Cranberry orange pound cake
Boos I can’t let cranberry season pass without getting at least one cranberry orange Bundt cake out of it! I take my buttery sour cream pound cake batter, hit it with orange zest and extract, fold in whole fresh cranberries, then pour an orange glaze right on top.
- 1 1/4 cup unsalted butter (2 1/2 sticks, room temperature)
- 2½ cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs (room temperature)
- 3 cups cake flour plus 2 tablespoons (sifted, separated)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda (optional)
- 1 cup sour cream (room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1⅓ cups powdered sugar (sifted)
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Liberally prepare a 12-cup Bundt pan with the nonstick method of your choice.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on high speed.
- Slowly add the granulated sugar. Cream together for an additional 5 minutes, until very pale yellow and fluffy.
- Add the eggs 1 at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed and slowly add the 3 cups of flour in 2 batches. Add the salt and baking soda if you are using. Be careful not to overbeat.
- Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, orange extract and orange zest. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix the batter until just combined. Turn off mixer and toss cranberries with remaining 2 tablespoons with flour then carefully fold cranberries into cake batter.
- Bake for 1 hour and 15-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate. Let cool to room temperature and serve.
- Whisk together powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth. If it is too runny, add a bit more sugar or if it is too thick, add a little bit more orange juice. You want to consistency to coat the back of a spoon but slide off easily.
- Drizzle on top of cooled cake and serve.
Boos I can’t let cranberry season pass without getting at least one cranberry orange Bundt cake out of it! I take my buttery sour cream pound cake batter, hit it with orange zest and extract, fold in whole fresh cranberries, then pour an orange glaze right on top. Sounds like a whole lotta citrus, but it ain’t doing too much. You just get the best sweet-tart flava! Holiday fave fo sho, but definitely not holiday-only.
How to Make Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake
These step-by-step photos show how to make cranberry orange pound cake.
1. Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs
Beat the butter on high speed, then slowly add the sugar and keep creaming until the mixture is very pale and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed.
2. Mix in the dry ingredients
Turn the mixer to its lowest speed and add the flour in two batches, followed by the salt and optional baking soda. Mix gently so you don’t overwork the batter.
3. Add the sour cream and orange flavorings
Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, orange extract, and orange zest. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then mix just until combined.
4. Fold in the flour-coated cranberries
Toss the cranberries with the reserved flour, then carefully fold them into the batter by hand.
PRO TIP: Fresh cranberries are my first pick, but y’all can use frozen when fresh ones aren’t in season. Don’t thaw them! Toss them in the flour straight from the freezer, then fold them into the batter.
5. Spread the batter in the prepared Bundt pan
Transfer the batter to a prepared 12-cup Bundt pan and smooth the top so it bakes up evenly.
6. Bake and invert the cranberry Bundt cake
Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out mostly clean. Cool the cake in the pan, then invert it onto a serving plate and let it cool completely.
PRO TIP: Get every nook and cranny of that pan, boos! Liberally coat it with nonstick baking spray or use my foolproof homemade cake release so your cake slides out smoothly.
7. Whisk together the orange glaze
Whisk the powdered sugar and fresh orange juice until smooth. Add a little more sugar if it’s runny or another splash of juice if it’s too thick.
8. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake
Pour the glaze over the top and let it drip down the sides. Give it a few minutes to set, then slice that beauty up!