cookies may rule the baking scene this time of year. but, let's not forget about all the delicious cakes! this cranberry orange blossom bundt cake is a fun, fresh twist on a classic holiday cake. it's fresh, fragrant, full of holiday spices and citrus. start a holiday breakfast or end a holiday dinner with this delicious cake. either way, this cake is a wonderful addition to your holiday baking plans.

this bundt cake is

so many delicious words! just to name a few:

sweet
floral
tart
spiced
fragrant (aka, your house will smell wonderful)
buttery
moist
cake like crumb
familiar, with a fresh flavor twist

let's talk ingredients

to make this cranberry orange blossom bundt cake you will need:

cake flour
all purpose flour
baking powder
ground cinnamon
ground cloves
salt
superfine granulated sugar or caster sugar
oranges
unsalted butter
olive oil or canola oil
eggs
vanilla extract
orange blossom water
buttermilk (see recipe notes for diy version)
frozen cranberries (frozen preferred, but fresh can be used)
powdered sugar
honey

from these ingredients you will make the cranberry orange blossom cake and the orange blossom honey glaze.

baking tools

this cake can be divided into other baking pans. but, to make this recipe as written, you will need:

10-12 cup capacity bundt pan
non stick baking spray
electric juicer ( highly recommend this if you like to use fresh citrus!!)
zester ( also highly recommend for baking with citrus )

tips, tricks + substitutes

substitutions for this recipe:

a bundt pan has a capacity of 10-12 cups (2.8 liters), make these swaps if you don't have a bundt pan
- (2) 10" round cake pans
- (2) 9" square pan
- 9-10" springform pan
- (2) 9X5" loaf pans
- 9" tube pan
- 11X7" - 10X15" baking pans (9X13" cake pan included)
baking times will change based on the pan used. for the pans listed above, start to check the cake around 20-25 minutes. most likely the cakes will take around 30-40 minutes.
look for the signs the cake is finished:
- golden brown across the top
- edges pulled slightly from the edge of the pan
- a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs
- press the center of the cake. when it's done the cake will quickly spring back
orange blossom water: no exact substitute for this. however, you can use the zest from an extra orange in the cake (zest from two oranges). for the glaze, use 1:1 orange extract in its place

diy ingredients for this recipe:

diy cake flour: to make this version, you will need all purpose flour and cornstarch
- measure out 2 c all purpose flour (by weight or the spoon scoop method)
- remove 4 tbsp (1/4 c, 30g) flour
- replace with 4 tbsp cornstarch
- sift the mixture together 4-5 times
diy buttermilk: to make this version, you will need milk and lemon juice
- measure out 2.5 teaspoons lemon juice in a measuring cup
- fill the measuring cup to 3/4 c (180ml)
- allow about 10 minutes to curdle

tips and tricks for the best cranberry orange blossom bundt cake:

use a non stick bundt pan
lightly grease the pan
- non stick spray or butter + sugar
bring cold ingredients to room temperature
keep the cranberries frozen
toss the cranberries in flour
- this prevents the cranberries from sinking to the bottom (or top for this cake)
mix the dry ingredients in to the wet by hand
don't over mix the batter
do not leave the cake in the pan for more than 15 minutes
wait for the cake to cool before applying the glaze
glaze the cake on the serving plate OR
glaze the cake on a cooling rack with a piece of parchment paper under the rack
- less mess to clean up
allow the glaze to fully set before slicing

check out these delicious cakes

cranberry orange blossom bundt cake

this cranberry orange blossom bundt cake is a holiday classic with a fresh twist! the moist and tender cake filled with cinnamon, cloves and cups of fresh cranberries. the addition of both orange juice, zest and orange blossom water gives this bundt a tart and floral flavor that pairs perfectly with the orange blossom honey glaze!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 55

Rest Time 15

Total Time 1 30

Course Breakfast, Celebrations, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10" Bundt Cake

Equipment

10-12 c capacity bundt pan
stand mixer with whisk attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters

Ingredients

orange blossom cranberry bundt cake

2 c (252g) cake flour see notes for homemade version
1 c (120g) all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp (10g) baking powder
1 tbsp (8g) ground cinnamon
1 tsp (2g) ground cloves
1 tsp (6g) salt
2 c (400g) superfine granulated sugar
2-3 tbsp orange zest (~ one medium-large orange)
1/2 c (113g) unsalted butter, cubed at room temperature
1/4 c (59ml) olive oil or other neutral oil like canola
4 (228g) large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract
1 tsp (5ml) orange blossom water
1/4 c (59ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
3/4 c (180ml) buttermilk, room temperature see notes for homemade version
2 c (260g) frozen cranberries
2 tsp flour

orange blossom honey glaze

1 c (120g) powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp orange blossom water
2 tbsp (30ml) freshly squeezed orange juice or to preferred consistency

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 10-12 cup capacity bundt pan with non stick baking spray. Alernatively, use butter to coat the pan. Scatter a light coat of sugar on top of the sugar. Shake around the pan to fully coat. Pour out the excess sugar. Set aside.
If using a homemade version of buttermilk, add the lemon juice to the milk now.
In a medium size mixing bowl. Whisk the flours, baking powder, spices and salt together. Set aside.
In the mixing bowl you will use to mix the wet ingredients, add the sugar and orange zest (zest directly into the sugar). On low speed, whisk the zest into the sugar until it resembles wet sand (about 30-60 seconds). Pour the orange sugar into a seperate bowl.
Beat together the oil and butter on medium speed until smooth and well combined, about 2-3 minutes.
Slowly stream in the orange sugar while beating the butter/oil mixture on low-medium speed. Beat well for about 1 minute.
On low- medium speed, beat in each egg for about 20 seconds before adding the next.
Beat in the vanilla extract and orange blossom until well combined.
Beat in the orange juice. The mixture may look slighly curdled. It will come together!
In a small mixing bowl, toss the frozen cranberries with the 2 teaspoons of flour until all the cranberries are coated with flour. Set aside.
On the lowest mixing setting or by hand (preferred), stir the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the wet ingredients in this order: dry, buttermilk, dry, buttermilk, dry. Stir each addition until JUST incorporated before adding the next. A few flour or liquid streaks is fine.
Fold in the coated cranberries.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. This should reach almost to the top of the pan, with about 1/2" to spare. Do not fill all the way to the top!
Bake the cake in a 350F oven for about 55-65 minutes. The cake edges will be pulled slightly from the pan. The cake will be golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the sides will come out clean of with a few moist crumbs.
(60 minutes was perfect for my cake/oven during the development process.)
Cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. To remove, place a plate or cooling rack on top of the bundt pan. Carefully invert the pan to rest on top of the plate or rack.
Using a butter knife or metal spoon, tap the pan on all the sides. Carefully lift and remove the pan. Cool the cake on the plate or cooling rack until it reaches room temperature. Pour the glaze on top. Allow the glaze to fully set, about 30-45 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

orange blossom honey glaze

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth and well combined. Add more or less liquid to achieve your preference for the consistency of the glaze.

Notes

diy cake flour: measure out 2 cups all purpose flour. remove 4 tablespoons (1/4 c). Add in 4 tablespoons cornstarch. Sift the new flour mixture together 4 times.

diy buttermilk: measure out slightly over 2 teaspoons lemon juice in a measuring cup. add milk to fill 3/4 c. allow about 10 minutes for the mixture to curdle.

Keyword cranberry orange bundt cakes, easy holiday cake, orange blossom cake, winter bundt cakes

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