The orange scent comes up as soon as the Bundt pan hits the counter, but the first slice is where this cake really shows what it can do. The crumb is tender, the cranberries bring sharp little bursts of tartness, and the cream cheese glaze settles into the curves instead of covering them up. I make this cranberry orange Bundt cake when I want something that looks special without needing a layer cake’s worth of decorating.
Sour cream gives the cake a soft, moist crumb, while alternating it with the dry ingredients keeps the batter from getting overmixed. Orange zest carries the fragrance through the cake; the juice in the batter and glaze gives it a brighter citrus note. Once the glaze sets, each slice has a creamy finish against the tart berries and buttery cake.
Kitchen Note
Wait until the cake is completely cool before adding the glaze. Even a little warmth makes the cream cheese glaze run down the sides instead of settling in a smooth ribbon, so give it time to set before slicing.
Save this cranberry orange Bundt cake for a citrusy bake with tart cranberry pockets and a smooth cream cheese glaze.
Why a Spoonful of Flour Helps Keep the Cranberries from Sinking
Cranberries are heavier than the cake batter around them, so leaving them loose can mean more fruit gathers along the bottom of the Bundt. Tossing them with the reserved flour gives their surfaces a light coating and helps them stay distributed as you fold them in. It isn’t a thick breading; you’re just looking for the berries to look lightly dusted.
Keep the folding gentle once the cranberries go in. A few strokes are enough to spread them through the batter without crushing them or working extra flour into the cake. If you stir vigorously, the berries can break and streak the batter, and the cake can turn out less evenly tender. This small bit of handling is what helps each slice show cranberry throughout, rather than a dense band of fruit at the bottom.
What the Orange, Sour Cream, and Cranberries Each Bring to the Cake
- All-purpose flour — Spoon it into the measuring cup and level the top instead of scooping and packing it. That keeps the batter from getting too heavy. The flour dusting for the pan matters too; nonstick baking spray with flour reaches the Bundt’s ridges more reliably than a light coating of plain oil.
- Butter and sugar — Softened unsalted butter creams smoothly with the sugar and builds the cake’s structure. A regular grocery-store butter works well here; the important detail is that it’s soft enough to beat light and fluffy, not melted or greasy.
- Eggs — Room-temperature eggs blend more readily into the creamed butter. Cold eggs can make the mixture look curdled, so set them out before you begin mixing.
- Orange zest and juice — Finely grated zest gives the cake its fragrant orange character, while orange juice brings citrus to both the batter and glaze. A fresh orange is useful for both; grate only the colored outer peel, since the white pith tastes bitter.
- Sour cream — Its acidity and richness keep the cake moist and tender. Use it at room temperature so it combines evenly with the batter rather than chilling the creamed butter.
- Cranberries — Fresh berries give a firmer pop, while frozen berries make this cake easy to bake when fresh ones aren’t available. Both work in the batter; choose berries that look intact rather than crushed or dried out.
- Cream cheese and powdered sugar — Softened cream cheese is what gives the glaze its gentle tang and creamy body. Powdered sugar dissolves into a smoother glaze than granulated sugar, so don’t swap in regular sugar here.
Building the Batter Without Losing Its Tender Crumb
Prepare the pan and dry ingredients
Heat the oven to 350°F and thoroughly coat a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan with baking spray that contains flour. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl after setting aside the tablespoon of flour for the cranberries. Check the pan’s center tube and grooves as you spray; missed spots are where a cake is most likely to cling.
Cream the butter, sugar, and eggs
Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture looks pale and fluffy. This gives the batter air before the flour goes in, so don’t rush past the change in texture. Add the eggs one at a time, then mix in the orange zest and vanilla.
Alternate the flour and sour cream mixtures
Stir the sour cream and orange juice together in a small bowl. Add that mixture and the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in alternating additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until the last streaks of flour disappear; continuing to beat after that can make the crumb tight.
Fold in the cranberries and bake
Toss the cranberries with the reserved flour, then fold them gently into the batter. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan so it reaches the grooves without leaving large air pockets. Bake at 350°F for 55 to 65 minutes, until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Cool, glaze, and let it set
Leave the cake in its pan for 15 minutes, then invert it onto a wire rack and cool it completely. Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth, then beat in the powdered sugar and orange juice until the glaze is smooth and pourable. Drizzle it over the cooled cake and wait for the glaze to set before serving.
Three Simple Ways to Adapt This Cranberry Orange Bundt
Choose fresh or frozen cranberries
Fresh berries give the cake a firmer, more distinct bite; frozen berries are handy when fresh ones aren’t in season. Either option keeps the cake’s tart cranberry contrast, so use whichever looks better at the store.
Leave the glaze off for a less-sweet cake
The cranberry-orange cake is satisfying on its own if you want a simpler finish. Skipping the glaze lets the tart berries and orange-scented crumb stand out, though you’ll miss the creamy tang that balances the fruit.
Make it an orange Bundt without berries
Omit the cranberries for a cake with a more uninterrupted orange flavor and no tart fruit pockets. The glaze still pairs naturally with the orange-scented crumb.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Cover the glazed cake and refrigerate it for up to 4 days. The crumb firms when cold, while the glaze stays creamy.
- Freezer: Freeze the completely cooled cake before glazing. Wrap it tightly, freeze for up to 2 months, then thaw it in the refrigerator and add freshly made glaze.
- Reheating: This cake doesn’t need reheating. Serve it chilled or let a slice lose some of its refrigerator chill; microwaving can melt the glaze and make it slide off.
Questions That Come Up When Baking This Bundt Cake
Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- Thoroughly coat a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan with baking spray with flour.
- Set aside 1 tablespoon of the flour.
- Whisk the remaining flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Mix in the orange zest and vanilla.
- Mix the sour cream and 1/4 cup orange juice in a small bowl.
- Add the flour mixture and sour cream mixture to the butter mixture in alternating additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture; mix just until combined.
- Toss the cranberries with the reserved tablespoon of flour.
- Gently fold the cranberries into the batter.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
- Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 55 to 65 minutes.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes.
- Invert the cake onto a wire rack and cool completely.
- Beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Beat in the powdered sugar and orange juice until the glaze is smooth and pourable.
- Drizzle the glaze over the completely cooled cake.
- Let the glaze set before serving.
