This Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake brings the flavor, y’all!! I’m talkin’ bursts of zesty cranberries with that tart kick, mixed with the sunshiny sweetness of orange and a hint of vanilla. It’s like the whole holiday season got baked into this cake! This cranberry orange beauty is moist, packed with flavor, and truly the queen of winter pound cakes. It’s hands down one of the best holiday cakes you’ll ever whip up, and you’re gonna want to make this stunner more than just once this year!
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They’re Lovin’ It! Here’s what They’re Sayin’:
“I’m a cake snob, and it’s my birthday today so I baked my own cake: this one—a guarantee I won’t be disappointed, and neither will the ones I share it with. I’ve made cranberry pound cakes before but this one takes it up a notch. Thank you for helping me celebrate 74!”
—CHRIS M.
During this festive season, you’ll find me in the kitchen whipping up magic with my family. There’s just something so heartwarming about baking for those you love, with those you love. It’s our special way of cooking up new holiday memories that are gonna stick with me forever. My mama and I, we’ve turned our holiday baking into our little gift-giving tradition for friends and family. And now, honey, I’m passing on this gift to you – my very own Cranberry Orange Cake recipe. It’s like a slice of love, just for you!
Because I love me some classic winter flavors, this Cranberry Orange Pound Cake recipe was perfect for sharing with my boos during the holidays. The flavors are perfect for the season. The tartness of the cranberries is perfectly offset by the citrus and sweetness of the orange flavor. Get into it.
The Lowdown of This Cranberry Orange Pound Cake
Cuisine Inspiration: Southern American with a Citrus Twist
Primary Cooking Method: Baking
Dietary Info: Can be made Gluten-Free with ingredient swaps
Key Flavor: Zesty Orange and Tart Cranberry in a Moist Tender Cake Package
Skill Level: Intermediate (You can do it boos! Flex those skillz)
Flavors on Flavors
Fresh orange zest and orange extract bring a zesty and refreshing flavor, making every bite so delish. Plus the cranberries offer a tart contrast to the sweet batter. The two contrasting flavors are chef’s kiss inside this moist and tender pound cake.
Simple Yet Sophisticated
While this cake requires a bit of finesse, the process is straightforward boos. It ain’t that hard. And if you follow the instructions, you can pull off this delightful dessert for any occasion.
Holiday Showstopper
This cranberry orange bundt is absolutely gorgeous in the center of the dessert table all holiday season long. It’s a beaut!
Ingredients You’ll Need for this Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake
- Butter and Sugar: The butter for this recipe is unsalted and should be at room temperature along with white granulated sugar. Most cakes begin with the “creaming method” which really means that the butter and sugar are mixed together at a high speed until they dissolve into each other and become light and fluffy. This process also adds a lovely amount of air to your cake.
- Eggs: This cake also has a large amount of eggs which helps to add both fat and stability to your cake.
- Flour: This recipe uses cake flour because it doesn’t result in a lot of gluten being mixed in if you happen to over-mix the cake a bit.
- Leavening: I add two leavenings, baking soda, and baking powder, to the cake so you get that lovely height in your cake.
- Sour Cream: My secret ingredient for moisture in cakes is sour cream! Gosh, I love sour cream-based bundt cakes. If you want an original one, try this sour cream pound cake! You can basically add anything to it, and it turns out wonderfully.
- Orange & Cranberry Flavor: To really amp up the orange flavor here, I add a mix of orange extract and orange zest. It really adds a beautiful citrus flavor throughout. For the cranberries, I add whole cranberries. They are delicious and look so gorgeous speckled throughout the cake. Pure vanilla extract enhances and balances these additional flavors making them meld together beautifully.
- Simple Glaze: Mix together sifted powdered sugar and fresh orange juice to make the simple glaze for the cake.
Be sure to check the recipe card for the full ingredient list and quantities of each one.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Cake
What to Serve with Orange Cranberry Cake
- For more decadent flavor serve it up with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream a scoop of and garnish with sugared cranberries, mandarin orange slices, and fresh mint.
- Enjoy your favorite coffee drink, holiday hot chocolate, or fresh eggnog along with your slice of cake.
