Introduction

This Cranberry Glaze Bundt Cake is a festive, aromatic treat perfect for gatherings and holidays. With warming spices, fresh cranberries, and a tangy glaze, it offers a delightful balance of flavors and textures.

A round bundt cake with one visible layer has a golden-brown texture and is topped with smooth pink icing that swirls around its grooves, leaving parts of the cake surface exposed. It is decorated with whole fresh red cranberries and cranberries coated in sugar, which have a frosted look. Sprigs of green rosemary, also covered lightly with sugar, are placed evenly around the cake and its base. The cake sits on a large white plate with a slight green marble pattern underneath. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
2 1/4 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
Zest of 1 large orange
1/4 cup (53 g) packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw)
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar, divided
6 to 8 small rosemary sprigs
1/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
2 cups (228 g) confectioners’ sugar
2 tbsp (or more) cranberry juice
Fresh cranberries, for decorating

Instructions

Step 1: Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan with butter, then spoon in some flour. Shake and tap the pan until the butter is evenly coated. Tap out the excess flour.
Step 2: In a large bowl, rub together the granulated sugar and orange zest with clean fingertips until fragrant. Add softened butter and brown sugar. Using a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat until light and fluffy.
Step 3: Add vegetable oil and beat until creamy and smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend after each. Beat in the vanilla extract.
Step 4: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, ginger, and nutmeg.
Step 5: Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat until just a few dry streaks remain. Add buttermilk and beat until just combined. Fold in the cranberries gently.
Step 6: Transfer the batter to the prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top. Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 7: For the sugared cranberries and rosemary, in a small pot over medium heat, bring water and 1/2 cup sugar to a boil. Remove from heat.
Step 8: Add the rosemary sprigs and stir to coat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the rosemary to a wire rack, spacing the sprigs about 1 inch apart.
Step 9: Pour cranberries into the sugar-water mixture and stir to coat. Transfer cranberries to the wire rack with the rosemary and let them dry for 20 to 30 minutes.
Step 10: Place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Add rosemary and toss to coat, then return the rosemary to the wire rack. Add the cranberries to the sugar and toss to coat. Arrange cranberries and rosemary on the rack to dry.
Step 11: The sugared rosemary and cranberries can be made up to 3 days ahead; store them in a container and refrigerate.
Step 12: For the cranberry glaze, stir confectioners’ sugar and cranberry juice in a medium bowl. Add more juice one teaspoon at a time until the glaze easily falls off the spoon but holds its shape for a few seconds.
Step 13: Spoon the glaze over the cooled cake. Decorate with fresh cranberries and the sugared cranberries and rosemary.

Tips & Variations

Use frozen cranberries directly in the batter without thawing to prevent the cake from turning purple from crushed berries.
For a citrus twist, substitute lemon zest for orange zest.
If you prefer a less spicy cake, reduce the cardamom and cinnamon by half.
Make the sugared rosemary and cranberries ahead to save time on the day you serve the cake.

Storage

Store the bundt cake covered tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Keep the sugared cranberries and rosemary separate in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat slices gently in the microwave if desired, but the cake is delicious served at room temperature.

How to Serve

The image shows a bundt cake sliced with several pieces removed and placed on two white plates nearby. The cake has a light brown color with embedded red cranberries inside each slice. A pink glaze is drizzled over the top, flowing down the sides in uneven layers, adding a smooth and shiny texture that contrasts with the crumbly cake. On top of the cake and scattered on the white marbled surface are frosted cranberries and small green sprigs of rosemary for decoration. Each plate with a cake slice is also decorated with a frosting cranberry and a rosemary sprig, with one slice displaying a thin pink line of glaze on the top shaped like a zigzag. A small white bowl holding more frosted cranberries sits near the cake. The whole scene presents a festive, colorful dessert arrangement. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use frozen cranberries in the cake?

Yes, you can use frozen cranberries without thawing to avoid bleeding their color through the batter.

How do I prevent the glaze from being too runny?

Add cranberry juice gradually to the confectioners’ sugar, stirring until you reach a consistency that easily falls off a spoon but still holds shape for a few seconds. Adjust with more sugar or juice as needed.