Fresh cranberries are one of the best parts of the holiday season—but too often they are shunted to the side of the plate, a bit player in the epic that is Thanksgiving dinner.

In this coffee cake, however, they get to shine, their tart bite balanced by the crunchy streusel atop an almond-scented, moist butter cake. This is one of my all-time favorite coffee cakes. And I load up on fresh cranberries this time of year, freezing them for the dark days after the holidays when some spunky red berries are the best antidote to a dreary winter weekend.