This Christmas cranberry pound cake is filled with fresh cranberries, orange zest, and is topped with a sweet orange icing. It's easily baked in a bundt pan and is perfect for the holiday season!
This cranberry pound cake recipe uses tart cranberries that pairs so well with the citrus flavor of orange. It's a dense, but moist cake.
Bundt cakes are super easy to make and decorate, making this a popular cake to bake during the Christmas season!
Looking for more easy cranberry recipes? Then check out these: cranberry white chocolate fudge, white chocolate cranberry bread, and cranberry crumb bars.
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Why You'll Love This Cake
- All you need are mixing bowls; no electric mixer required.
- It has a moist crumb and fluffy texture.
- Both the flavors of orange and cranberry are tasted with every bite.
- The orange glaze adds a touch of sweetness.
- The top of the cake is decorated with sugared cranberries.
Bundt cakes are so much fun to make, which is why I also have this moist blueberry bundt cake and best banana bundt cake. All you do is pour the batter into the bundt pan, bake, and then decorate!
And if you didn't already know, cranberries are used for way more than just cranberry sauce, so you have got to try this delicious pound cake!
Ingredients Needed
Here are some notes on the ingredients we'll be using. For the full ingredients list, look at the recipe card below.
- Flour: I used all purpose flour. Be sure to properly measure your flour (check out "Expert Baking Tips" below).
- Oil: Use either vegetable oil or canola oil. This helps the cake to be moist.
- Eggs: Three large eggs are needed to create stability within the cake as it's baking.
- Yogurt: Use either plain or vanilla yogurt. You could also use sour cream.
- Orange: Both the zest and fresh orange juice are used. I don't recommend using orange extract.
- Cranberries: I used fresh, but you could easily use frozen or even dried cranberries.
Instructions
Here are the step by step instructions on how to make this cranberry bundt cake.
Step 1: Dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Step 2: Wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, oil, eggs, yogurt, orange zest, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
Step 3: Combine the ingredients. Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk, starting and ending with the flour (flour, milk, flour) and whisking just until combined.
Step 4: Add the cranberries. In a small bowl, toss the cranberries in flour and then gently fold them into the cake batter using a rubber spatula.
Step 5: Bake. Pour the batter into the greased and prepared pan and bake for 42-48 minutes.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes before removing it, then cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 6: Make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice, and zest until combined.
Decorate The Cake
Once the cake has completely cooled, pour the simple glaze over the top of the cake.
Then add on the sugar coated cranberries.
Slice, serve, and enjoy this perfect cake!
Storage Tips
Keep any leftover cake slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
You could also wrap each individual cake slice in plastic wrap before placing it into the refrigerator. This method will help keep the cake from drying out too quickly.
Expert Baking Tips
- Cake Pan: This recipe calls for a 10-cup bundt pan. Be sure to thoroughly grease the pan with cooking spray to avoid the cake from sticking. Add more than you think is necessary.
- Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Any ingredient that needs to be at room temperature should be taken out of the refrigerator at least 1 hour before you want to bake. Do not skip this step!
- Cranberries: The cranberries need to be tossed in flour before being folded into the cake batter. This helps keep the fresh berries from sinking to the bottom when baking.
Recipe FAQs
It needs to cool for 30 minutes first. Then, I place a piece of parchment paper on top of a wired rack, flip over the pan, and the cake should slide right out.
This can happen if you didn't thoroughly grease your pan. Use a canola oil cooking spray and use more than you think is necessary.
This can happen if you don't coat the berries in flour first before folding into the batter. You must toss the cranberries in flour or risk them sinking when baking.
Definitely! You could make a cream cheese frosting or even a simple vanilla glaze.
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below. I love hearing from you! Also, please tag me on Instagram and check out my Pinterest for even more recipe ideas.
It brings me so much joy to see you make my recipes. 🙂
Happy Baking!
More Holiday Cake Recipes
📖 Recipe
Cranberry Pound Cake with Orange Icing
Equipment
- Bundt Pan (10 cups)
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
Ingredients:
Cranberry Pound Cake
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil (or canola)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup yogurt (plain or vanilla), room temperature
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups fresh cranberries, tossed in 2 tablespoons of flour
Orange Icing
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- ½ tablespoon orange zest
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and thoroughly grease a 10-cup bundt pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
Cranberry Pound Cake
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs, yogurt, orange zest, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined. Alternately add the flour mixture and milk, starting and ending with the flour (flour, milk, flour) and whisking just until combined.
- In a small bowl, toss the cranberries with 2 tablespoons of flour until well covered. Then gently fold into the cake batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 42-48 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes before removing it and letting it cool completely on a wire rack.
Orange Icing
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice, and the orange zest until combined. If the glaze is too thick, add an extra ½ tablespoon of orange juice, if it's too thin add an extra ½ tablespoon of powdered sugar.
- Pour the icing over the cooled bundt cake and cut into slices.
- Keep any leftover cake slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes:
-
- Cake Pan: This recipe calls for a 10-cup bundt pan. Be sure to thoroughly grease the pan with cooking spray to avoid the cake from sticking. Add more than you think is necessary.
-
- Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.
-
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Any ingredient that needs to be at room temperature should be taken out of the refrigerator at least 1 hour before you want to bake. Do not skip this step!
-
- Cranberries: The cranberries need to be tossed in flour before being folded into the cake batter. This helps keep the fresh berries from sinking to the bottom when baking.
This cake is excellent! The tartness of the cranberries is perfect balance against sweetness of sugar excellent paired with orange zest ! Everyone loves it.
So glad to hear, Joe! I also loved the addition of the orange zest just to make all of the other flavors pop!
you call it a cranberry bunt
cake, but the recipe calls for
blueberries. I will be
making it with cranberries
and hope they will soften as
they cook.
Hi Jean! Yes, sorry about that, it is a cranberry bundt cake! I just fixed the typo in the recipe card so it is now correct. Thank you for bringing that to my attention.
Is that a typo in the recipe calling for blueberries?
Hi Lisa, yes so sorry for the typo! It is cranberries NOT blueberries. I just edited the recipe card. Sorry again!