In my opinion, this is the perfect bundt cake! Perfectly tender & moist and just sweet enough to be enjoyed with or without the glaze. Sarah Copeland, author of the celebrated cookbook ‘Everyday is Saturday‘ graciously allowed me to share the recipe for this Almost-Famous Cranberry Bundt Cake from her cookbook with all of you!
New Year Birthdays
The first days of a new year can always bring on mixed feelings. Any feelings of hope & resolution can often get intermingled with feelings of disappointment following the holiday season. Personally, the first days of the new year have always been awkward because my birthday is on January 4th. Typically forgotten and overlooked, my birthday was far from an exciting time for me as a child. The typical birthday celebrations that my friends and siblings had were epic in comparison to my own, which led me to feel pretty depressed when my birthday rolled around.
As a young adult, I was able to put any birthday expectations behind me and focus on what the day meant to me personally. Being married to a very thoughtful guy also meant that my birthday slowly morphed from a celebratory day into a week and now, 15 years later, an entire birthday month! Knowing that my January 4th birthday was always pretty gloomy, my hubby now declares every January as my birthday month. This means that pretty much anything that we do, simple or special, is because it is my birthday month (lol)! It is extremely sweet and always makes me smile, which I think is exactly what my hubby hopes to accomplish with his silly annual birthday month declaration.
Having your cake
Now it should be clear why I am sharing this Almost-Famous Cranberry Bundt Cake with you during a time when most people are focused on new year’s resolutions and clean eating. I always feel a tinge of awkwardness sharing a sweet recipe here on the blog during this specific time of year, but I quickly realize that my hubby and I are not the only ones with something to celebrate. We should all be able to enjoy this most delicious cranberry bundt cake for reasons greater than any resolutions. Because, after all, cranberries are on grocery store shelves for just a little while longer and because life is unpredictable, to say the least. None of us can possibly know how many days or years we have left before us, but to be able to live each today without regrets is truly living our life to the fullest. So if that means baking a cake, have your cake and enjoy every bite!
The perfect bundt cake
Sarah’s cranberry bundt was dubbed ‘almost-famous’ because she ended up making it a half a dozen times in a month at the behest of her family and neighbors! This cake has the perfect moist and tender interior crumb with a golden and slightly crisp exterior. The sweetness level is just right, whether you glaze the cake or not. And this recipe is a super adaptable foundation for flavor adaptations. If cranberries aren’t in season, try swapping in blueberries and lemon zest! And for the record, everyone we know who has tried this almost-famous cranberry bundt cake has nothing but praise for how perfect it is!
some quick tips & resources:
TWO FOR ONE: I decided to make two smaller Bundts rather than one large one! Simply adjust the baking time to about 45 minutes per 6-cup Bundt cake. Here is a link to the smaller bundt pans that I used!
GET AHEAD: This Bundt can be made ahead in two stages. Make the batter, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Or bake the cake and let cool completely on a metal rack, then freeze well wrapped, for up to two weeks, adding the glaze after thawing it.
GOOD TO KNOW: Be sure to butter and flour your Bundt pan really well – those cranberries burst and want to stick if they hit the pan. Use an angel food cake pan for a cleaner, modern look. And get all Jackson Pollack if you want – this cake is awesome with raspberries, blueberries or a mix of berries, splattered and streaked ever so slightly.
BITTERS: As the name suggests, bitters are a blend of herbs, barks, roots, and fruits (like orange peel) that lends a pleasantly bitter depth to cocktails and, as in this case, baked goods. If you don’t have bitters at home, make your tablespoon of orange zest a heaping one.
ALMOST-FAMOUS CRANBERRY BUNDT CAKE
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 people 1x
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE:
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks/336 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp grated orange zest
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 hearty dash bitters (or omit and add another 1/2 tbsp orange zest)
- 2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour or (310 g) gluten-free flour, plus more for the pan
- 1 cup (120 g) almond flour
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) half-and-half
- 2 heaping cups (200 g) cranberries or (280 g) wild blueberries, fresh or frozen
FOR THE GLAZE (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) confectioner’s sugar
- 2–4 tbsp half-and-half
- seeds of 1 vanilla bean, scraped, or 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste
- pinch of fine sea salt
FOR THE SUGARED CRANBERRIES (optional)
- 1 cup (100g) fresh cranberries
- 2 cups sugar, divided
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
TO MAKE THE CAKE:
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Position a rack in the lower middle. Butter and flour a 10- inch, 12 cup (25cm, 2.9L) nonstick Bundt pan (I split the recipe into two 6-cup Bundt pans)
- Beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at aa time, beating after each until uniform. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl, add the vanilla and bitters (if using), and stir to combine.
