A festive Cranberry Bundt Cake makes a deliciously impressive holiday dessert. The sweetness of the cake contrasts nicely with the tartness of the fresh berries, and the icing on the cake is a sweet orange glaze that puts this stunning cake in a league of its own!
Hi y’all! My name is Marion of Life Tastes Good. Life Tastes Good is a food blog of mostly simple recipes using fresh ingredients. I hope to inspire my readers to eat at home to save money, eat healthier, and experience exciting flavors! As I have been a fan of Oh, Sweet Basil for some time, I was thrilled when Carrian asked me to share a recipe with you! I hope you enjoy this tasty cake as much as we do!
When I was a kid, I wasn’t a fan of cranberries. I wouldn’t even try them! I don’t know why, I guess I was a bit stubborn, as hard as that is to imagine <wink>. Thankfully, I’ve grown out of my stubborn streak, although I’m pretty certain my husband would disagree with that, but I certainly have more of an open mind when it comes to food. The first time I reluctantly tried cranberry sauce I was hooked and now I wait, not so patiently, for fresh cranberries to show up each year so I can make all of our faves!
In addition to my love affair with cranberries, lately I’ve been hooked on bundt cakes too, so making a Cranberry Bundt Cake was just something that had to happen. This is a Family Circle recipe I adapted to suit our tastes. The cake has a wonderful texture. It is fluffy and moist with a crisp outside, and a slightly sweet, buttery flavor that pairs beautifully with the tartness of the fresh cranberries. Finishing the cake with a sweet orange glaze adds a hint of citrus to round out all the flavors for a cake that makes you wish cranberries were in season all year long!
To make this cake, preheat the oven to 350°F and generously butter and flour a 9″ bundt pan. I recommend using 2 tablespoons unsalted butter that is softened to room temperature. Use your fingers to work the butter into the grooves of the pan. It’s important to make sure you coat every bit of the pan to ensure the cake releases nicely so it looks purty. Sprinkle with flour and distribute evenly throughout the pan. Discard any excess flour.
Combine 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour with 1 teaspoon baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Whisk to mix well and set aside…
Place 12 ounces fresh cranberries (1 bag) in a small bowl and pick through them to weed out any mushy ones. Add 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and toss gently to coat the cranberries. Set aside until ready to use…
In a mixing bowl, combine 2 sticks softened butter with 2 cups sugar. Mix on low to combine and then turn up the speed to mid-high and beat for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract…
Add eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, mixing after each addition until combined. Mix in 1/2 the flour mixture until combined and add 1/2 cup sour cream and mix well. Add in the remaining flour mixture until just combined and scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all flour is mixed in. Gently fold cranberries into the batter…
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth to even out…
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes until the top springs back when pressed gently or a cake tester inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes.
Carefully run a flat edge, such as a butter knife, around the edge of the pan to loosen and also around the center hole. Place a cooling rack over top of the cake pan and carefully flip the cake pan over so the cake slides out onto the cooling rack. The cake pan will be hot, so be sure to protect your hands.
Allow cake to cool completely. Prepare the sweet orange glaze by combining 1 cup confecioners’ sugar with 1/4 cup orange juice and a pinch of kosher salt. Mix well to combine. Add more sugar to thicken or more orange juice to thin to your desired consistency. When cake is cooled, drizzle the glaze over the cake.
Garnish with fresh cranberries and enjoy!
Is There A Difference Between Regular Cake and Bundt Cake?
A Bundt cake is any type of cake cooked in a Bundt pan.
Any layer cake can be baked in a bundt pan.
You can successfully bake the batter for two 9-inch layer cakes in a 15-cup Bundt pan—and you won’t have to spend a lot of time assembling and frosting.
Are Cranberries Good for You?
Cranberries have good nutritional value.
They are low in calories and high in vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin K.
Nutrients in cranberries have been linked to a lower risk of urinary tract infections, prevention of certain types of cancer, improved immune function, and decreased blood pressure.
Can Cake Be Frozen?
Most cakes freeze well.
Cakes can be frozen before they are frosted, or many frostings freeze well also.
Wrap an unfrosted cake tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze.
If the cake has been frosted, place in the freezer unwrapped for a few hours until the frosting is frozen.
Then wrap tightly in plastic and foil and freeze.
Cakes can be frozen for up to 3 months.
When ready to serve, unwrap and let sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
Cranberry Bundt Cake
Cranberry Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened (for greasing the pan)
- 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour or more as needed to flour the pan
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries 1 bag
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar or more as needed
- 1/4 cup orange juice or more as needed
- pinch of kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously butter and flour a 9" bundt pan.
- I recommend using 2 tablespoons unsalted butter that is softened to room temperature. Use your fingers to work the butter into the grooves of the pan. It's important to make sure you coat every bit of the pan to ensure the cake releases nicely so it looks purty.
- Sprinkle with flour and distribute evenly throughout the pan. Discard any excess flour.
- Combine 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour with 1 teaspoon baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Whisk to mix well and set aside.
- Place 12 ounces fresh cranberries (1 bag) in a small bowl and pick through them to weed out any mushy ones.
- Add 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and toss gently to coat the cranberries.
- Set aside until ready to use.
- In a mixing bowl, combine 2 sticks softened butter with 2 cups sugar.
- Mix on low to combine and then turn up the speed to mid-high and beat for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Add eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, mixing after each addition until combined.
