Cranberry Oat Citrus Cake

It’s November! It’s basically Christmas! My trees are up. Alexa is blasting Christmas music every day. It’s my favorite time of the year. 

THE INSPIRATION

If you have a baby, or have had a baby within the last few years or even just know a baby, you are probably familiar with Gerber Puffs. Penelope loves them and to be honest they’re absolutely delicious. 

I was feeding her one day and I looked at the package of Puffs. Cranberry Orange flavor. I thought “hmm… that sounds familiar”. 

Then it dawned on me. I made these hearty oatmeal citrus cookies last year on a whim and they were an absolute hit. My parents loved them, Thomas loved them, I loved them. 

THE COOKIES
The recipe was from an old recipe box that comes in a gift set… you know the ones. Pre-formatted recipe cards with minimal instructions. 

I picked out the recipe that sounded the best and hoped for the best. The cookies had old fashioned oats, dried cranberries, orange zest, and the best part… white chocolate chunks. 

I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought to turn those little cookies into a cake! 

THE ELEMENTS

• Orange pound cake layers

• Cranberry compote

• Toasted oat crumble

• White chocolate buttercream

• Vanilla orange candied cranberries

These layers are a bit more dense  than usual and have the texture of a pound cake - perfect for reminding me of this time of year. They pack a punch with the orange flavor throughout and are brushed with an orange simple syrup.

The layers are an excellent companion to the cranberry compote. The oat crumble adds a much needed crunch. The white chocolate buttercream ties all of the elements together just beautifully. 

I’ve posted the recipe for the cookies below if you would like to make them! They’re incredibly easy and SO delicious. 

Enjoy!