Cranberry-Orange Bundt Cake

I have been waiting a whole year to write about this Bundt cake!!! Seriously! When I made it last year it was so close to the end of the holidays that I figured no one would have a reason to make it. So I have anxiously been sitting on this gem, just so I can share it with you in time for all of your holiday parties!

Anyone who knows me will tell you that baking is not my forte. I have never been one to follow a recipe exactly, it can be the best recipe from a famous chef (in this case Jeff Mauro) but I always feel like I can make it better. Most of the time this does not work out for me…I had an apple pie fiasco earlier this year, but that’s for another time…but sometimes, miraculously it does work. This cranberry and orange bundt cake is proof that sometimes I might know what I am doing 😉

First of all, please don’t skip the liqueur in this recipe! I know that it isn’t a lot (my mom made that abundantly clear when I sent her hunting all over town for orange liqueur the night before Christmas last year) but it makes all the difference in the flavor of the cake. It helps give the orange an extra punch of citrus and sweetness that balances the pure tart of the cranberries.

Second, don’t skimp on the orange zest! I wrote in the recipe over 2 tablespoons but I definitely think I used closer to 3 1/2. This is one of those occasions where you can never have too much of a good thing. The orange zest intensifies the flavor of the orange juice and helps keep the cake delightfully moist and light.

As if you needed another reason to make this cake, it’s not too heavy like a lot of holiday desserts. This is the perfect thing to have at the end of a festive meal because it is not overly sweet and the fruit cleanses your palate. Plus it looks pretty impressive when it’s all said and done!

Ingredients

• Non-stick Cooking Spray
• 2 ½ cups plus 1 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
• 2 ½ Tbsp Orange Zest
• ¾ cup Fresh Orange Juice (about 2 oranges)
• 1 Tbsp Orange Liqueur
• 4 Eggs, room temperature
• 2 cups Fresh Cranberries
• 2 cups Sugar
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Baking Soda
• 2 ¼ sticks Unsalted Butter, room temperature (1 cup + 2 Tbsp)
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• ½ cup Maple Syrup
• 1 ½ tsp Orange Liqueur

Instructions – For the Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bundt pan. (I used non-stick cooking spray and 1 Tbsp of flour, you could use oil or butter. Just don’t forget to flour with whichever you use!)
2. In a large bowl, mix together orange zest, orange liqueur and eggs.
3. In a smaller bowl, toss the cranberries with 1 tablespoon of flour.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda and the remaining 2 ½ cups of flour. Slowly add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time and continue to mix until you reach a loose crumble texture.
5. Slowly mix in the egg and orange mixture until just combined, then beat until light and fluffy. (About 2 minutes.)
6. Gently fold in 2/3 of the cranberry mixture.
7. Pour the batter into the bundt pan and add the rest of the cranberry mixture to the top. Give it a small shake to flatten the batter and settle the cranberries in. (This is so they don’t all sink to the bottom of the batter!)
8. Bake 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
9. Let the cake cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes before removing.

Instructions – For the Icing

1. In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar, maple syrup and orange liqueur and whisk until combined.
2. Drizzle over top of completely cooled cake.

Topped with the glaze and a little extra orange zest, this cake is a perfect holiday treat!!! (And to make it look pretty i filled the center with extra cranberries macerated in sugar and orange liqueur. Not really for eating unless you love EXTREMELY tart fruit!) I am thinking that this year I might change it up and put fresh cranberry sauce in the center…

Melissa ❤