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Orange Cranberry Bundt Cake

Just going to throw out that this is the first Bundt cake recipe I’ve ever shared!! As much as I love making layer cakes, sometimes it’s nice to make other types of desserts. That is where this orange cranberry Bundt cake comes in.

While pulling together my baking holiday gift guide, I stumbled across the most stunning Bundt pan.

While I don’t REALLY have any room in my kitchen for it, I bought it anyways! What can I say, my impulse control is a work in progress.

I treated myself to this fancy new Bundt pan in hopes it would inspire me to make something new.

Clearly my plan worked, and the extra bag of cranberries in my fridge guided me toward this unique holiday flavor combo.

image of the best orange bundt cake with sugared cranberries

Less Common Holiday Flavors

When I think of Christmas, my first though isn’t orange and cranberry.

I usually think of chocolate and peppermint, or even eggnog!

That’s why my past holiday cakes (like my almond Christmas lights cake, or my hot cocoa cake) haven’t really played around with these flavors.

But in the midst of heavy holiday dinners, it’s nice to have a refreshing, tart dessert.

I’m not really giving cranberries enough credit. They are an important part of most holiday dinners, and they are seasonally relevant.

I think most people would be sad if they were missing from Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

image of sugared cranberries, waiting to be added to my bundt cake

I’m not the biggest fan of cranberry sauce, but I do love baking with cranberries.

They also make the most beautiful garnish when they’re sugared!

I love decorating cakes in a way that lets you know what flavor is hiding inside.

That’s why I topped this orange cranberry Bundt cake with loads of sugared cranberries and orange slices 🙂

The Bundt Pan

The final component of this Bundt cake recipe is the pan you use.

That’s the fun of making a Bundt cake, it’s shape is solely reliant on the pan it bakes in.

I think most people have their tried and true Bundt pans, and I totally respect that. They’re those iconic curved pans we grew up with, with short grooves and fluted edges.

This recipe will work great in just about any Bundt pan, as long as it has a capacity of at least 10 cups.

Most 10-inch Bundt pans can hold this much batter.

image of holiday cranberry and orange bundt cake

To make this Bundt cake, I used my Nordic Wear heritage Bundt pan, which has deep, beautiful grooves.

One word of advice, if you use a Bundt pan with a fun design or deep grooves, be sure you butter and flour them SUPER WELL before adding your batter.

Make sure you get a thin layer of butter into every nook and cranny.

It sounds dramatic, but you’ll thank yourself later when your gorgeous Bundt cake pops right out of the pan.

image of orange and cranberry bundt cake decorated with orange glaze and sugared cranberries

Tips to Make the Best Orange Cranberry Bundt Cake

  • Mix your cake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated. This will ensure your cake turns out tender and fluffy.
  • Bake time can vary a lot based on your Bundt pan, so keep an eye on your cake and check in every 5 minutes once it’s been in the oven for 55 minutes.
  • To prevent the cranberries from floating to the top of the Bundt cake, give them a rough chop and toss them in flour before adding them into the batter.
  • To ensure the cranberries are evenly distributed throughout the cake once it’s baked pour 1/3 of the batter into the pan and add half the cranberries. Repeat this, then top with the rest of your batter.
  • Butter and flour or grease your Bundt pan really well to help your Bundt cake pop out easily once it’s baked.
  • Use a serrated knife to level the bottom of your Bundt cake once it’s fully cooled to help it sit flat on your cake stand or plate.
image of sliced orange bundt cake

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this orange cranberry Bundt cake recipe, I’d love to hear what you think of it!

Please leave a rating, and let me know your thoughts by sharing a comment.

Yield: 20

Orange Cranberry Bundt Cake

image of cranberry orange bundt cake, decorated with sugared cranberries

This orange cranberry Bundt cake is the perfect balance of tart and sweet! It's packed with fresh cranberries and orange juice and is perfect for the holidays!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

Orange Cranberry Bundt Cake

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder (10g)
  • 1 tsp salt (6g)
  • 5 large eggs, room temperature (280g)
  • 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature (120ml)
  • 1 cup sour cream, room temp (255g)
  • 1 cup vegetable or canola oil (224ml)
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (115ml)
  • 2 Tbsp orange zest (12g)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract (8ml)
  • 2 cups fresh cranberries or one 8 oz bag, roughly chopped and lightly tossed in flour (210g)

Orange Glaze

  • 2 cups powdered sugar (250g)
  • 2 Tbsp orange zest (12g)
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice (60ml)

Decorations

  • sugared cranberries
  • small orange slices

Instructions

Orange Cranberry Bundt Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Butter and flour or use non-stick baking spray to grease a 10-inch Bundt pan with 10 cup capacity. Be sure to get into all the nooks and crannies of your Bundt pan to ensure an easy release.
  2. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
  3. In a separate large bowl, add the eggs, buttermilk, sour cream, oil, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla. Whisk until combined.
  4. Mix in half of the the dry ingredients until they are just combined. Stir in the remaining dry ingredients. Be careful not to over-mix the batter.
  5. Pour 1/3 of the batter into the pan, and add half the chopped cranberries that have been tossed in flour. Top with another 1/3 of the batter, then add the remaining cranberries. Top with the rest of the batter. This ensures that the cranberries will be evenly distributed once the cake is baked.
  6. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. My Bundt pan took about 63 minutes.
  7. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 30 minutes. Use a serrated knife to level the bottom of the cake to help it sit flush against your plate or cake stand.
  8. Carefully invert the pan and flip the cake onto the plate or cake stand.

