Cranberry Orange Cake Recipe
I just took my first bite of this cake I made yesterday. It taunted me all day but I resisted. This cake is super moist and the cranberries in a wonderful contrast to the sweetness of the cake. I used a light glaze on the cake to add another taste of sweetness just in case there wasn’t enough. This cake almost has a pound cake texture. It will be the perfect addition to any holiday table. I served mine with a cranberry sauce that I made a few days ago. I was intending to take the cranberries out of the syrup and dry them but since I am running out of time I left it as a syrup. This cranberry syrup would also be good over pancakes, waffles or even crepes.
Cranberry Orange Cake with Cranberry Syrup
Also in this picture below is my mom’s fudge that she made every year for Christmas, it is in the Sugarplum Shoppe where it is always Christmas. Many of my favorite Christmas Recipes are there. Also pictured are the Butterscotch Balls we made for many years, except these were dipped in peanut butter chips because I messed up the butterscotch tips melting them. I will be posting the recipe for these today as I just discovered I have been holding out on you and never added it. I decided to do the butterscotch tips like I do chocolate sometimes. I put the chips in the microwave for 30 seconds twice at half power and let it set in the microwave while I rolled the balls. I was thinking some of the chips would just melt like chocolate does and it would need less microwaving this way. As soon as went to stir the butterscotch chips I knew I had an issue because it acted like it was seizing. So I added a couple tablespoons of oil to it and that did it. It finished seizing the rest of the way and would not smooth out. Lesson learned. When you go to melt confectionery type chocolates, do it just before you need it. Luckily I had a bag of peanut butter chips in my cupboard or I would of wasted an hour going to the store.
I adapted this recipe into Cranberry Cupcakes this weekend.
This cranberry orange cake is almost like a pound cake and gets better as it sets. Bake it in a bundt or loaf pan.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- zest of one orange - about 1 tablespoon
- juice of an orange
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
- For the Icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 - 3 tablespoons water, milk or orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of sugar on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cranberries on the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
- Cream together butter and sugar until sugar turn a lemon color, about 4 - 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time and mix in until incorporated.
- Add the orange juice and zest. Add the sour cream.
- When incorporated add the flour, salt and baking powder. When this is all mixed together stir in the remaining 1 1/4 cups cranberries.
- Bake for 50 - 55 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Let pan set for 5 minutes after you take the cake out of the oven. Turn over cake unto a wire rack to cool. Mix up your glaze ingredients and spread on top and sides of cake.
Notes
I have remade this cake now 2 times because of all the comments I am getting and I want to be sure the results are the same for you as they are for me. The cake in the picture I used a smaller bundt pan which is why it looks so tall, mine is about 8 cups. The cake will rise to the top of it. It will also fall slightly as it cools. The amount is also enough to make it in a bread pan.
The flour amount is correct. This makes a delicious cake with a tart cranberry cake.
Sprinkle the sugar lightly around the pan, do not let a bunch of sugar be in one spot. Think of it like adding flour to a cake pan for releasing the cake.
If the tartness of the cranberries is not your thing use Crasins instead for a sweeter cake.
Maybe you’d like to try?
Marion’s Fudge
Hot Cocoa Chocolate Cupcakes
I just love cranberry and orange together! Plus, they are just perfect holiday flavors. I have a cranberry upside down cake I make almost every holiday that everyone loves. I know we would love this bundt cake too! 🙂
I love orange and cranberries together. I may have to make this for Christmas.
Hey!! Your mom has a great name!! Spelled the same too! I rarely ever see that. Someone once told me that my parents spelled my name wrong, because the girls are ‘an’ not ‘on’ haha and then someone argued with me that I must be a man because my name is spelled with ‘on’ not ‘an’. Seriously? hahaha People are so funny!
This is on gorgeous cake, Mary Ellen! What a beautiful presentation!
Love the story! I never heard that one before. Some people just don’t know how to spell either so names were spelled like they sound.
