| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 7 hr 5 min |
| Active: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 10 servings |
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray, for spraying the pan
- 4 egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch salt
- 4 cups chopped ginger snaps
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 8 ounces (1 cup) cream cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sparkling Cranberries, recipe follows, for garnish
- 3/4 cup agave nectar
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch nonstick springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the granulated sugar slowly, then the vanilla, baking powder and salt while beating, about 2 more minutes. Fold in the ginger snaps and walnuts.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes, then remove the springform.
- For the frosting: In an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form and the mixture is smooth. Make sure the mixture has no lumps.
- To assemble: Using an offset spatula, spread the frosting all over the cake. Garnish with the Sparkling Cranberries and serve.
- Cook the agave nectar and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan over medium-low heat, 1 to 2 minutes. (Make sure not to let the syrup get too hot because the cranberries will pop.) Remove from the heat; stir in the cranberries. Cover and chill for 3 to 5 hours.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the granulated sugar in a large bowl or baking dish. Drain the cranberries in a colander. Add 5 cranberries at a time to the sugar, gently tossing to coat. Place the cranberries in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and let dry completely.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 559 |
| Total Fat | 22 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 89 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 74 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 31 mg |
| Sodium | 234 mg |
Reviews
If you want a stunning dessert that will catch everyone’s attention and
also tastes amazing, this is it. My friends and family loved it. So did I! I can’t wait to make it again! I followed the recipe exactly, and it turned out perfect. Sooo pretty and delicious!
also tastes amazing, this is it. My friends and family loved it. So did I! I can’t wait to make it again! I followed the recipe exactly, and it turned out perfect. Sooo pretty and delicious!
delish!
I made this for our family Christmas dinner, EXCELLENT! It is a bit time consuming but worth the trouble. I was asked to please make this every year, said it was the best dessert several had ever had. Not too sweet but the cranberries steal the show! I made extra the same way just to have as a nibble.
First place winner in our Holiday Baking Contest at work.
I made this cake for my office and it was gone in 30 minutes. Love, love, love this recipe. It is easy to prepare and has a stunning presentation. This has just become a holiday regular and my personal favorite!
Such a great dessert and an absolutely beautiful presentation! I made this on Christmas eve, and have gotten requests to make it for events four times since! I have made it using homemade gingersnaps, as well as gluten-free gingersnaps, both very successfully! Very quick and easy prep!
Very tasty. I made this cake for Christmas and everyone was pleasantly surprised by the delicious flavor. The tartness of the cranberries mixed with the cream cheese frosting and ginger snaps really makes the dish. So glad I tried this and shared it with family.
I made this cake for Christmas, and it’s delicious with a beautiful holiday presentation. I worried that the cranberries would be too tart to eat, but soaking them in the agave overnight, they had a delicious tart and crunch, which accompanied the cake nicely. I nearly doubled the cream cheese frosting recipe (because I love cream cheese frosting) and added less sugar for a contrast to the cake, which isn’t too sweet anyway. I used a combination of cinnamon grahams and gingersnaps for that holiday flavor and heavy handed the walnuts. Beautiful and festive!
Wow. I made this for Christmas and everyone loved it and raved about the presentation. It was beautiful. I made the cake the day before and added the icing and cranberries just before serving. I used sugar instead of agave and made them ahead and they crisped up, which was nice. It is a stunning dessert!
10 minute prep? Only if you have two prep assistants! It was an easy recipe, but the steps take a lot of time. That being said, delicious! It was a different taste with lots of texture – smooth and creamy, with some crunch from the cake. I used and would recommend ginger snaps. I was concerned that the cranberries would be too tart a topping, so I topped it off with a quick white chocolate ganache I drizzed over it. It was a beautiful presentation.