Fresh Orange Glaze

  1. While the Bundt cake bakes and cools, make the fresh orange glaze.
  2. Add the powdered sugar and orange zest into a medium-sized bowl, then pour in the fresh orange juice.
  3. Mix with a small whisk or spoon until the glaze is smooth.

Decorating This Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake

  1. Drizzle the orange glaze over the ridges of the Bundt cake, covering as much of the cake as possible.
  2. Garnish with sugared cranberries and small orange slices in the center and around the base, then enjoy!

Notes

Tips for Making the Best Orange Cranberry Cake

  • Mix your cake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated. This will ensure your cake turns out tender and fluffy.
  • Bake time can vary a lot based on your Bundt pan, so keep an eye on your cake and check in every 5 minutes once it's been in the oven for 55 minutes.
  • To prevent the cranberries from floating to the top of the Bundt cake, give them a rough chop and toss them in flour before adding them into the batter.
  • To ensure the cranberries are evenly distributed throughout the cake once it's baked pour 1/3 of the batter into the pan and add half the cranberries. Repeat this, then top with the rest of your batter.
  • Butter and flour or grease your Bundt pan really well to help your Bundt cake pop out easily once it's baked.
  • Use a serrated knife to level the bottom of your Bundt cake once it's fully cooled to help it sit flat on your cake stand or plate.
  • Don't skimp on the orange zest or fresh orange juice! It really elevates the flavor of the cake, and is worth a bit of extra work 🙂

Yield

This orange cranberry Bundt cake recipe feeds about 20 people.

Using Different Types of Pans

I used this Bundt pan to make this cake, which has a 10-inch diameter and a capacity of 10 cups.

To make mini-Bundt cakes, fill each baking cavity 2/3 full and bake in a preheated 350 F / 175 C oven for about 20-25 minutes. The bake time can vary based on the size of cavity, so keep a close eye on them.

Bake time can also vary based on the size of your bundt pan. I recommend checking in on your cake every 5 minutes once it's been in the oven for 45 minutes.

How to Store This Orange Cranberry Bundt Cake

Store any leftover cake at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

It can also be frozen (glazed or unglazed) for up to 1 month if stored in an airtight container.

Nutrition Information

Yield

20

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 386Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 54mgSodium 224mgCarbohydrates 59gFiber 2gSugar 33gProtein 5g

Jessica

Wednesday 27th of March 2024

I love, love, LOVE this recipe! I’ve tried so many cranberry orange cakes and nothing ever tastes like the main ingredients-always lacking. This is fabulous! This might be a silly question, but can I use this recipe to make muffins as well?

Stephanie Fernandez

Tuesday 28th of November 2023

How many cups of batter does this make ? I understand a 10 cup bundt holds about 6 cups of batter. I’d like to make this but want to be certain. Thanks.

Chelsweets

Tuesday 5th of December 2023

Hi Stephanie,

I haven't measured the amount of batter this recipe makes, but it bakes up beautifully in a 10 cup bundt pan! That size of pan is perfect for this recipe. Hope that helps, happy baking!

Deb K.

Friday 10th of November 2023

SO DELICIOUS!

Family loved it and asked for recipe which I gladly shared! As others mentioned, my cranberries did rise to the top. I dusted with flour as recommended, but they were fresh not frozen. Would that make a difference? Didn’t matter they were scraping their plates anyway.. ? Will make again.

Chelsweets

Sunday 12th of November 2023

So happy to hear that Deb!! Cranberries can be so finicky, but I have found that frozen cranberries do a bit better than fresh in this recipe! Chopping them up can also help if you didn't try that this last time. Hope that helps, happy baking :)

Gitanjali

Saturday 11th of December 2021

Hi, I made this cake yesterday. I used dried cranberries instead of fresh as we don't get fresh ones here. I rehydrated it before using by microwaving it with water for 60 seconds and letting it stands for 5 minutes. I also had to substitute sour cream with 6 ounce cream cheese with 2 tbsp buttermilk. The cake turned out wonderful. Tasted amazing on the first day, but on the second day it has become rather soggy and dense.

I am not sure whether it is because I rehydrated the cranberries with water or because I used cream cheese and milk instead of sour cream. Is there any tips you can share?

Thank you very much for a wonderful recipe. Definitely going to make this one again.

Chelsea

Sunday 5th of December 2021

I veganized this for myself and made it as a dessert to accompany our Hanukkah dinner. Instead of sour cream I used Kite Hill Unsweetened Plain Greek Style Almond Milk Yogurt, for the buttermilk I used Oatly Full Fat with 1/2 Tbsp ACV, and instead of eggs I used Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer. I also threw some vegan white chocolate mini chips (Enjoy Life brand) in with the cranberries. This was a hit and everybody loved it!

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