Can dried cranberries be used
I’ve never tried using dried cranberries but don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
Why did you wait? I would have been digging in immediately. Great flavor combo.
I don’t know why I waited other than I couldn’t get the pics I wanted.
What is not to love about cranberries and orange! Definitely making for Thanksgiving.
How do you prepare the bunt pan before adding the sugar and cranberries.
Spray the pan with a can of Pam or something similar. Then add the sugar and cranberries.
The combo of Pam and sugar spelled disaster for me. The cake tastes great…difficult to get out of pan…so it looks disgusting. If I ever make it again, I will grease and flour pan and then add cranberries. I have been baking for 55 yrs!
Do you put cranberries in whole or chop them up a bit?
whole if you chop them the color of the cake would be pink.
the link to your cranberry sauce has 1 too many H’s in the link.
Thanks for letting me know Lisa, fixed it!
Made in two small tube pans (which equal one large tube or bundt). Using only 1.5 cups of flour was a red flag for me since a pound cake, etc. usually calls for at least 3 cups. Wound up with two very small cakes which were absolutely delicious but would probably use a smaller loaf pan in the future.
Glad you liked it. I agree about the flour red flag but it worked with this cake and I loved the texture of it.
This looks phenomenal! What size bundt pan did you use?
Just bake this cake and it came out beautifully. I used a 10 cup bundt pan and it was perfectly done at 50 minutes.
Hi Cait, so glad you enjoyed this cake. I love feedback!
Thus looks so so gorgeous. Pinned
I see this recipe only takes 1 1/2 cups flour? isnt that a little for 3eggs and 2tsp baking powder.\Another recipe I have has more or less same and it takes 3c flour? I want to try this cake but am afraid it is too little flour. Thanks for comments
Hi Cecile, no that is the right amount of flour. Someone else was concerned too but emailed me back it came out great for her.
Is there a recipe for the glaze?
Yes, For the Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 – 3 tablespoons water, milk or orange juice
You want to be thick enough so it doesn’t all run off of the cake.
great recipe but….. Don’t use sugar on the bottom. It sticks and tears the cake. Otherwise it’s delish
When I made it that didn’t happen but I sprayed the heck out of the pan before I added the berries and sugar. Glad you liked it other than that.
I wasn’t sure if I used too much sugar, followed directions as stated, but it did stick and tear when I turned the bundt pan. I kinda pieced it back together. I did notice that color was a bit more carmelized than the pic.
when do you apply the glaze? Before or after it cools?
After the cake cools
Delicious cake, but definitely had issues. I greased the pan very well and the sugar still tore the top of the cake. The amount of flour was also a problem. I have a *very* short bundt cake, and I’m kind of wishing I had tried it out ahead of time before I made it for a large family Thanksgiving. I think with the addition of more flour and the omission of the sugar in the bottom, this would be a lovely recipe.
I’m remaking the recipe right now again. My pan was 2/3 full before baking. I’ll post a picture tomorrow of this cake.
Yes, I had the same problem with the sugar. Some of the top of my cake tore and the sugar was baked on HARD. What really is different for me though is the cake in the picture looks like it rose MUCH higher than mine. My cake came out pretty squatty. I know my baking powder is good, because I’ve been using it for other things just fine. I followed the instructions exactly, so I don’t know what to think. Hopefully, it tastes fine.
Hi Michelle, I’m baking this cake right now again. I don’t know why the sugar would do that. I’ve never had that happen before. I’ll post a new pic of the cake I’m baking right now tomorrow. I don’t like it when anyone can’t replicate the same results I get.
My cake came out too flat. Seems like it needed more flour.
The flour is right, I am remaking this recipe again just to be sure but I have made this cake multiple times before. It filled the bundt pan 2/3 full and should raise to the top. I am thinking you might not of creamed the butter and sugar long enough so I added a time to how long you should beat them before proceeding with the recipe.