- Mix in 1/2 the flour mixture until combined and add 1/2 cup sour cream and mix well.
- Add in the remaining flour mixture until just combined and scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all flour is mixed in.
- Gently fold cranberries into the batter.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth to even out.
- Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes until the top springs back when pressed gently or a cake tester inserted comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes.
- Carefully run a flat edge, such as a butter knife, around the edge of the pan to loosen and also around the center hole.
- Place a cooling rack over top of the cake pan and carefully flip the cake pan over so the cake slides out onto the cooling rack. The cake pan will be hot, so be sure to protect your hands.
- Allow cake to cool completely.
- Prepare the sweet orange glaze by combining 1 cup confecioners' sugar with 1/4 cup orange juice and a pinch of kosher salt.
- Mix well to combine.
- Add more sugar to thicken or more orange juice to thin to your desired consistency.
- When cake is cooled, drizzle the glaze over the cake.
- Garnish with fresh cranberries and enjoy!
Nutrition
White Chocolate Blackberry Cranberry Cream Bars
Cranberry Toffee Oatmeal Chippers
Made this for Christmas and it turned out beautifully.
Hurray! Love that, Margaret! Isn’t it beautiful!?!
Hello! Do you have any tips on how I can make the frosting look white and standout on the cake instead of just melting into the cake?
You will want to just thicken the frosting by adding more powdered sugar. Also be sure to put the frosting on when the cake is cool. Enjoy!
Is 1 tsp baking powder enough for the cranberry bundt cake…with 4 eggs?
Yep, that’s all you need!
This cranberrie cake is disaster.i follow the mesure but is too thick so hard. I just trow my money in waste to make this cake. Sorry
the batter is very thick, but it’s not wrong! I just put one in the oven. I am expecting fantastic results!
This cake was fabulous! I did make a small change….I used 2 drops of orange extract, zest of medium orange and the juice from the orange. I cut the sour cream by roughly 1 tablespoon so it wouldn’t be too wet due to orange juice added. I just did a light powder sugar sprinkle instead of any glaze. The orange cranberry combo was delicious,
This definitely is a recipe I will be making more of. I want to try it with Lemon and blueberry combo.
Yeah! So glad you enjoyed them! Lemon and blueberry would be delicious!
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Delicious! I cut the sugar to about 1 3/4c. I made the glaze with fresh squeezed orange juice. Turned out fabulous!
Oh yum!!
This cake looks divine!…..Would using half light brown sugar and half regular granulated sugar work??…thanks so much
Michele
Hi,
We haven’t tried that before but I don’t see why not. Would love to hear your results 🙂
Hi There!
I just made your bundt cake and it was an absolute success. I will be making it again next week for our christmas desert!
I made a few slight changes: I added a dash of orange juice to the mix and I think this makes the cake really moist. I also baked it in my fan assist oven and it required less time about 45 mins on 180C. I thought the recipe asked for too many cranberries and was shocked when I weighed them out but actually the amount is spot on!
Well done for such a marvellous recipe! I will be using it again and again! Thank you! Jess x
Great tips for others, thank you for taking the time to leave the notes! XOXO!
Hello idea want to así ir I can use doy cranberries. Thanks
Sorry The text was wrong. I want to ask yo if I can use dry cranberries
This recipe looks so delicious! I’ve been looking at a bunch of different recipies for cranberry cakes and they all toss the cranberries in flour. What is the reason for that?
Hi Delaney, it’s to help the cranberries not sink while baking though it doesn’t work perfectly as they often still float.
Help I’m baking it at the desired temperature and I put it for an extra 20 minutes cuz it’s still hasn’t finished because. I’ve been adding 10 minutes what am I doing wrong please help.
Hi Marisol, is your oven staying at a constant heat? There could be an element going out or gas rises and falls. Altitude could be the issue as well. Unfortunately it’s hard to tell without being there, but I would look into those options
Do you know if this cake freezer well? Thank you, Anisa
Hi Anisa, if you wrap it tightly in saran wrap once it’s cool you can definitely freeze it.
Hi Marion,
I will have to try for sure your Brown Butter Apple Scones. I am salivating just looking at them. I love and bake scones quite often.
Dorrie Francisco from Toronto
Hi Marion,
Your Cranberry Bundt Cake looks scrumptious! I usually make Blueberry Bundt Cake which turns out well all the time. Can I substitute raspberry or strawberry for the cranberry? I am very fond of these two red fruits.
Your desserts look so appetizingly good. I’ll have to make the time to try some of them, if not all.
Thank you.
Dorrie Francisco from Toronto
Doe it come out as good if I use gluten free flour?
Stacie, I am not familiar with gluten free baking, so I’m sorry I am not able to answer your question. I imagine changing the flour will yield very different results when it comes to texture and flavor.
Do you have a recepi for French toast casserole
Frozen cranberries incorporated perfectly with my Bosch Mixer and the cookie paddles. This recipe will double nicely for two bundt cakes or 12 mini-loaf cakes. Bake the mini-loaves about 10 minutes less.
Great recipe.
This is so stunning and regal looking! I have featured your delicious recipe on my weekly round up here on my blog http://www.theredlychee.com/the-weekly-round-up-12/
This cake looks absolutely amazing! Beautiful photographs. I just want to dive right into it! 🙂
Thanks, Amy! So glad you like it 🙂
What an absolutely gorgeous looking cake!
Thank you, Jocelyn!