Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake
Ready for some bundt cake? Today we bring you our Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake recipe that is classically sweet, dense, and spongy. A bundt cake is defined by two things: being a little bit more dense than a normal cake (but less than a pound cake) and using a distinct donut shaped mold. Our version includes orange juice and dried cranberries in the cake mix as well as in the glaze (which has a gorgeous natural pink color from the cranberries). This beautiful pink and orange bundt cake is simple to make, yet a showstopper thanks to its presentation and texture.
Bundt cakes are always fun to bake because they’re so difficult to get wrong. Despite being one of the most impressive looking cakes, they’re actually one of the easiest types to make and they almost always turn out beautifully. That being said, bundt cake batters are relatively dense and the pans are quite large so they do take longer to bake than your average birthday cake. Timing is everything when baking so just take your time and don’t rush it. Your patience will be rewarded, trust me.
The best way to determine if a bundt cake is done is to use the toothpick test. Just stick a toothpick into the thickest part of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean you know it’s done.
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Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake Recipe Tips:
- If you want to use fresh cranberries, replace the orange juice and dried cranberries for 5.5 oz chopped fresh cranberries and fold them in the cake mix before baking.
- Baking times for bundt cakes can be very dependent on your pan and oven. Make sure you keep an eye on yours and do the toothpick test to fully bake, but not overdue it.
Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
- 4 oz dried cranberries
- 2 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 tbsp almonds, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1 1/3 cups vegetable oil, plus more for pan
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tbsp orange zest
Glaze
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 oz dried cranberries
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Equipment
- Bundt Cake
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Prepare a 3 quarts bundt cake pan using vegetable oil and a brush to cover generously all its surface. Then, cover it with flour and tap the pan upside down to release the excess.
- Hydrate the roughly chopped dried cranberries with the orange juice and reserve.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer add the granulated sugar, finely chopped almonds, baking powder, salt and AP flour. Mix the dry ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients: whole milk, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract and orange zest. Mix for 1 minute at low speed. Add the cranberries with the orange juice and mix at medium high speed for 2 minutes.
- Add the cake mix to the bundt cake pan and bake for 80-90 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean, the cake is golden brown and the sponge springs back when you press delicately your finger into it.
- Pass a plastic or silicone offset spatula around the edges of the pan. Allow to cool in the pan for five minutes, then turn the pan upside down into a plate to unmold. Allow the cake to cool down completely.
- To make the glaze blend the orange juice and dried cranberries, and sieve through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Add the powdered sugar and mix.
- Glaze the bundt cake and garnish with orange peel.
Recipe and photos by Abril Macías.