I would LOVE to make this, but do not eat any dairy or eggs…I wonder if this would still turn out if it was made Vegan….What do you think? I have egg replacer and maybe soft tofu for the sour cream?…
Sorry Sherry, I don’t have a clue on how to modify this to Vegan. I know the egg replacer would work, but have never subbed tofu.
The cake looks besutiful. I tried making last night to take to my in laws today..Do you do anything to the cranberries or are they just fresh berries? Mine were very bitter when the cake was done. Not sure what I did wrong. Thanks!
Hi Daphyne, No I just buy them in a bag. The berries are a little tart by the nature of a cranberry but they shouldn’t be bitter. There is enough sugar in this recipe that while the berries won’t be sweet but the cake has enough sugar to balance the tartness.
I’m looking for the link for the Butterscotch Balls? They sound amazing and I’d like to see the ingredients list for shopping and if the finished treat requires refrigeration. Thank you>
I’ll get it up today Sarah. It doesn’t require refrigeration. They have been a family favorite for years.
Followed directions to the letter but cake came out half the size of your picture. Flavor is wonderful. Maybe next time I should double ingredients.
It isn’t a big cake at all. If you are using a large bundt pan I would double the recipe.
Hi,
How do I know how many cups my Bundt pan is? I wanted to make this in the net few days, and I am not sure if it will come out short like some of the above cakes did. I would rather have a larger, taller cake.
Take you one cup measure and put cups of water in your pan, that will tell you how many cups it is. If you want a taller cake, I would double the recipe. If you have a little extra batter make a few cupcakes with it. Fill your pan just over 2/3 full. Hope this helps, see the post by Pam above too!
thank you
I’ve made this beautiful cake twice and was very pleased both times. The second time I wanted the cake to be larger so I used 1.5 times the ingredients. It’s hard doing half an egg so I used 5 med eggs. Cake was lighter, texture great and it totally filled my bundt pan. I cooked it an additional 5-10 min for a total of 65 min. Delicious and I used frosted mint and frosted cranberries for additional presentation. Loved it! Thanks for an amazing recipe.
Thanks for letting me know.
This cake is absolutely awsome! I made the syrup that goes with it, and it completes the cake because it is a little tart. You won’t regret making this!
Hi! I just made this and it smells amazing. Only issue I had was all of the cranberries floated to the top when I poured it into the pan. So the whole bottom of the cake is cranberries…. any tips for that?
Sometimes if you put a little flour that is already in the recipe on the berries it will help prevent that.
Mine did the same thing both times
I would add a few tablespoons of flour to the cranberries before adding them to the batter. That should prevent them from sinking.
made this cake for Thanksgiving..was the a huge hit now I am making them for Christmas gifts for friends and family instead of the rum cake
I loved this cake too! Glad you enjoyed it…
So, the cake is really delicious. The orange flavor comes through and the cake is rich yet very bright and fresh. Sadly, this cake won’t make it to the table tonight because it fell apart coming out of the pan. I read the previous comments and made sure the pan was well greased yet the cake still stuck terribly. I’m going to try making this again in a loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
Sorry that happened Libby. Can you turn it into a trifle instead. I know that wasn’t your plan but it would salvage a bad situation. I am trying to figure out a reason it fell apart on you like that. Send me an email if you want to discuss and maybe we can figure out why that happened. [email protected]
Made this yesterday and it tore apart terribly coming out of well greased bundt pan. I think it should have been greased and floured like other recipes. It tasted great but I missed being able to show the cake at Christmes party I intended to bring it to. Oh well! wOn’t win any prize at a baking contest as too risky.
Can you use oat flower?
I don’t know, I have never tried it. It seems like it should work. If you try it let me know please how it does.
I just made this cake. It is delicious! Can you freeze it?
I would think so. I haven’t tried freezing it but don’t see a reason why not.
I just made this delishious cake…perfect ! I think the problem about the cake sticking to the pan was letting it cool too long,I only waited 4or 5 min…we ate it while it was still warm. I added some orange zest to the glaze. Best reciepe ever !!!
