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Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Cranberry orange Bundt cake bakes up tender and golden with tart cranberries and fresh orange zest in every slice. A thick, pourable cream cheese icing adds a smooth finish.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
cooling and setting 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 525
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cake
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp orange zest finely grated
  • 4 eggs large, room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sour cream room temperature
  • 0.25 cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 cups cranberries fresh or frozen; do not thaw if frozen
For the cream cheese icing
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp milk to 3 tablespoons

Equipment

  • 1 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan
  • 1 electric mixer

Method
 

Make the cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Thoroughly grease and flour a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan.
  3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
  4. Beat the butter, sugar, and orange zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
  5. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
  6. Beat in the vanilla.
  7. Whisk the sour cream and orange juice together in a small bowl.
  8. With the mixer on low, 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.
  9. Fold in the cranberries.
  10. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
  11. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  12. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes.
  13. Invert it onto a wire rack.
  14. Cool completely.
Make the cream cheese icing
  1. Beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth.
  2. Beat in the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of the milk until smooth, adding the remaining milk as needed for a thick, pourable icing.
  3. Drizzle the icing over the cooled cake.
  4. Let it set for 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

For clean slices, let the cake cool completely before icing. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; freeze tightly wrapped slices for up to 3 months. For a gluten-free option, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend.