Brightly flavored with lots of orange zest and sweet tart cranberries, topped with a tangy orange glaze, and sugared cranberries, this cranberry orange sour cream bundt cake pops during the holiday and winter seasons.
Classic orange and cranberry flavors are the star of this delicious cake. This bundt cake is buttery and tender similar to a pound cake. It's moist, from the addition of sour cream, and it serves a crowd.
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Why You Will Love This Cake
- This cake makes for a beautiful and delicious centerpiece to any holiday gathering.
- Moist, fluffy and tender with a dense tight crumb.
- Loaded with fresh orange flavor and pops of sweet tart cranberries.
- Easy to make and no fuss. No hard to find ingredients.
Recipe Ingredients
Cranberries - fresh or frozen
All purpose flour
Baking powder
Fine sea salt
Granulated sugar
Orange zest - lots of it for the best orange flavor
Vanilla extract
Large eggs
Milk - I prefer whole milk when baking, but you can use any kind you like.
Sour cream - I always recommend full fat dairy when baking. Fat keeps the cake more moist and less prone to drying out.
Confectioners' sugar
Orange juice
Sugared cranberries - for garnish, optional
Recipe Instructions
- Make the bundt cake. Butter and flour a 10", 6 cup non stick bundt pan. Alternatively, you can use baking spray. Be sure to get into the nooks and crannies to prevent any sticking.
- Toss the cranberries with ½ tablespoon of flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake when baking.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- With your fingers work the orange zest into the sugar. This releases the oil (all the orange flavor) from the zest so that the cake is more intensely flavored. The sugar should be light orange, damp and very fragrant.
- Beat the butter into the sugar/zest mixture for 5-8 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla, and the eggs, one at a time. The cake batter will look a little curdled at this stage. Totally ok.
- Beat in the flour in three additions alternating with the milk in two additions, starting and ending with the flour.
- Beat in the sour cream.
- Fold in the cranberries.
- Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and even out the top with an offset spatula.
- Bake until golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with few moist (but not wet) crumbs.
- Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the orange glaze. Whisk together confectioners' sugar and orange juice to make a glaze.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and topped with sugared cranberries.
Storage and Freezing
Leftover cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
This cake can be frozen, cooled completely and unglazed, stored in an airtight container or tightly wrapped with cling wrap and foil for up to 3 months.
Variations and Substitutions
Substitute lemon zest for orange zest and blueberries for cranberries for a lemon blueberry bundt cake.
Yogurt can be used in place of sour cream. I recommend full fat plain Greek yogurt.
FAQs
Frozen cranberries work very well with this cake. No need to defrost.
My go-to bundt cake pan is this Nordic Ware Heritage bundt pan. Any 10" (6 cup) nonstick bundt pan will work for this cake.
It's very important to have a well buttered and floured, or baking sprayed bundt pan, even if your pan is nonstick. Be sure to coat all the nooks and crannies of your bundt pan.
Let the cake cool 20 minutes in the pan before inverting it onto a cooling rack. Turning it out too soon could cause the cake to break apart.
If you make this cranberry orange sour cream bundt cake, let me know! Drop a comment or tag me on Instagram. I love seeing your bakes!
Enjoy!
Ash xx
For more bundt cake recipes, check out these posts:
Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Maple Praline Glaze
Blood Orange Olive Oil Pistachio Bundt Cake
Recipe
Cranberry Orange Sour Cream Bundt Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Cranberry Orange Sour Cream Bundt Cake
- 2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 3 cups + ½ tablespoon all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1⅔ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup whole milk, room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream
Orange Glaze
- 1¾ cups confectioners' sugar
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 cup sugared cranberries (optional)
Instructions
Cranberry Orange Sour Cream Bundt Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 10" (6 cup) bundt cake pan well. You can also use baking spray.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the cranberries and ½ tablespoon all purpose flour to coat.2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.3 cups + ½ tablespoon all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the granulated sugar and orange zest.1⅔ cups granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon orange zest
- Rub the zest into the sugar to release the oils of the zest. The sugar/zest mixture should be light orange, damp and very fragrant.
- Add the butter to the sugar mixture. Beat until light and fluffy, about 5-8 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally.1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- Add the vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition.1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 4 large eggs
- With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients into the mixture in the three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.¾ cup whole milk, room temperature
- Beat in the sour cream until just combined.½ cup sour cream
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the cranberries.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared bund pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with few crumbs. Start checking the cake for doneness at 45 minutes.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 20 minutes, then invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cool, transfer the cake to a decorative plate or cake stand.
Orange Glaze
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and orange juice.1¾ cups confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons orange juice
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake. Decorate with sugared cranberries.1 cup sugared cranberries
- Let the glaze set for 10 minutes before serving.
Sandy Endo
Hello,
I am getting ready to make this cake for Christmas! I’m concerned about which way to prep the pan. You say either butter and flour or pan spray it. Are these two methods equal in their ability to prevent the cake from sticking or do you prefer one method over the other? Why would you not also use flour after using baking spray? I can’t wait to let you know how it goes. The cake is beautiful and I’m excited to try it!
Ashley
Hi Sandy! Baking spray has flour in it, so you wouldn't have to flour the pan after spraying it. Both work equally well, though I prefer buttering and flouring the pan. No specific reason, it's just how I've always prepared a bundt pan. I hope you love the cake! It's a family favorite for sure. -Ash-