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    Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake

    Published: December 14, 2021 | Last Modified: November 10, 2022 by Gail Ng | 7 Comments

    JUMP TO RECIPE PRINT RECIPE
    close up of cranberry sauce filling in the middle of orange bundt cake
    cranberry orange bundt cake with slices cut out of it on cake stand
    a slice of cranberry orange bundt cake lifted by cake server
    a slice of cranberry orange bundt cake lifted by cake server

    This cranberry orange bundt cake is made with a soft, orange-infused cake with a swirl of tart cranberry sauce in the middle for a sweet surprise. It’s a sweet and simple holiday cake that looks incredible just dusted with powdered sugar with a few sprigs of rosemary.

    a slice of cranberry orange bundt cake lifted by cake server
    Jump to:
    • Why you’ll love this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How to make a cranberry orange bundt cake
    • Storage
    • Freezing
    • Tips & tricks
    • Frequently asked questions
    • More bundt cake recipes to try
    • Recipe

    The combination of orange and cranberry is a classic holiday flavour and for good reason! The tartness of the citrus makes this bundt cake feel light and not too sweet. The acid from the orange juice in the batter helps make this orange cake soft and crumbly but firm enough to come out of the bundt pan without breaking.

    This recipe makes enough batter to fill an 8” or 6-cup bundt pan. The pan I used for this cake is similar to this Wilton bundt pan but my favourite ones are Nordic Ware bundt pans because of their stunning designs. By using a bundt pan with a nice design, your cake can be served right away, without the need for additional decoration if you don’t want to. It can turn any cranberry orange cake into a showstopper just by baking it!

    Why you’ll love this recipe

    • This cranberry orange bundt cake is tart and delicious!
    • The acidity of the orange and cranberry makes the cake feel light and fruity.
    • The swirl of cranberry sauce through the middle of the bundt cake is a gorgeous and tasty surprise.
    • The cake batter is easy to mix by hand with a whisk, thanks to the melted butter. No electric mixer needed.
    • Bundt cakes are easy to decorate with just a dusting of powdered sugar thanks to the intricate bundt pan design. They're ready to go right after baking!

    Ingredients

    • Cranberries - I’ve used fresh cranberries but you can also use frozen.
    • Granulated sugar
    • All-purpose flour
    • Baking powder
    • Baking soda
    • Salt
    • Flavourless oil - Any vegetable oil that doesn’t have a strong taste works here like avocado oil or grapeseed oil.
    • Unsalted butter - We’re using melted butter in this recipe. Melt the butter in the microwave or in a small pan before adding it to the wet ingredients.
    • Eggs - They should be at room temperature so that combine seamlessly with the rest of the ingredients. You don’t want the butter to solidify the moment you add in the eggs.
    • Vanilla extract
    • Milk - You can use dairy milk or plant-based milk!
    • Orange juice - You’ll need the juice of about 1 large orange. Freshly squeezed orange juice works the best! Trust me, it has so much more tangy flavour and you’ll also be able to use the peel for the zest.
    • Orange zest - You’ll need to the zest from about ½ the orange that you’re juicing. Feel free to add more for more flavour.
    cranberry orange bundt cake with slices cut out of it on cake stand

    How to make a cranberry orange bundt cake

    For the cranberry sauce

    Boil until reduced: In a small saucepan on medium-high heat, stir together cranberries, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil. Stir occasionally and use a spatula to press down on the cranberries to macerate them. Boil mixture for about 10 minutes until the sauce is thick and jammy. Transfer cranberry sauce to a small bowl to cool.

    cooking down cranberries into cranberry sauce in a pan

    For the bundt cake

    Prepare bundt pan - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10” bundt pan with butter or cooking spray and sprinkle with flour. Tap the flour around the pan until coated with a thin layer. Discard the excess flour and set pan aside.

    Mix dry ingredients - In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

    Mix wet ingredients - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together oil, melted butter, and sugar until combined. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.

    Add dry to wet ingredients - Add in half of the flour mixture and whisk a few times until almost combined. Pour in the milk, orange juice, and orange zest and mix until almost combined. Add in the rest of the flour mixture and mix until just combined and smooth.

    mixing flour and liquid into cake batter in a bowl

    Add cranberry sauce to batter - Pour about half of the batter in your prepared bundt pan. Carefully spoon the cranberry sauce on top of the batter to form a ring in the middle. Gently spoon the remaining batter on top to completely cover the cranberry sauce ring.

    spooning orange cake batter and cranberry sauce into bundt pan

    Bake - Bake bundt cake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

    Release cake from pan - Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes to set so that it doesn't break apart when you release it from the pan. While the cake is still hot, use your fingers to gently pull at the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan and then turn the pan upside down to release the cake. Let cool completely right side up on a wire rack.

    Decorate - Garnish bundt cake with rosemary trees and dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

    Storage

    This bundt cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let it come back to room temperature before eating.

    Freezing

    You can freeze this bundt cake by wrapping individual slices or the whole cake in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then let it come back to room temperature before eating.

    close up of cranberry sauce filling in the middle of orange bundt cake

    Tips & tricks

    • Use room temperature ingredients. This is important to make a homogenous batter. If you add cold eggs or milk to the melted butter, it will solidify into small chunks of butter on contact which will lead to a lumpy batter and denser cake.
    • Grease and flour the pan well. You really want to spend the time to grease the pan well, getting into all the edges and corner, especially if you bundt pan has an intricate design. Use a pastry brush to help get into tight areas. Coat the butter with a thin and even layer of flour and tap out the excess. This combination of butter and flour helps the cake come out in easily every time.
    • Release the cake while it’s still warm. Never let your bundt cake cool completely inside the pan. The butter on the outside of the cake will solidify and seal the cake to the pan. Let your cake cool for about 20 minutes out of the oven and then invert it onto a wire rack while it’s still hot.

