Cranberry Orange Bundt® Cake
If you love the smell of something baking when you walk in the door, this one is going to become a fast favorite. The aroma of my Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake recipe is TO DIE FOR! This truly drool-worthy Bundt cake recipe brings together the best of the holiday season: Bright citrus, gorgeous cranberries, festive sugared rosemary springs… I might have to make another one for Christmas.
Bundt Cakes Are Better… Trust Me!
The beauty of the Bundt pan is in the design. The hole in the middle does a lot more than just look pretty—it actually allows the cake to bake more evenly than it would in a traditional cake pan. Unlike a traditional cake, you won’t find any undercooked areas in the middle of a Bundt cake.
Holiday Garnish: Sparkly Sugared Rosemary Sprigs
Once your Bundt cake is unmolded from the pan, the real fun begins: Decorating it! In my opinion, Bundt cakes make the most beautiful holiday dessert centerpieces. I like to garnish this cake with homemade sugared rosemary sprigs—they are so beautiful. Make sure to sign up for my newsletter to get this festive holiday tutorial delivered straight to your inbox!
Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2½ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
- Additional flour for preparing the Bundt pan
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons grated orange zest
- ¾ cup fresh orange juice (about 2 oranges)
- 2 teaspoons orange liqueur
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 9 ounces (2 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- Confectioners’ sugar
- Fresh rosemary sprigs or Sparkly Sugared Rosemary Sprigs
- Fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray the inside of a Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle flour inside the pan. Shake the pan to evenly distribute the flour then turn the pan over and tap to remove excess flour. I usually do this over the kitchen sink.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour (minus that extra tablespoon), baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl, combine the orange zest, orange juice, liqueur, and eggs. Whisk to combine.
- In a small bowl, toss the cranberries with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Lightly coating the cranberries with flour will keep them from clumping together when added to the batter.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy. Slowly add the sugar and beat until incorporated. Now, add the flour mixture followed by the egg mixture in 3 additions, ending with the egg mixture. Beat on medium-high speed until the batter is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Using a large spatula, gently fold the cranberries into the batter.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared Bundt pan. Tap the pan gently on your countertop a few times. This will remove any air bubbles that may have formed as the batter spreads around the decorative crevices of the pan. Use an offset spatula to smooth the batter on top of the pan.
- Place the pan on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 50 to 55 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 25 to 30 minutes. If needed, use a paring knife to loosen the cake from the pan side, then flip the pan over onto your serving platter.
- This cake can be decorated simply, with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar—or you can gussy it up with a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and some fresh cranberries.
