This Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake is one of the best cakes you’ll ever make! Each slice is moist, and loaded with a fresh orange flavor and bites of juicy tart cranberries, with the perfect sweet icing drizzle on top. It’s a cake that is not only delicious, but also beautiful and perfect for the holiday season!
Cranberry and Orange is one of my favorite flavor combinations during the holidays. If you love it too, try these cranberry orange muffins, our cranberry orange shortbread cookies, or white chocolate cranberry bars! Its such a fresh flavor combination with the pop of tart and tangy paired with the sweet! And such a nice contrast to some of the heavier flavors this time of year.
This cranberry bundt cake is honestly one of the best cakes I’ve ever made. It’s soft and tender crumb that is dense, without being too heavy. The cake is so delicious with its bright orange flavor, and tart pops of cranberry, with its super simple two ingredient glaze that adds just the right extra touch of sweetness.
I love how baking a cake in a bundt pan makes a cake look beautiful without any fancy decorating skills! This cake is perfect for your Christmas dessert table, or anytime you want something festive and delicious!
Why you’ll Love this Cake:
- Beautiful and Impressive: The cake is gorgeous, and elegant with out any extra work.
- Festive Flavor Combo: The sweet orange and tangy cranberries balance each other out, and go together so nicely!
- Great Texture: The cake is made with butter, buttermilk, and sour cream giving it a super soft crumb that is moist, and tender.
- Crowd Pleaser: This cake will be a hit for your holiday parties, brunches, or any family gatherings! Cake for breakfast? Yes please!
Ingredients Needed
This is a quick overview of some of the ingredients you’ll need for this Cranberry Bundt Cake Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- All Purpose Flour – This holds everything together
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda – A little of both to help the cake rise nicely
- Butter – We’re making this cake with all butter but that rich buttery flavor. You can use salted or unsalted.
- Granulated Sugar – Sweetens the cake nicely.
- Eggs – Helps hold everything together, and adds more moisture
- Orange Zest – We need real orange zest to add that fresh orange flavor without changing the texture of the cake.
- Buttermilk – Make your own with 1 cup milk, and 1 TBS vinegar or lemon juice if you don’t have buttermilk.
- Sour Cream – Keeps the cake super moist and soft.
- Cranberries – I’ve made this with both fresh or frozen cranberries. No need to thaw them if you’re using frozen
- Powdered Sugar – The base of the icing. You can add more or less if you want it thinner or thicker.
How to make this Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake?
Step 1: Prepare the Pan. This is an important step. The biggest issue with bundt cakes is worrying about the cake sticking the pan. You’ll generously grease the pan with nonstick spray, then add flour and pat the pan, turning it around until the pan is totally coated in a light layer of flour too.
Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside until you need it.
Step 3: Cream the Butter and Sugar. Add the butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl (with a hand mixer), or a stand mixer and mix until fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add in the sour cream, and vanilla extract and mix at medium speed until combined. Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until just combined. The mixture will likely look curdled now, but I promise its okay!
Step 4. Add the Dry Ingredients and Milk. Alternate adding the flour mixture, then the buttermilk, mixing after each until just combined. You’ll do one third of the flour, one half of the buttermilk, 1/3 flour, the remaining buttermilk, then the remaining flour.
Step 5: Add in the Mix Ins. Mix the cranberries with 1/2 TBS of flour in a small bowl. Add them and the orange zest to the batter and gently fold them into the batter. Scoop, or carefully pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
Step 6. Bake the Cake. Bake the cake for about an hour. This is a large cake, so don’t stress if it takes longer in your oven. You’ll bake the cake until a toothpick can come out clean, with just a few moist crumbs. If the top of your cake starts to get too brown you can loosely tent a piece of foil over the top of the cake. Let the cake cool for about 15 minutes in the pan, then carefully flip onto a wire rack. Let the cake cool completely.
Step 7. Add the Icing. Whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice until you have an icing that is thick enough to hold, but thin enough to drizzle. About an hour before you’re ready to serve the cake drizzle the top with spoonfuls of icing. Top with candied cranberries, rosemary, and orange slices if desired for garnish.
