This cranberry bundt cake is one of my fave originals, y’all. When I first came up with the recipe, I tested it so many times in one week that my husband was basically living off cranberry cake slices… and he wasn’t mad about it. It combines a buttery traditional sour cream pound cake with cranberries and raspberries in a swirl and topping. It’s giving sweet and tart flavor. A legit hit for the holiday season!
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Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted Butter: You can grab salted butter. Just omit that salt boos.
- Fresh Cranberries: They’re only around in the fall, but frozen works too, just keep in mind they hold more water. To keep them from watering down your batter, thaw them in a colander set over a bowl in the fridge so the excess liquid drains out as they defrost.
- Raspberries: Swap in some strawberries here if you want.
How to Make Cranberry Bundt Cake
These step-by-step photos show how to make cranberry bundt cake, but be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions. Skip to the → Cranberry Bundt Cake Recipe
1. Layer the cranberry berry topping
Pour in the melted butter, sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon, then add the raspberries and cranberries and pat them down before topping with the remaining brown sugar.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together
Beat the butter until fluffy, slowly add the sugar, whip until pale and airy, then mix in the eggs one at a time while scraping the bowl.
3. Add the remaining ingredients
Whisk the flour, cinnamon, and salt, mix them in on low in two batches, then add the sour cream and vanilla just until combined.
4. Make the raspberry swirl batter
Set aside about a cup of batter and mix it with melted raspberry jam and red food coloring until smooth and evenly tinted.
5. Start layering the batters over the cranberries
Pour one-third of the plain batter over the fruit, then spoon half of the swirl batter on top.
6. Add the remaining layers of batter
Top with another third of the plain batter, the rest of the swirl batter, and finish with the last third of plain batter.
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7. Bake your cranberry pound cake
Bake until the top tests clean with a toothpick.
8. Cool briefly, then invert and release the cake
Replace any berries that stayed in the pan back onto the cake. Garnish with a small sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar, and serve.
PRO TIP: Because we have an upside down topping, make sure you REALLY grease it up. My cake release is the best thing to use!
Full Cranberry Bundt Cake Recipe
Cranberry Bundt Cake Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
Berry Top
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ¼ cups fresh raspberries
- 1 ¼ cups fresh cranberries
Cake
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature 3 sticks
- 2 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 3 cups cake flour sifted
- 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting optional
Swirl
- 3 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam melted
- 3-4 drops red food coloring
Instructions
For the Top
- Preheat your oven to 325ºF. Prepare a 12-cup Bundt pan with the nonstick method of your choice.
- Add the melted butter to bottom of the Bundt pan. Cover the butter with 3/4 cup of the brown sugar and the cinnamon.
- Evenly spread the raspberries and cranberries over the brown sugar, covering the entire area. Carefully pat down the berries inside the pan.
- Cover the berries with the remaining 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Set aside.
For the Cake
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the butter and beat on high speed for 1 minute. Slowly add the granulated sugar. Cream together for an additional 5 minutes, until very pale yellow and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time. combining well after each addition and scraping down the side and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, and salt. Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed and slowly add the flour mixture in 2 batches. Be careful not to overbeat. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract. Scrape down the side and bottom of the bowl and mix the batter until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
For the Swirl
- Remove 1 cup of the batter from the mixing bowl and add it to a separate small bowl.
- Stir in the melted raspberry jam and red food coloring and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
To Assemble
- Evenly pour 1/3 of the plain batter into the Bundt pan over the berries. Add 1/2 of the swirl batter on top. Add another 1/3 of the plain batter and the remaining swirl batter on top. Then add the remaining 1/3 of the plain batter on top.
- Bake for 1 hour and 15 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the top of cake comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven. Let cool for only 5 to 7 minutes, then carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate to finish cooling. If any berries stick to the pan, carefully use a butter knife to remove them and place them back on top of the cake. Lightly cover the cake with foil or plastic wrap so it does not dry out. Let the juices settle (to speed this process, you can refrigerate).
- If using, garnish with a small sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar. Serve.
Notes
How to Store
- Room Temp: Keep the cake wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. The fruit juices settle into the cake as it sits, so the flavor actually gets better!
- Fridge: Refrigerate the wrapped cake for up to a week.
- Freezer: Freeze the fully cooled cake by double wrapping it in plastic wrap, then foil. It will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter and serve at room temp. The topping gets a little stickier after freezing, but the cake itself holds up great.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Melt the jam ahead of time. Pop it in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it until thin and runny.
- Slide a sheet of parchment or foil on the rack under your Bundt pan. Helps catch any berry juices while the cake bakes. Ain’t nobody got time for cleaning a sticky oven!
- Take your time creaming the butter and sugar. This is where the cranberry pound cake gets its height, so whip them good. No rushing here, boos.
- Cool the cake in the pan for just a few minutes. The berry and sugar layer gets sticky as it sits, so give it 5 to 7 minutes, then invert it while it’s still warm.
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What would you recommend in place of raspberries? Maybe blueberries?
Strawberries would also work well.
Do you think this would turn out OK in two loaf pans? (easier to give as gifts!)
Yes you can add the batter to two loaf pans for this. They will be amazing gifts.
WOW!! What a beautiful Cake. I can’t wait to make this one, maybe this weekend I have plenty of fresh Cranberries. This Cake looks Delicious.
I made this and it was very good! I’m wondering however, is there supposed to be a tsp of baking powder? I didn’t see any leavening agent in this recipe. I think the next time I make it I may add it in. Thx for the recipe 🙂
Pound cakes are naturally dense without a lot of air pockets so this cake doesn’t really require it. If you would like it to be more airy, you can certainly add a little in.