Description
This Orange Cranberry Bundt Cake is a moist, flavorful dessert perfect for any occasion. It combines tart fresh cranberries and zesty orange flavors in a tender cake, finished with a sweet orange glaze and festive garnishes. The cake uses a rich combination of buttermilk, sour cream, and vegetable oil for a melt-in-your-mouth texture and is baked to golden perfection in a Bundt pan.
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
- 1 Tbsp baking powder (10g)
- 1 tsp fine salt (6g)
- 5 large eggs, room temperature (280g)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature (120ml)
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature (255g)
- 1 cup vegetable or canola oil (224ml)
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (115ml)
- 2 Tbsp orange zest (12g)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (8ml)
- 2 cups fresh cranberries or one 8 oz bag, roughly chopped and lightly tossed in flour (210g)
Orange Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar (250g)
- 2 Tbsp orange zest (12g)
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice (60ml)
Garnish
- Sugared cranberries
- Small orange slices
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 10-inch Bundt pan thoroughly with butter and flour, or use a non-stick baking spray, making sure to coat all crevices for easy cake release.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, sour cream, vegetable oil, freshly squeezed orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla extract until smooth and thoroughly mixed.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add half of the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and gently mix until just combined. Then stir in the remaining dry ingredients carefully, avoiding over-mixing the batter to keep it tender.
- Layer Batter and Cranberries: Pour one-third of the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Sprinkle half of the flour-tossed chopped cranberries evenly over the batter. Add another third of the batter on top, followed by the remaining cranberries. Finish by pouring the remaining batter over everything, ensuring even distribution of cranberries throughout the cake.
- Bake the Cake: Place the Bundt pan in the oven and bake for 55 to 65 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the cake; it should come out clean. The cake in the recipe took about 63 minutes.
- Cool and Remove from Pan: Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Use a serrated knife to gently level the bottom of the cake if needed, so it sits flat on your serving plate. Carefully invert the pan onto a plate or cake stand to release the cake.
- Make Orange Glaze: While the cake bakes and cools, prepare the glaze by combining powdered sugar and orange zest in a medium bowl. Add fresh orange juice and whisk until smooth and pourable.
- Glaze the Cake: Drizzle the fresh orange glaze generously over the ridges of the Bundt cake, covering as much surface as possible for flavorful sweetness and visual appeal.
- Decorate: Garnish the glazed cake with sugared cranberries and small orange slices arranged in the center and around the base for a festive and elegant finish. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Be sure to toss the fresh cranberries in flour before adding to the batter to prevent them from sinking.
- Room temperature ingredients help achieve a smooth batter and even baking.
- Do not overmix the batter to keep the cake tender.
- Use a serrated knife to level the cake bottom for better stability and presentation.
- The glaze thickness can be adjusted by adding more powdered sugar to thicken or more orange juice to thin it out.
- Sugared cranberries can be made by coating cranberries in sugar and letting them dry for a decorative touch.
- This cake is best served the day it is glazed but will keep well covered for 2-3 days.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
