If you feel the need to wash your berries, do it before you freeze them. Make sure they are completely dry before filling zip lock freezer bags or storage containers.

The minute fresh cranberries make it to market I stash a bunch of bags in the back of my freezer, I have a whole section dedicated to it, and I especially love being able to bake with them through the long winter months after the holidays.

The holidays may come and go, but my cranberry cravings stick around all winter long.