-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Butter a 9 x 13 baking pan.
-In the bowl of your mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until light in color and almost doubled in volume.
This should take about 10 minutes.
-Mix in the vanilla and the softened butter, 2-3 minutes on a medium speed.
-Mix in the flour and salt (omit the salt if you will be using salted pistachios) on a low speed, just until combined.
-Add the cranberries and pistachios. Mix just until combined.
-Spread the batter evenly in your prepared pan.
-Sprinkle with the sanding sugar.
-Bake for 37 to 42 minutes, until lightly browned. Test with a toothpick for doneness.
-Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing.