1. Prepare Your Ingredients

Before you start, make sure all ingredients are at room temperature (except for the butter in the crumb topping). This helps everything mix smoothly.

2. Make the Crumb Topping

• In a small bowl, mix ½ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, and ½ tsp cinnamon.
• Cut in 3 tbsp cold butter using a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Set aside for later.

🛑 Pro Tip: Keep the butter cold while making the topping—this ensures a crispy texture!

3. Mix the Dry Ingredients

• In a large bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, and ¼ tsp salt.
• Set aside.

4. Cream the Butter & Sugar

• In another bowl, beat ½ cup softened unsalted butter and ¾ cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
• Add 2 large eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition.
• Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract.

5. Combine Wet & Dry Ingredients

• Alternately add the dry ingredients and ½ cup sour cream to the butter mixture, mixing just until combined.
• Avoid overmixing! Overmixing can lead to a dense cake.

6. Fold in the Cranberries

• Gently fold in 1 ½ cups fresh cranberries until evenly distributed.

7. Assemble the Cake

• Pour the batter into a greased 9-inch round or square baking pan.
• Sprinkle the prepared crumb topping evenly over the batter.

8. Bake

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

9. Cool & Serve

• Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Optional: Drizzle with a simple glaze made of ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tbsp milk, and ½ tsp vanilla extract.