- For more fruity flavor, serve it up with a spoonful of homemade fresh berry sauce over the top!
- Serve this cake up for dessert for holidays and special occasions. It’s perfect for Christmas after indulging in prime rib, cheesy scalloped potatoes, potato rolls, and creamed spinach.
Recipe Substitutions
- Cake Flour: If you don’t have cake flour in the kitchen you can make cake flour with two simple pantry ingredients — flour and cornstarch.
- Fresh Cranberries: Fresh cranberries are truly the best option for making this cake but they’re not available year-round. When you can’t find them fresh you can use frozen instead. There’s no need to thaw them out. Toss the frozen berries in the flour and stir into the batter.
- Sour Cream: Swap in plain greek yogurt which has a very similar consistency.
Recipe Additions and Variations
- Different Citrus Flavors: Lemon and lime would also work well with the cranberries. Simply replace the orange zest and juice with either one of the others.
- Make it Nutty: Pecans, walnuts, or almonds all taste great with the cranberry and orange flavors of this cake. Stir them in with the cranberries right at the end and sprinkle some over the top after adding the glaze.
- Skip the Glaze: For a slightly less sweet cake, you can serve it sprinkled lightly with some powdered sugar instead of adding the sugary glaze.
Expert Tips and Tricks for Making the Best Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake
- Room Temperature Ingredients. Make sure your butter and ingredients are at room temperature. This will help them to melt into each other while mixing.
- Creaming the Butter and Sugar. Take your time during the mixing of the butter and sugar, also known as the creaming period. This will add a lovely lift of air and lightness to your cake and also ensure that your ingredients start off well mixed.
- Don’t Over Mix Your Cake. When you add the dry ingredients be sure you only mix until the ingredients are just combined. Don’t over-mix and risk additional gluten being added.
- Tossing the Cranberries in Flour. This helps keep them from sinking to the bottom when baked in the batter!
- Prep Your Pan. To avoid the cake sticking be sure you use a spray formulated for baking or the old-school method of butter and flour for coating your baking pan.
How to Store Cranberry Orange Pound Cake
How long will cranberry orange pound cake last?
Here’s how to store your leftover orange and cranberry pound cake to ensure its ultimate freshness. Cool the cake completely and then wrap it in plastic wrap. Store the cake at room temperature but someplace that’s cool and out of the sunlight for best results.
It tastes great served up the next day at room temperature or you can warm it up individual slices in the microwave for a few seconds.
Can I freeze orange cranberry cake?
Yep for sure! It works better freezing it without the glaze as it gets a bit sticky after freezing. If you’re baking the cake in advance you can wrap it in plastic wrap and then in foil and store the whole cake in the freezer for up to a month. Thaw it out on the countertop and then add the glaze just before serving. If you freeze leftovers, you can freeze an intact section of the cake or individual slices. Wrap them in plastic wrap and then place them in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to three months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Prepping your bundt pan is important to get perfect bundt cake edges. There are a couple of ways to do it. First, use Baker’s Joy Nonstick Spray or homemade baking spray for a good outcome and a nice cake design. These use a mixture of oil and flour mix to prevent sticking. If that’s not available, you can use shortening or butter and flour. Use a silicone brush, pastry brush, or a plastic bag to spread shortening or butter all over your bundt pan. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of flour and shake it to coat the inside of your pan.
Sometimes despite careful attention to preventing sticking, your cake might not want to come out of the pan easily. The best tool for solving this problem when this happens is gravity. Let the cake cool slightly in the pan so that the cake sets up a bit more. After ten minutes or so, place a plate upside down over the top of the cake. Then flip it over together and let the cake sit inverted on the plate while it’s still inside the pan. Give it a gentle shake or tap the pan before lifting it leaving the cake on the plate. If it’s a bit resistant to come out, let it sit a bit longer as the weight of the cake and gravity will help loosen the cake and free it from the pan.
