The cake is simply a 1-2-3-4 cake made with buttermilk for richness and a bit of tang, so if you’ve baked a cake before, the technique ought to be comfortable. The addition of cranberries and a crumb topping makes it far more interesting and, for some reason, suitable for breakfast. Don’t ask me why.

For the crumb topping

1. • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
   • [frac]1/2[/frac] cup light brown sugar
   • 1 cup ground or finely chopped walnuts
   • 1 teaspoon allspice
   • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

   Combine in a small bowl and set aside.

For the batter

1. Butter and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan.

2. • 3 cups flour
   • 2 teaspoons baking powder
   • [frac]1/2[/frac] teaspoon baking soda
   • [frac]1/2[/frac] teaspoon salt

   Whisk together.

3. • 1 cup butter, softened
   • 1 cup white sugar
   • 1 cup brown sugar

   Cream together until light and fluffy.

4. • 4 eggs, at room temperature

   Beat in one at a time, beating 30 seconds after each addition.

5. • 1 cup buttermilk

   Stir the dry ingredients and the buttermilk alternately to the butter-sugar-egg mixture: a third of the flour, half the buttermilk, a third of the flour, the remaining buttermilk, then the remaining flour.

6. • 2 cups cranberries, coarsely chopped

   Fold in.

7. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over top.

8. Bake at 350°F for 60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Let cool before serving.

Variations

• For a streusel effect, spread half the batter into the pan, then some or all of the crumb topping, then top with the rest of the batter.