Orange Cranberry Bundt Cake
Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake is a show stopping dessert for both fall and winter. The cake is moist and flavorful with bright, tart cranberries and orange.
Overview
- Skill Level: Intermediate
- Components Used: Classic Pound Cake, Powdered Sugar Glaze, Sugared Cranberries, Sugared Rosemary
- Techniques Used: The Creaming Method for Cakes
I wanted to create a beautiful festive dessert that would be the centerpiece of any dinner table but requires very little effort. I landed on an Orange Cranberry Cake because I love how well the tart cranberries pair with the bright pop of orange.
I decided to flavor my pound cake master recipe with a good dose of orange and fresh cranberries. A classic pound cake is a beautiful blank canvas to flavor with all kinds of add-ins to create endless variations. However, sometimes it’s a bit too dense for what I’m looking for.
To create a much fluffier and lighter texture I decided to add a small amount of baking powder to the formula. And when I tell you it delivered, I mean it!
Why You Will Love this Orange Cranberry Cake
- The orange flavor is fully present! It isn’t just a hint of orange.
- The texture is incredibly moist and fluffy.
- The look of the cake is a show stopper without any extra effort!
- The outside of the cake gets slightly crisp which contrasts perfectly with the light interior.
Variation Ideas
Blueberry Lemon Bundt Cake: Simply swap the cranberries for fresh or frozen blueberries and swap the orange juice and zest for lemon juice and zest. This flavor combination is bright and summery!
Raspberry Lime or Raspberry Lemon Bundt Cake: Simply swap the cranberries for fresh or frozen raspberries and swap the orange juice and zest for lemon or lime juice and zest.
How to make orange cranberry bundt cake
Make the cake batter
This bundt cake recipe utilizes the creaming method for cakes. The creaming method is a standard technique used for mixing butter cakes such as pound cake and coffee cake.
The purpose of this method is to create an emulsion with the butter and sugar and to slowly work in the rest of the liquid ingredients in a way that will keep the emulsion stable so that the cake will have an even final crumb.
After the butter and sugar are creamed together, add the eggs and vanilla.
Next, alternate adding the dry ingredients into the bowl in three additions with the remaining wet ingredients in two additions, starting and stopping with the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed in between each addition until fully incorporated. Fold in the cranberries.
Prepare the bundt pan
You need to prep a bundt pan very well to ensure that the cake does not stick especially if using an intricately designed pan. You want to be able to see the pretty design on the cake after removing it (that’s the whole point of a bundt pan!).
The best way to prep a bundt pan is to use a spray that is specifically for baking. It should have flour mixed in with the butter or oil. If you do not have this type of spray, you can use a regular non-stick spray but then you will need to add your own flour. Either way, give your pan a very thorough spray getting into all the nooks and crannies.
If you need to add your own flour, sprinkle flour all over the pan. Once you have enough flour in the pan, give it a tap around to make sure every spot is covered. Then tip out the excess. Transfer the batter to the pan and gently tap on the counter to release any air bubbles.
This is the bundt pan used in this recipe and here is another classic design that I love!
Bake
Place the bundt pan on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 55-65 minutes until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with moist crumbs.
Set the pan on a cooling rack and allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes before carefully turning out of the pan to fully cool on the cooling rack. After fully cooled, drizzle with orange glaze and garnish with sugared cranberries and sugared rosemary if desired.
Tips for Success
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Like most butter based cakes, this recipe utilizes The Creaming Method for Cakes. It is extremely important that your ingredients are truly at room temperature with this method to get the best cake texture!
- Spray the Pan Liberally: Make sure you get in every nook and cranny when you spray your pan so that your design stays beautifully intact!
- Allow to Cool Fully: Give the cake at least 2 hours to cool before slicing! Slicing warm cake will result in a gummy texture and it will stale much more quickly!
MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like to try these other cranberry recipes!
Festive Orange Cranberry Bundt Cake
This cranberry orange bundt cake is incredibly light, tender, and moist. The bright orange flavor pairs perfectly with fresh cranberries to make a festive dessert that looks stunning with very little effort!
Ingredients
For the cake
- 240 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 57 grams (¼ cup, 60 milliliters) milk, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 227 grams (1 cup, 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 300 grams (1 ½ cups) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 250 grams (2 cups) fresh or frozen cranberries
For the glaze
- 120 grams (1 cup) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 28-43 grams (2-3 tablespoons) orange juice
Instructions
Prep:
- At least 30 minutes before mixing the batter, take the butter (227 grams/ 1 cup), eggs (4 large), and milk (57 grams/ ¼ cup) out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature. It is especially important that the eggs are room temperature for this recipe due to the large quantity. Measure out the rest of the ingredients.
- Position an oven rack to the center position. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
To make the cake:
- Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift the flour (240 cups/ 2 cups) and baking powder (2 teaspoons) together. Add the salt (¼ teaspoon) and whisk together, set aside.
- Wet Ingredients: Combine the milk with the orange juice (2 tablespoons) and set aside.
- Cream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar (300 grams/ 1 ½ cups) and cream together on medium speed until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl several times during mixing. The mixture should be very pale yellow after mixing. Add the orange zest (2 tablespoons) and mix to combine.
- Eggs: Next, add in one egg (4 total) at a time, mixing on medium speed and allowing each egg to fully incorporate before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently. Do not rush this process. With the mixer running, add the vanilla extract (1 teaspoon).
- Alternate Wet & Dry: Alternate adding the dry ingredients into the bowl in three additions with the wet ingredients in two additions, starting and stopping with the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed in between each addition until fully incorporated.
- Cranberries: Fold the cranberries (250 grams/ 2 cups) into the batter until evenly distributed.
- Pan: Liberally spray a 10 or 12 cup bundt pan with a spray specifically made for baking. If you do not have this type of spray, you will need to add a layer of flour over the spray. Spray and flour thoroughly into all nooks and crannies.
- Transfer the batter to the pan and gently tap on the counter to release any air bubbles.
- Bake: Place the cake pan on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 55-65 minutes until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with moist crumbs.
- Cool: Set the pan on a cooling rack and allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes before carefully turning out of the pan to fully cool on the cooling rack.
To Make the Glaze:
- Whisk together the powdered sugar (120 grams/ 1 cup) and orange zest (1 tablespoon) with enough orange juice until you have a pourable glaze. Drizzle over the cooled cake before serving.
- Store: Wrap leftover cake in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Sugared cranberries and rosemary can be made the same way by dipping them in simple syrup and then coating them with granulated sugar. Follow the homemade sugared cranberries or sugared rosemary tutorial for detailed instructions.
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2 Comments on “Orange Cranberry Bundt Cake”
I’ve got this cake in the oven! Question: I don’t see the ingredients for the glaze. Can you post them? Thank you!
Loved this recipe! It was fairly easy to follow, the results were great. However I had to wing the glaze because the ingredients weren’t clear but it still turned out well. I think in the future I would add a little more orange zest, but seriously so good and the cake tastes even better the second day!