This shouldn’t be an issue with this cake if you follow the recipe as written. Most commonly, over-mixing, overcooking, and not measuring properly are the causes of dry cakes. You want to mix the flour into the batter using the lowest speed and ONLY mix until everything comes together. Avoid overcooking your cake by using the rack in the center of the oven and watch it closely in the last 10-15 minutes of baking just in case your oven cooks more quickly. Last, make sure you are not scooping your dry ingredients which can lead to using too much flour. Instead, use a spoon to measure the flour into the cup and then scrape off the top with a flat edge of a knife. This method of measuring means you are less likely to add too much flour which may make a dry cake.
Honey, this Cranberry Orange Pound Cake is like a big ol’ party for the season! We’re blending the cozy, comforting vibes of a classic pound cake with all the festive fun of cranberries and that zesty, refreshing pop of orange. It’s like a slice of holiday cheer in every bite. I just know you’re gonna love it!
More Pound Cake Recipes
If you want more great holiday cakes like this cranberry orange pound cake, you’ll love these other pound cake recipes.
- Lemon Pound Cake
- Chocolate Pound Cake
- Sock It to Me Cake
- Cranberry Bundt Cake
- Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- Eggnog Cake
- Brown Sugar Pound Cake
Cranberry Orange Pound Cake
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 1/4 cup unsalted butter 2 1/2 sticks, room temperature
- 2½ cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 3 cups cake flour plus 2 tablespoons sifted, separated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
For the Icing:
- 1⅓ cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Liberally prepare a 12-cup Bundt pan with the nonstick method of your choice.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on high speed.
- 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 sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed and slowly add the 3 cups of flour in 2 batches. Add the salt, baking powder and baking soda. Be careful not to overbeat.
- Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, orange extract and orange zest. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix the batter until just combined. Turn off mixer and toss cranberries with remaining 2 tablespoons with flour then carefully fold cranberries into cake batter.
- Bake for 1 hour and 15-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate. Let cool to room temperature and serve.
For the Icing:
- Whisk together powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth. If it is too runny, add a bit more sugar or if it is too thick, add a little bit more orange juice. You want to consistency to coat the back of a spoon but slide off easily.
- Drizzle on top of cooled cake and serve.
Notes
- Room Temperature Ingredients. Make sure your butter and ingredients are at room temperature. This will help them to melt into each other while mixing.
- Creaming the Butter and Sugar. Take your time during the mixing of the butter and sugar, also known as the creaming period. This will add a lovely lift of air and lightness to your cake and also ensure that your ingredients start off well mixed.
- Don’t Over Mix Your Cake. When you add the dry ingredients be sure you only mix until the ingredients are just combined. Don’t over-mix and risk additional gluten being added.
- Tossing the Cranberries in Flour. This helps keep them from sinking to the bottom when baked in the batter!
- Prep Your Pan. To avoid the cake sticking be sure you use a spray formulated for baking or the old-school method of butter and flour for coating your baking pan.
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Thank you for sharing your family recipes! This cake has such a wonderful flavor. I will be making it again!
This was by far one of my favorite recipes! I have always loved cranberry orange muffins growing up so to making this cake was really great and tasted amazing!!!
Thank you Jocelyn!
Can I use regular flour and If so what are the adjustments needed.
Hi Jocelyn,
May I use frozen cranberries in your recipe? Does it affect the baking time??
Charlie,
Atlanta,GA
You can use the frozen cranberries. I would thaw and drain then add to the recipe.
The cranberry pound cake sounds delicious. I want to make it soon and give to friends and neighbors. Could it be baked in small loaf pans (about 3″ x 6″)? If so, what should the temperature be, and length of baking time?
Thanks so much for your help,
You can do this but you will keep temperature the same and adjust baking time. I would start checking baking after about 25-30 minutes to see how they are doing.
Can I use chopped dried cranberries ?
I did and the cake came out great!
How do I store this cake?
Why do all my bunt cakes I make come out really dark on the outside? I bake them the time asked for.
It may have something to do with your pan and also where you are baking it in your oven and the temp of your oven.
Would I be able to substitute the orange extract for more orange zest or orange juice? I generally don’t enjoy the taste of orange extract. Can’t wait to try this!
Yes absolutely!
I love sharing good food with friends and family too. your -orange-pound-cake look so yummy..
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