Looking for a dazzling dessert?…. that is easy and requires no fancy cake decorating skills? Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake is for you!!
I have made many a bundt cake in my day. Check out these recipes…. Pistachio Pudding Bundt Cake , Hot Chocolate Bundt Cake, are just a few of my recipes for bundt cakes.
They are easy and require minimal decorating. Usually a drizzle of glaze and you have a beautiful dessert.
For the holiday season, you want to step up your dessert game, but alas time is not on your side, and your not much of a cake decorator ….Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake is sure to impress.
Some cranberries and brown sugar in the bottom of a bundt pan, cover with an easy cake batter infused with orange zest. Cranberries and oranges are a perfect match.
Spread the batter over the cranberries and pop in the oven.
While the cake is baking, you can make what I think are the best part of this cake……Sugared Cranberries. A simple syrup coats the cranberries and then is allowed to dry, pretty easy so far? Then once the cranberries have dried for about an hour, toss them in plain old sugar. They turn into these pretty little red and white glittery balls which are the perfect decoration for your cake.
Just pile them on the top of your Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake already drizzled with an orange glaze.
With the holiday season in full swing Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake is your new Thanksgiving or Christmas go to cake!
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Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake
- Yield: 12 1x
Ingredients
- For the cake:
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 cups fresh cranberries
- 2½ cups flour
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- Zest of 2 oranges
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- For the glaze:
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1½ tablespoons orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- For the sugared cranberries:
- 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Spray a bundt pan with non stick cooking spray. Place the brown sugar evenly over the bottom of the bundt pan, place the cranberries on top of the brown sugar.
- Into a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a stand mixer combine the granulated sugar with the zest from the oranges. Mix on low speed to blend the orange zest and sugar. Add the butter and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla, then the eggs one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated.
- Place buttermilk in a measuring cup and add 2 tablespoons of orange juice. On low speed, add the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Spread the batter into the prepared pan over the cranberries.
- Bake about 45-55 minutes or until a pick inserted comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool about 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving platter, and let cool completely.
- While the cake is baking in a small saucepan bring 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water to boil. Continue boiling until the sugar is dissolved creating a simple syrup.
- Allow to cool for 20 minutes. Add the cranberries and toss to coat with the simple syrup mixture.
- On a parchment paper lined baking sheet using a slotted spoon, remove the cranberries from simple syrup and place on baking sheet. Allow the berries to dry for 1 hour.
- In a large bowl place the remaining cup of sugar and toss the cranberries in the sugar to coat. Place coated cranberries on a new parchment lined baking sheet and allow to dry.
- Combine the confectioners’ sugar with 1½ tablespoons of the orange juice and the orange zest and mix until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cake, top the drizzled cake with the sugared cranberries.Garnish with additional orange zest if desired.