Thanks for letting me know. I always get them out as soon as I can. I also use lots of spray, the baking one works really well with a bundt pan.
Mary Ellen, Do you know the exact amount of orange juice? My orange is a huge naval with 2/3 cup of juice.
About a half cup. I used a medium orange.
This cake looks amazingly delicious, but my family doesn’t like cranberries and I’m afraid to make it for Thanksgiving and no one likes it because of the cranberries. Is there a substitution I can make for the cranberries?
Thanks for a great recipe! I only started baking a month or so ago and I had no issues with this cake. I took it out of the bundt pan about five minutes after I took it out of th oven. It slid right out of the pan with no problems. The only thing to be carful of, is that when you put the cake on the rack when it is that warm, it will settle down on to the wires of the rack a little bit. I just slid a spatula under the cake to free it from the rack when it was time to move it to the plate and that solved that problem. You have proved that you can teach an old dog new tricks. I am 67 years old and baked my first cake a little over a month ago. Thanks again for a great recipe, I love the tart taste of fresh cranberries!
Thanks Jim! You made my day!!!
Cake was great. I read the comments, spayed the pan a lot, decided to do the sugar and the top tore. Next time, no sugar coating!
Just made this cake today and it tore terribly. Going to make it in a few minutes again except with no sugar in the pan. Another comment I have is that it is pretty eggy (it was mixed well and baked through). I’m a cake decorator so baking is no issue for me. I think I’ll be increasing the flour a bit. Anyone else have that experience? Other than that? The flavors were very nice.
I made this cake last year for Xmas and I’m making it again for Thanksgiving today. I didn’t have any of the issues everyone else had. It’s not only delicious but so beautiful too! Wish I could post a pic of it 🙂
My cake came out perfect no sticking and it is beautiful!
I just made this! OMG…AMAZING!!! I doubled the recipe and got one good sized bundt cake in my Pampered Chef Stone Bundt and a dozen muffins in the Pampered Chef Stone Muffin pan. So, we’ve already dug in to the muffins.
I have always wrapped my pound cakes in aluminum foil. Then try my best to leave them alone for a couple of days. I’m not sure if this one’s going to make it that long!!!
Thank you for sharing!
Do you use all purpose flour or self rising?
this cake came out perfectly, just like the picture and very very good. I don’t usually post comments unless something is exceptional.
I made this weekend and it was picture perfect. I have a smaller size silicone bundt pan and it worked great. I also only used 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 unsweetenend applesauce and lite sour cream. So good!!! A definite keeper.
I looked and looked. Darn it couldn’t find the recipe for the cranberry topping. The icing is nice but the sauce looked good too. Help
Shoot! I forgot the sour cream….it’s in the oven. I’m sure it will still be tasty, but I’ll try it again with the sour cream.
If I don’t have fresh cranberries, will the dry ones work?
I made this cake twice according to your directions exactly and it didn’t cook through. I even increased to oven temperature to 400 C and still didn’t cook. I wouldn’t recommend this recipe to make.
I made the cake, but not at all the way you did. I actually made it into a log. Mostly followed the directions you gave, but I lined a jelly roll pan with waxed paper and didn’t put down the sugar or cranberries. (I did have a little batter left over and made a small loaf pan as well.) I used a simple Buttercream filling, but I modified the taste by putting in 1/2 tsp. vanilla and 1/4 tsp. orange extract (My buttercream recipe asks for 3/4 tsp. of vanilla.) After it was rolled, I sprinkled on a little powdered sugar.
My wife and mother-in-law want me to make it again.
This recipe looks delicious but I can only find frozen cranberries. Have you ever tried it with them?
I’ve made this cake twice now, I doubled the recipe and cook it for 60 minutes and it comes out perfect. Never had a problem with the sugar sticking but I spray the pan very well. Love this cake, it has become a favorite!
I do not bake, I made this cake and oh my gosh, my family and I loved it. I did double the recipe.
Thank you for doing what you do!
Thanks Wendy!
