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cranberry orange bundt cake slice and spread out on a marble cake stand

Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake with Fresh Cranberry Sauce Swirl

Tara Kringlen
This cranberry orange bundt cake is a festive bright and tangy bundt cake filled with orange zest and fresh cranberries. To amp up the cranberry flavor even more, a fresh cranberry orange sauce is swirled between layers of batter. Topped with a simple vanilla orange glaze, this bundt cake is divine.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Chilling Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 slices
Calories 488 kcal

Ingredients
  

Cranberry Orange Sauce

  • 2 cups cranberries fresh or frozen
  • ½ cup fresh orange juice from 2-3 large oranges-zest before you squeeze them
  • 1 orange zested
  • cup granulated sugar

Bundt Cake

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour + 1 tablespoon divided
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 ¾ cup sugar
  • 12 tablespoon unsalted butter room temperature
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup milk
  • ¼ cup orange juice freshly squeezed
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries

Vanilla Orange Glaze

  • 1 ½-2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2-3 tablespoon orange juice freshly squeezed

Instructions
 

Cranberry Orange Sauce

  • Place all ingredients into a small saucepan over medium to medium high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens, about 10-15 minutes. Use the back of a spoon to crush some of the cranberries as they cook.
  • Allow the compote to cool completely for at least one hour before using.

Bundt Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat a 10-12 cup Bundt pan with baking spray (with flour added). Make sure to coat the whole pan and use a pastry brush to brush any missed spots. Don’t allow excess spray to pool at the bottom of the pan. Alternately, butter and flour the entire pan.
  • In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of flour with the fresh cranberries and stir gently to coat them in flour. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar for about 3-4 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy on medium/medium-high speed.
  • Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.
  • Add the orange zest and mix well.
  • In a small bowl or pourable measuring cup, whisk together sour cream, milk, orange juice and vanilla. Set aside.
  • Starting with the dry ingredients, add about ⅓ to the butter/sugar mixture and beat until combined.
  • Add half of the milk/sour cream mixture and mix well. Continue alternating dry and wet ingredients, ending with the dry ingredients and stirring until just a few streaks of flour remain.
  • Fold in the cranberries.
  • Pour two thirds of the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top.
  • Spoon the cranberry compote over the batter, trying not to get too close to the sides.
  • Layer the rest of the batter on top of the cranberry compote and smooth the top.
  • Bake for 55-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  • Cool for about 20 minutes in the pan and then invert the pan onto the serving platter you will be using and let it cool completely.

Vanilla Orange Glaze

  • Mix together 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, the vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of orange juice until a glaze forms.
  • Add more powdered sugar by the tablespoon if you prefer a thicker glaze and more orange juice by the teaspoon for a thinner consistency.

Notes

  • One 12 oz bag of fresh cranberries yields about 3 cups of cranberries. 
  • Frozen cranberries can also be used or in a pinch, dried cranberries can be used in the cake but not in the cranberry sauce.
  • Store the bundt cake covered at room temperature for 3-4 days. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 488kcal
Keyword bundt cake, fresh cranberries, holiday dessert
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