You know that one holiday cake everyone talks about and takes a second slice of? This is it. This cranberry orange bundt cake is moist, buttery, dotted with tart fresh cranberries, and perfumed with bright orange zest. Finished with a glossy orange glaze that drips down the sides, it’s a showstopper for Christmas tables, brunches, or just a cozy winter weekend.
If you love bright citrus desserts, you might also like my Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake or Citrus Shortbread Cookies!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (from about 2 oranges)
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups fresh cranberries (tossed in 1 tablespoon flour)
For the glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Instructions
1️⃣ Preheat oven & prep pan. Preheat to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10–12 cup bundt pan well.
2️⃣ Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3️⃣ Cream butter & sugar. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in orange zest, juice, and vanilla.
4️⃣ Combine wet & dry. On low speed, mix in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Fold in cranberries.
5️⃣ Bake. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50–60 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes, then invert onto a rack to cool completely.
6️⃣ Glaze. Whisk powdered sugar and orange juice to make a pourable glaze. Drizzle over cooled cake.
🎉 Serving Tips
- Dust with powdered sugar or garnish with sugared cranberries.
- Beautiful on a white cake stand with orange slices around.
- Wrap slices in parchment for a sweet gift.
🪄 Creative Variations
- Add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.
- Swap cranberries for chopped cherries or blueberries.
- Use a cream cheese glaze instead.
🩷 Troubleshooting
- Cake sticks to pan: Grease every crevice of your bundt pan really well.
- Cranberries sank: Next time toss them in flour.
- Cake dry: Don’t overbake — check at 50 minutes.
🧊 Storage
- Keeps covered at room temp 2–3 days.
- Refrigerate up to 5 days.
- Freeze (unglazed) up to 2 months. Thaw and glaze before serving.
Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon orange zest from about 2 oranges
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups fresh cranberries tossed in 1 tablespoon flour
For the glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 –3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Instructions
- 1️⃣ Preheat oven & prep pan.
- Preheat to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10–12 cup bundt pan well.
- 2️⃣ Mix dry ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- 3️⃣ Cream butter & sugar.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in orange zest, juice, and vanilla.
- 4️⃣ Combine wet & dry.
- On low speed, mix in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Fold in cranberries.
- 5️⃣ Bake.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50–60 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes, then invert onto a rack to cool completely.
- 6️⃣ Glaze.
- Whisk powdered sugar and orange juice to make a pourable glaze. Drizzle over cooled cake.
Notes
- You can use frozen cranberries — no need to thaw!
- Cake keeps moist thanks to buttermilk.
Let me know if you bake it — tag me on Pinterest or Instagram, I’d love to see your beautiful bundt! 🥰
