Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

More bundt cake recipes to try

• Cinnamon Swirl Bundt Cake
• Neapolitan Bundt Cake

Recipe