A PRINT icon would be most helpful! My parents don’t have internet (in the sticks) so I can’t just pull up Pinterest. I’ll have to copy and paste.
I love what the cake looks like when you cut a piece and put the sauce on top, gorgeous!! Will definitely be trying this out during the holidays!
Has anyone tried freezing this cake? If so, how did it turn out? Thank you.
After reading all of the comments I sprayed my bundt pan really well with the baking Pam and I doubled the recipe since my pan was a 14 cup…… this recipe turned out perfect, no sticking and it is beautiful! I don’t usually leave comments but wanted to thank you
Thanks Rachel!
Was the cooking time the same for double batch?
It should be. Start checking it for being done at 50 minutes to be safe. Everyone’s oven is different so I would rather have you safe checking it than sorry. I really think it is going to take a hour to bake in a large bundt pan.
Looks and sounds delis…. trying a GF DF version
I just made this cake and it’s delicious! The only thing I changed was bake time from 50 – 55 to 40 minutes.
I made a test cake to make sure it will be a good Christmas dessert. lucky for us, we get to eat this delicious cake. I used a small glass bunt pan that was my mother in law’s. It was six cups and made a perfect cake. I did grease and flour it because it was glass, but made no other adjustments. It’s light, flavorful, festive and perfect! Thank you
thanks Tina!
I couldn’t find fresh cranberries anywhere. So, I substituted blueberries instead and it is absolutely delicious!
I will have to try that when it’s blueberry season!
I have made this cake several times – it is always a hit!! Delicious and easy to make!! I would like to try and make smaller pans of it to give away as gifts. Do you have any ideas on cook times for smaller loaf pans?
Depending on the size I would start checking at 25 – 30 minutes.
2nd Time around and worked out beautifully. This will be a classic in my household.
Had enough leftover “icing” from the 1st batch to use on the 2nd cake.
I used a silicone bundt pan and it drops out beautifully after letting it sit for about 10 minutes.
Would post a picture if I could! It looks gorgeous.
Thanks for letting me know Barb!
This does look delicious. Haven’t made it yet. But hope to in the future. I like cranberries but my husband is not a fan of them. So if cupcakes are possible I may try that in the papercups instead.
I would think so, haven’t tried it yet.
That’s what I was going to do. Did you try it? Did you do regular size cupcakes. How did it work? How many did it make. Did you do the sugar and cranberries on the bottom or skip that step?
Sorry to bother you and I hope you still monitor this page but I need a clarification. Is the photo of the Orange Cranberry Cake in a 5 cup bundt pan but you also mentioned that you use 8 cup regularly. So, is the photo a 5 cup?
This looks delicious! I would love to make it on Thursday for Thanksgiving to offset all the other super sweet desserts that I’m making but I’d have to make it in advance. If I made it on Monday night or Tuesday do you think it would hold up ok?
I love this it was so so yummy! I noticed some of the comments in regards to the cake coming out slightly flat. Using non stick sprays with a heavy hand can actually reduce the amount of rising. I wiped down the sides of my bundt pan to prevent this but not the bottom of the pan because I was worried about the sugar possibly sticking. Still came right out and was great! We will definitely be making this again. We want to try different fruits to add to the batter besides cranberries. Any suggestions?
I made this cake this morning. I used dried cranberries because there’s not a bag of fresh in this town. That worked out okay. But the texture is heavy and almost rubbery looking. It didn’t rise very much. But on the upside it didn’t stick in the pan and taste delish. Will definitely try again.
This would be a good cake if it didn’t stick to the bundt pan. The sugar only makes the cake stick to the bottom of the pan. It tasted good but very disappointing in not being able to get it out of the pan. I think you should skip the sugar and just butter and flour as usual.
Long shot you’ll answer, as it was posted a long time ago. Was it creamed by hand or mixer? Thanks. Looking forward to making it.
I just love, love, love this cake! I baked it not once based on your recipe, and each time it comes out perfect! Thank you for the wonderful recipe.