Cranberry orange Bundt cake
Easy enough for beginner bakers
When it comes to Thanksgiving I tend to be a purist. I re-create my mother’s menu year after year, but this season I wanted to add a new dessert that wasn’t pie. I adore cranberry and orange in the fall and winter, so I incorporated those flavors into an easy to make Bundt cake.
I love a good Bundt cake and I’ve shared several recipes over the years. Bundt cakes work for most occasions and they stay fresh for days. This one will add a beautiful flavor to round out your holiday meal, but it’s also perfect for a breakfast slice on the go, for brunch, or to share with friends over a cup of coffee or tea.
This is an easy recipe for beginner bakers, and children can definitely help with this one. You can mix this in one bowl by hand, so there is very little to clean up, which is always a plus. It is best if it rests overnight before serving, so you can make this before Thanksgiving (or Shabbat) and get your dessert out of the way before the main cooking starts.
Ingredients:
3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 ½ teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs
1 ¾ cups sugar
1 cup oil
½ cup orange juice
Zest from 1 naval orange, about 1 teaspoon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ½ cups fresh whole cranberries
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
Optional glaze:
½ cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons orange juice
Orange zest, optional
Rinse the cranberries well in a colander and set them aside to dry for about a half-hour. When you’re ready to bake, put them in a small bowl and mix them with 1 tablespoon of flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, to coat.
Preheat your oven to 350 F and place the wire rack in the center. Grease and flour a Bundt pan well, which is the key to releasing the cake out of the pan once baked.
Use one large bowl to do all the mixing.
Whisk the eggs first, then drizzle in the oil, whisking for about a minute or until the oil and eggs are well combined.
Add the sugar, orange juice, orange zest and vanilla and mix again until combined.
Sift together the dry ingredients. You can add them all at once, so you can sift them over the bowl and right into the mixture. If some of the kosher salt won’t sift, just turn over any remaining out of the sifter and into the bowl.
Mix until just combined. The batter is thick, so use a strong rubber spatula for stirring.
Fold in the cranberries and any leftover cinnamon/sugar dust that may be on the bottom of the bowl. Don’t over-mix; just give it 4-5 good turns.
Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake for 65-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool fully before turning it out onto a wire rack. It can take 3-4 hours for the cake to fully cool. If the cake does not release easily, take a sharp knife and run it along the edge of the pan and around the center post as well.
Allow the cake to rest, uncovered, on the wire rack overnight before transferring to a serving plate.
If you want to add a little more sweetness and texture you can easily prepare a quick glaze for the top. Mix powdered sugar and orange juice in the amount noted above. You may need a little extra sugar or liquid to get the glaze to a spreadable consistency, and you can add a little extra orange zest, about a pinch or two, into the glaze for aroma and a bit of color.
Spoon it over the top and let it rest for 2 hours before serving, which will allow the glaze to dry and crackle. It isn’t a thick icing like the type on cinnamon rolls; it’s thin, like you would have on a glazed donut.
Cover loosely with foil or a cake dome after you have cut into the cake and it should last well at room temperature for 4-5 days.
This cake is perfect for the winter season, and if you really like cranberries and orange, look for my cranberry sauce recipe that I published previously.
Enjoy and bless your hands! PJC
Jessica Grann is a home chef living in Pittsburgh.
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