Cranberry Bundt Cake

This festive Cranberry Bundt Cake has a pretty cranberry swirl running through the center and is topped with a simple powdered sugar glaze. Perfect for any time of day and a delicious way to use up extra cranberry sauce!

I’m so happy to be sharing this fun holiday cake with you today!

It starts with a made from scratch cake batter that’s layered with a can of cranberry sauce and the result is just fabulous. It’s wonderfully moist and tender with a little texture from chopped walnuts, a tart-sweet punch from cranberry sauce, and it’s topped with a sweet blanket of glaze. Are you feeling the holiday vibe?

This cake is what I like to refer to as an “all day cake”. It’s just as delicious served with scrambled eggs in the morning as it is when served for dessert. It’s also a fabulous way to make use of that can of cranberry sauce that might be lingering in your pantry after Thanksgiving.

I love a good old-fashioned Bundt cake at this time of year. Cakes like my Sweet Potato Bundt Cake and Black Russian Cake are simple, nostaligic, and evoke a vintage feel. It’s so nice to have a cake like this on the kitchen counter so that everyone can help themselves to a sweet treat any time of day or night. Especially great when you’ve got out of town guests staying over.

Ingredient Notes

• Dry mixture: All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Wet mixture: Softened salted butter, granulated sugar, and large eggs.
• Sour cream: The addition of sour cream ensures a tender, moist cake.
• Extracts: Both pure almond extract and pure vanilla extract add wonderful flavor to this cake.
• Cranberry sauce: You’re going to need a can of whole berry cranberry sauce. You can use homemade cranberry sauce as long as it is a very simple, straightforward sauce like my Orange Cranberry Sauce.
• Nuts: Chopped walnuts create an almost streusel like texture on the top layer of the cake.
• Glaze: I’ve done this simple powdered sugar glaze with both whole milk and heavy cream and both are delicious. Heavy cream is much thicker than whole milk so you’ll need to use more to get a good pourable consistency. It also results in a thicker, more luscious icing like the one you see here. Just start with a small amount of either heavy cream or whole milk and add more in small increments until you reach the desired consistency. A small amount of vanilla extract adds some warmth and flavor.
• Nonstick cooking spray: I recommend Baker’s Joy when baking in a nonstick Bundt pan. See more details on greasing your pan below.

Equipment Needed

Bundt Pan: This recipe calls for a fluted 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan. These pans have a nonstick surface which is vital to an easy release.

Wire Cooling Rack: If you don’t already have a wire cooling rack, I highly recommend investing in one. It allows for even airflow, helping the Bundt cake cool evenly which makes it less likely to stick to the pan when you turn it out.

How to Grease a Bundt Pan

Nordic Ware advises against coating Bundt pans with regular nonstick cooking spray as they say it can build up a residue that’s difficult to remove over time. You’ll see this type of residue build up on the tops of your muffin tins which is why I always recommend wiping down any excess spray from exposed surfaces before putting metal pans in the oven.

I have used regular nonstick cooking spray from time to time, with no issues, but I like to keep a can of Baker’s Joy in my pantry specifically for cake baking. It is a cooking spray that includes flour and it’s a quick and easy way to ensure your cakes will not stick. Since Bundt pans are pricier than standard cake pans, I want to be sure I’m protecting them from damage.

If you prefer, you can melt butter and use a pastry brush to get it inside all the nooks and crannies of your Bundt pan and then dust it with flour.

How to Make Cranberry Bundt Cake

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. In a separate bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in almond and vanilla extract.
3. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture in increments, alternating with the sour cream.
4. Beat well after each addition until well combined.

1. Scatter the walnuts on the bottom of your greased Bundt pan.
2. Drop one-third of the batter in small spoonfuls over the nuts.
3. Spoon half of the cranberry sauce over the batter and use your spoon to lightly spread it out.
4. Repeat the layers, ending with the final third of batter.

It might seem like there isn’t enough batter to cover all the cranberry sauce so just dollop it on, slightly smooth it out, and don’t worry if it doesn’t completely cover the sauce. When it the cake bakes it will rise and spread but some of the cranberry sauce is going to ooze out to the edges. Delicious!

1. Bake your Cranberry Swirl Bundt Cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. See the printable recipe card below for the temp and times. Then, allow it to cool for about 10 minutes in the pan before turning it out on to a serving platter to cool completely.
2. Whisk the glaze ingredients in a small bowl, being careful to add only as much milk or cream as needed to reach a thick but pourable consistency. Drizzle over the completely cooled cake.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

This is a cake you can make the night before if you are planning to serve it in the morning. Just cover it once it has mostly cooled and add the glaze in the morning.

Store leftovers, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days. Or, cover tightly or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

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Adapted from Taste of Home

This recipe was originally published November 30, 2019. It has been updated with new text and images.