Chocolate Cake with Cranberry Buttercream

This Chocolate Cake with Cranberry Buttercream is a super quick moist chocolate layer cake recipe made right in a saucepan! And the cranberry frosting is just about the best thing ever, don’t miss this amazing holiday dessert.

If you’re looking for a show-stopping dessert that your friends and family haven’t had a million times before, this is it. As long as there have been delicious desserts, the chocolate layer cake has been the iconic symbol of a sweet treat, and for good reason ~ I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love a great chocolate cake. And guess what? This particular rich chocolate cake is as easy as a box mix to throw together, all you need is a saucepan (yup, a saucepan) and a whisk.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 ounces dark chocolate
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup water
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup half and half or whole milk
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• cranberry puree
• 3 cups fresh cranberries
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• buttercream
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted (more if needed)
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup cranberry puree (directions below, you will not need all of it)