    Frequently asked questions

    Can you use store-bought cranberry sauce in this bundt cake?

    You can use store-bought cranberry sauce if you’re in a pinch but I would avoid using canned cranberry sauce as the texture is totally different. The taste won’t be exactly the same as there’s usually more sugar in store-bought cranberry sauce.

    How to keep a bundt cake from sticking to the pan?

    Always grease your bundt pan thoroughly with softened butter or cooking spray. Be sure to get in all the crevices of the bundt pan design. Then, dust the entire surface of the pan with a thin coating of flour. Bang the pan on all sides and rotate it to move the flour around. Discard the excess flour.

    When releasing the bundt cake from the pan, wait until it has cooled for at least 20-30 minutes or until you can comfortably touch the pan with your bare hands. Gently pull at the edges of the cake to release from the sides of the pan. Flip the pan upside down in one swift motion. The cake should release and fall out by itself. If it doesn’t, set the pan down (upside down) and bang on the top of the pan until the cake releases.

    More bundt cake recipes to try

    • Cinnamon Swirl Bundt Cake
    • Neapolitan Bundt Cake

    Recipe

    a slice of cranberry orange bundt cake lifted by cake server

    Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake

    Author: Gail Ng
    This cranberry orange bundt cake is made of a soft, orange-infused cake with a swirl of tart cranberry sauce in the middle. It’s a sweet and simple holiday cake!
    5 from 21 votes
    PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE
    Prep Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr
    Total Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
    Yield 1 8” bundt cake
    Category Dessert
    Cuisine American

    Ingredients
      

    Cranberry Sauce

    • 200 g cranberries
    • 50 g granulated sugar
    • 100 g water

    Bundt Cake

    • 350 g all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 150 g flavourless oil
    • 115 g unsalted butter, melted
    • 200 g granulated sugar
    • 4 large eggs, room temperature
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 100 g milk, room temperature
    • 140 g orange juice, freshly squeezed (about 1 large orange)
    • 1 teaspoon orange zest, from about ½ an orange

    Instructions
     

    Cranberry Sauce

    • In a small saucepan on medium-high heat, stir together cranberries, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil.
    • Stir occasionally and use a spatula to press down on the cranberries to macerate them. Boil mixture for about 10 minutes until the sauce is thick and jammy. Transfer cranberry sauce to a small bowl to cool.

    Bundt Cake

    • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10” bundt pan with melted or softened butter or cooking spray and sprinkle with flour. Tap the flour around the pan until coated with a thin layer. Discard the excess flour and set pan aside.
    • In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
    • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together oil, melted butter, and sugar until combined. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
    • Add in half of the flour mixture and whisk a few times until almost combined.
    • Pour in the milk, orange juice, and orange zest and mix until almost combined.
    • Add in the rest of the flour mixture and mix until just combined and smooth.
    • Pour about half of the batter in your prepared bundt pan. Carefully spoon the cranberry sauce on top of the batter to form a ring in the middle.
    • Gently spoon the remaining batter on top to completely cover the cranberry sauce ring.
    • Bake bundt cake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
    • Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes. While the cake is still hot, use your fingers to gently pull at the edges of the cake to loosen from the pan and then turn the pan upside down to release the cake. Let cool completely right side up on a wire rack.
    • Garnish bundt cake with rosemary trees and dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 4887kcal | Carbohydrates: 565g | Protein: 64g | Fat: 267g | Saturated Fat: 84g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 29g | Monounsaturated Fat: 138g | Trans Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 912mg | Sodium: 2460mg | Potassium: 1249mg | Fiber: 19g | Sugar: 277g | Vitamin A: 4395IU | Vitamin C: 99mg | Calcium: 568mg | Iron: 21mg
    Keywords cranberry bundt cake, cranberry orange bundt cake, cranberry orange cake
    Tried this recipe?Leave a rating & comment to let us know how it was and tag your Instagram posts with @teakandthyme!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Jere

      November 14, 2022 at 10:44 am

      5 stars
      Two of my favorite flavors, and I just bought three bags of cranberries. I love just the layer of cranberry sauce in the cake, it makes such a pretty presentation.

      Reply
    2. Renee R

      November 14, 2022 at 2:17 am

      Hi I love the look of this cake, would a cream cheese icing on top of this work?

      Reply
    3. Lisa

      November 11, 2022 at 8:03 am

      5 stars
      I've been searching for the perfect cake to make for the holidays and this one is it! Made a half batch to test in a loaf pan and it turned out amazing!

      Reply
    4. Relle

      November 10, 2022 at 9:31 pm

      5 stars
      So festive. Perfect for the holidays.

      Reply
    5. MacKenzie

      November 10, 2022 at 8:41 pm

      5 stars
      Beautiful! Saving for Christmas season.

      Reply
    6. Glenda

      November 10, 2022 at 5:27 pm

      5 stars
      What a showstopper! This beautiful bundt cake is scumptious! The flavors are so "holiday". We loved it!

      Reply
    7. Gen

      November 10, 2022 at 1:36 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious flavor combination and instructions that make the whole process super clear and easy - I'll definitely be making these again!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Gail! I'm a Chinese-Canadian girl with a major sweet tooth. I make desserts, baked goods, and drinks inspired by French pastries, twists on classics, and flavours from my Asian background. I hope your second stomach is hungry!

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