Tips and Tricks
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Let your butter, eggs, sour cream, and buttermilk come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before you’re preparing your cake batter.
- Cranberries: You can use frozen or fresh cranberries for this cake. I’ve tested it with both. If you’re using frozen cranberries you don’t need to thaw them, put them in the batter straight from the freezer.
- Loaf Pan: If you don’t need a whole cake you can cut the recipe in half and use a loaf pan instead. It will still bake for about 50-65 minutes.
Storage Instructions
The cake can be stored with a lid at room temperature for up to 3 days. The whole cake will store nicely, but only top the cake with garnishes when serving because the candied cranberries, or oranges will bleed and cause the icing to be tinted, and run a bit as well. Also the edges where slices will be removed will be dryer (you can cut a tiny sliver off the dry edge to remove that part).
This Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake is bursting with holiday cheer and flavor in every bite. It’s simple to make, beautiful to serve, and guaranteed to be a hit with your family and friends!
More Festive Desserts
- Christmas Tree Cherry Hand Pies
- Fruit Cake Cookies
- Peppermint Sugar Cookies
- Eggnog Pie
- Linzer Tart Cookies
- Chocolate Covered Cherries
- Christmas Poke Cake
- Chocolate Orange Cookies // Like Mother Like Daughter
If you try this Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake Recipe, please leave a 🌟 rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake
Ingredients
For the Bundt Cake:
- 3 cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter (softened)
- 4 large Eggs (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream (room temperature)
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Buttermilk (room temperature)
- 2 cups Cranberries (Fresh or Frozen)
- 1 TBS All Purpose Flour
- 2 TBS Orange Zest
For the Orange Icing:
- 1.5 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2-3 TBS Fresh Orange Juice
Instructions
For the Bundt Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 cup bundt pan with non stick spray, and lightly flour. Set aside.
- Add the dry ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk them together. 3 cups All Purpose Flour, 2 tsp Baking Powder, 1/2 tsp Baking Soda , 1 tsp Salt
- Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy. 2 cups Granulated Sugar, 1 cup Unsalted Butter
- Add in the eggs, one at a time, until just combined. Then add in the sour cream, and vanilla extract. 4 large Eggs, 1/2 cup Sour Cream , 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Add one third of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Then half of the buttermilk, mixing until just combined. Then another third of the flour, the remaining buttermilk, and remaining flour, in the same manner. 1 cup Buttermilk
- Add the cranberries to a small bowl and toss them with 1 TBS of flour. 2 cups Cranberries, 1 TBS All Purpose Flour
- Add the floured cranberries, and orange zest to the cake batter and gently fold them into the batter until they're spread evenly throughout. 2 TBS Orange Zest
- Spoon the batter into the prepared bundt cake pan.
- Bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean. (The cake is dense, so it may take longer in your oven, don't be alarmed if it does).
- Let the cake cool for about 1 hour in the pan. Loosen the edges of the pan with a butter knife, then invert the cake onto a wire rack. Let it cool completely.
For the Orange Icing:
- Add the powdered sugar and fresh orange juice to a bowl and whisk together. Whisk quickly for about 1 minute to lighten the color (and make it a brighter white). Add more orange juice or more powdered sugar if needed to get the right texture. 1.5 cups Powdered Sugar, 2-3 TBS Fresh Orange Juice
- Drizzle or spoon the icing over the top of the cake. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, to set. Garnish with candied cranberries, or rosemary if desired. Then enjoy.
Notes
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Let your butter, eggs, sour cream, and buttermilk come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before you’re preparing your cake batter.
- Cranberries: You can use frozen or fresh cranberries for this cake. I’ve tested it with both. If you’re using frozen cranberries you don’t need to thaw them, put them in the batter straight from the freezer.
- Loaf Pan: If you don’t need a whole cake you can cut the recipe in half and use a loaf pan instead. It will still bake for about 50-65 minutes.
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