Boos I can’t let cranberry season pass without getting at least one cranberry orange Bundt cake out of it! I take my buttery sour cream pound cake batter, hit it with orange zest and extract, fold in whole fresh cranberries, then pour an orange glaze right on top. Sounds like a whole lotta citrus, but it ain’t doing too much. You just get the best sweet-tart flava! Holiday fave fo sho, but definitely not holiday-only.
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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.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake
These step-by-step photos show how to make cranberry orange pound cake, but be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions. Skip to the → Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake Recipe
1. Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs
Beat the butter on high speed, then slowly add the sugar and keep creaming until the mixture is very pale and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed.
2. Mix in the dry ingredients
Turn the mixer to its lowest speed and add the flour in two batches, followed by the salt and optional baking soda. Mix gently so you don’t overwork the batter.
3. Add the sour cream and orange flavorings
Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, orange extract, and orange zest. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then mix just until combined.
4. Fold in the flour-coated cranberries
Toss the cranberries with the reserved flour, then carefully fold them into the batter by hand.
PRO TIP: Fresh cranberries are my first pick, but y’all can use frozen when fresh ones aren’t in season. Don’t thaw them! Toss them in the flour straight from the freezer, then fold them into the batter.
5. Spread the batter in the prepared Bundt pan
Transfer the batter to a prepared 12-cup Bundt pan and smooth the top so it bakes up evenly.
6. Bake and invert the cranberry Bundt cake
Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out mostly clean. Cool the cake in the pan, then invert it onto a serving plate and let it cool completely.
PRO TIP: Get every nook and cranny of that pan, boos! Liberally coat it with nonstick baking spray or use my foolproof homemade cake release so your cake slides out smoothly.
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7. Whisk together the orange glaze
Whisk the powdered sugar and fresh orange juice until smooth. Add a little more sugar if it’s runny or another splash of juice if it’s too thick.
8. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake
Pour the glaze over the top and let it drip down the sides. Give it a few minutes to set, then slice that beauty up!
Full Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake Recipe
Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake Recipe
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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
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda optional
- 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 and baking soda if you are using. 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
How to Store
- Room Temp: Let the cake cool completely, then store it under a cake dome or tightly covered at cool room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Fridge: Wrap the cake tightly or keep it in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Let each slice come to room temperature before serving.
- Freezer: This cake freezes best without the glaze. Wrap the whole cake tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 1 month, or wrap individual slices and keep them in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then glaze before serving.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Bring the ingredients to room temp. Room temperature butter, eggs, and sour cream blend into a smoother batter. If they’re too cold, the batter will curdle, and the cake will bake up dense.
- Zest before you juice. It’s MUCH easier to zest a whole orange. You can use a microplane or the smallest holes on a box grater. And avoid the bitter white pith!
- Measure, then sift the flour. Spoon the cake flour into your measuring cup and level it off before sifting. Set aside the last 2 tablespoons, so you have them ready for coating the cranberries.
- Let the toothpick call it. Bundt pans and ovens don’t all bake the same, so start checking at 1 hour 15 mins. A few moist crumbs are okay, but wet batter means it needs more time.
Recipe Help
Yep! Use full-fat plain Greek yogurt instead.
Your ingredients were probably too cold or the eggs were added too quickly. Scrape down the bowl and keep going. The batter should smooth out once you add the flour.
The cake is still warm or the glaze is too thin. Let the cake cool completely before glazing it, then whisk in more powdered sugar a little at a time until the glaze coats the back of a spoon.
You probably added too much flour, mixed the batter too long after adding it, or let the cake bake past done. Spoon and level the flour, keep the mixer low, and pull the cake once the toothpick has just a few moist crumbs.
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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!
Wow this means a lot to me!
Sure hope this cake worls for me as I’m celebrating my pastor who is 104 years old.
Oh my goodness!! I sure hope it works for you too and a big Happy Birthday to him 104 is an amazing life!
You are THE bundt cake queen! This was another recipe we absolutely loved. So christmasssy and delicious.
Made this cake today and it turned out so well!! It was super moist and dense, packed with cranberry flavor, and the icing just put it over the top. A new favorite dessert for the holidays for sure!
What a winning combo! Making this for our party this weekend!
My daughter and I made this cake last weekend. It turned out perfect. The cake is very moist and packed with flavor
This was everything a gourmet dessert should be, and then some! Turned out light, fluffy and delicious; the best treat for winter, indeed!
Looks absolutely delicious! Where did you purchase the Bundt pan you used? It made a lovely cake!
Thank you so much Cindy! It is by NordicWare.
I’ve become the official cake maker for my family. I’ve made numerous cakes using different recipes. This one, by far has been a family favorite. So much so I’ve adopted it as my standard just changing the flavors. So, THANK YOU for publishing your recipe.
My question, how long can this keep in the fridge if I want to make it in advance of my moms birthday?
I actually would not put this in the fridge as it will dry the cake out. You can even freeze the cake.
Thank you for your quick reply
Delicious and so refreshing. The sweet cake with the tart cranberry was so good and I didn’t have the frosting on!! OMG