- Ina a separate bowl, stir together the flours, baking soda and salt. Add to the butter mixture in thirds, alternating with the juices and half-and-half, and beat on low to combine, scraping the bowl after each addition. Stir in the cranberries.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan (it will come to the top of the Bundt pan) and bake on a baking sheet until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out with a tiny crumb, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes (bake for 45 minutes if you split the recipe into two smaller Bundt pans). Remove from the pan, and let cook completely on a rack.
TO MAKE THE GLAZE:
- Whisk together the confectioners sugar, half-and-half, vanilla seeds, and salt to make a slightly runny glaze. (I only used about 2 tbsp to create the thick glaze that you see pictured). Set the cake on a wire rack on parchment paper and drizzle the glaze over. If you are garnishing with sugared cranberries, you will add them at this stage (*see below). Otherwise, let the glaze set slightly before slicing and serving.
TO MAKE THE SUGARED CRANBERRIES:
- While the cake bakes, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
- Add the cranberries to the saucepan and stir to coat all of the cranberries. Use a slotted spoon and transfer the cranberries to a wire rack (set it on top of a lined baking sheet for easy clean up). *Reserve the leftover syrup, it is great added to cocktails.
- Let the cranberries dry for 1 hour. After one hour, roll the cranberries in the remaining sugar until nicely coated. Garnish the freshly glazed cake with sugared cranberries. Allow the glaze to set slightly before slicing and serving. Any leftover sugared cranberries will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Category: Cake
- Cuisine: American
What a beautiful bundt! And happy birthday month, dear Bella! I am feeling the strange mix of emotions you describe. It happens to me every year, but this year it’s more severe for some reason. Your blog post in my inbox and this beautiful cake was a definite bright spot. Much love to you. – Anita
Aw thank you Anita! Yes, this is an awkward time of year for many…I hope you find your way through it soon! And I am so happy you enjoyed this blog post & recipe, oftentimes as a blogger, you just aren’t sure if you’re reaching many people, so to have you leave a comment means a lot!
Happy Birthday Bella! I hope you had a fabulous day and celebrated with all of your favorite things! I too am a January birthday, so I feel ya with the whole vibe ;) ! Sounds like your hubby is just the sweetest to make you feel special not only on your day but the whole month-what a guy!!!! I’m in love with your images, especially the one with the candles post ‘make-a-wish’ and I look forward to trying this recipe.
Thank you so very much Carolyn! I appreciate your well wishes and your understanding…lol, having a January birthday is no joke! My hubby is seriously the best! I really enjoyed this photoshoot, so reading that you liked the images means a lot to me! You are going to love this bundt, its seriously the best!
Absolutely STUNNING photos Bella!!!
Thank you very much!
these pics is what had us sold on having to make this recipe!!
aw shucks! thank you so much! That means so much to me!
the bundt cake turned out SO moist and delicious!!!
YAY!
the cranberries played perfectly against the citrus and th sweetness of the glaze, as well as the crispness of the exterior of the cake as opposed to the amazing moistness of the interior.
Oh this makes me so happy! I love this cake for all of the same reasons!
what can i say?? it is THE perfect cake, PERIOD!!!
I would have to agree with you! ;)
Hi Rian! I have not tried replacing the eggs and they are a large amount of what makes the batter, so the only thing I could recommend trying would be whipped aquafaba, but I have not experimented with it myself!
Literally everything about this post is perfect. Like, UNREAL. Flawless. A league of its own.
That is all I’ve got to say.
Well, that, and that you are my all time favorite food photographer ❤️ Hope you have a fab day!
Instead of almond flour can I just use 3 cups of all purpose And is this a really sweet cake the reason why you only use 2 cups of sugar
Hello Emily! I have not tried using just all-purpose flour, but I am sure that would be totally fine! And the cake is not too sweet itself, once you add the glaze over the top, the cake has the perfect balance of sweet & tart :)
Hi. Lovely cake there. May I know what is half-and-half in the glaze? I am from Australia. Maybe is called by different names here.
Thank you
Hello Ling! half-and-half is simply a mixture of 1/2 milk & 1/2 heavy cream!