Description

This Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake is a festive and elegant dessert that’s surprisingly easy to make. Moist and tender, it features fragrant orange zest and fresh cranberries baked into the cake, finished with a sweet orange glaze and sugared cranberries on top. Perfect for holiday gatherings, this no-mixer recipe delivers a beautiful, flavorful treat that looks like you spent hours preparing it.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake Ingredients

1/2 cup milk (or use 1/2 cup real buttermilk and omit the lemon juice)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 large egg
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1 tablespoon orange zest (from about 1 large orange)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from about 1 large orange)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
2 cups fresh cranberries (plus more for sprinkling)

Orange Glaze and Topping

2 cups confectioners sugar (sifted)
About 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries

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Instructions

Prepare the Cake Batter: In a mixing bowl, combine the milk with lemon juice (if not using buttermilk), and let it curdle slightly. Add the egg, canola oil, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Mix well until fully combined.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, folding gently until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix.
Fold in Cranberries: Gently fold in 2 cups of fresh cranberries into the batter, ensuring even distribution without breaking the berries.
Prepare the Bundt Pan: Grease and flour a Bundt cake pan thoroughly to prevent sticking. Pour the batter evenly into the pan and smooth the top.
Bake the Cake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the cake for approximately 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
Cool the Cake: Carefully invert the cake onto a wire rack and let it cool completely before glazing.
Prepare Sugared Cranberries: In a small saucepan, combine the 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water to make a simple syrup. Bring to a simmer to dissolve the sugar. Stir in 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries until they are coated. Remove the cranberries with a slotted spoon and roll them in additional granulated sugar to coat. Set aside to dry.
Make the Orange Glaze: In a bowl, whisk together the sifted confectioners sugar with about 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice and water as needed until smooth and pourable but thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Glaze the Cake: Drizzle the orange glaze evenly over the cooled Bundt cake. Garnish the top with the sugared cranberries for a festive finish.

Notes

🧡❤️ An elegant yet EASY Bundt cake recipe that only looks like you spent hours on it!
This cake is moist, tender, and bursting with fresh cranberries and citrus flavor.
The orange glaze and sugared cranberries add a beautiful and festive touch perfect for holiday gatherings.
No mixer required – simple mixing by hand is enough!
Make sure the cake is completely cooled before glazing to prevent the glaze from melting.
If you don’t have fresh cranberries, frozen can be used but thaw and drain them well before folding into the batter.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of cake)
Calories: 417 kcal
Sugar: 52 g
Sodium: 243 mg
Fat: 12 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
Trans Fat: 0.04 g
Carbohydrates: 73 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 6 g
Cholesterol: 77 mg