Christmas Cranberry Orange Cake

Christmas Cranberry Orange Cake

This moist and delicious cranberry orange cake is a true show stopper. We love making this cake on Christmas day since it is beautiful and festive as Christmas itself. You will be surprised at how easy it is to make.

Cranberries are small, hard, round, red fruits with a flavor that many describe as both bitter and sour. They grow on vines in freshwater bogs, mostly in the northern United States and southern Canada. They're related to blueberries and wintergreen.

Are cranberries a fruit?

Many people consider cranberries to be a superfood due to their high nutrient and antioxidant content. In fact, research has linked the nutrients in cranberries to a lower risk of urinary tract infection (UTI), the prevention of certain types of cancer, improved immune function, and decreased blood pressure.

What are cranberries good for?

Can I substitute dried cranberries?

If using dried cranberries, soak them in some orange juice for at least 15 minutes to plump and moisten them up. Drain well before using.

Can I use frozen cranberries?

Frozen cranberries work great and there is no need to thaw.

Can I make this in a smaller bundt pan?

If using a smaller bundt pan, you will need to adjust the ingredients proportionally.

How to remove bundt cake from the pan?

Once the bundt cake is out of the oven, let it rest for 15 minutes then place a wire rack over the bundt cake and carefully invert using oven mitts (the pan will be hot). You can tap the pan over the rack to help release it.

Christmas Cranberry Orange Cake Video Tutorial

Christmas Cranberry Orange Cake

Christmas Cranberry Orange Cake Recipe

Ingredients

For the Cranberry Orange Cake:

3 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

12 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted (not hot)

1/3 cup light olive oil or canola oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cups buttermilk, room temperature

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp orange zest, from 1 orange, plus more for glaze

2 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed, dried, and tossed with 1/2 Tbsp flour

For the Orange Glaze and Topping:

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice, or to reach desired consistency

1 tsp orange zest

1 cup sugared cranberries, optional garnish

Instructions

How to Make Cranberry Bundt Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350˚F with a rack in the center of the oven. Generously butter and flour a bundt pan, tapping out excess flour.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs and sugar for 3 minutes on high speed, until pale in color.

Add olive oil, then melted butter, and finally vanilla extract, blending between each ingredient then mix in buttermilk until well blended.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt then mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients at low speed until no flour streaks remain.

Toss cranberries with 1/2 Tbsp flour and fold them into the batter along with 1 Tbsp orange zest.

Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake at 350˚F for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean with some moist crumbs. Cool 15 minutes in pan then invert onto a wire rack and cool completely before drizzling with orange glaze.

To Make the Orange Glaze:

In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, freshly squeezed orange juice, and a bit of orange zest. Stir together until smooth. You should have a thick pourable consistency. Add more orange juice to thin out the glaze and more powdered sugar to thicken it up.

Sugared Cranberries

Ingredients

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided

3 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and dried

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar. Bring to a boil and let it simmer on low heat for 3 minutes.

Stir in the cranberries to fully coat in the syrup then remove from heat and stir for 1 minute.

Remove cranberries with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet or a metal rack to let cranberries dry out for 1 hour.

Roll cranberries in batches in the remaining 1 cup sugar to coat.

Enjoy your Christmas Cranberry Orange Cake