Cranberry-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

in Cakes & Cupcakes, Christmas, Cranberries, Thanksgiving

Cranberry-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

Because I could…

I had a slice of cake before dinner.
I had a slice of cake after dinner.
I also had a slice of cake for lunch.

Being a grown-up doesn’t always suck 🙂

One of my favorite baked goodies that we used to sell at my parents’ bakery was a Cranberry-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake. I’ve also been thinking about the sour cream pound cake, but when it comes to baked goods, rule is that we have to eat what’s here before making something else. So maybe tomorrow?

Cranberry-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

What do I love about this cake? The cranberries. And the cake. The cake part is moist and a tad on the heavy side, as it should be with all that butter and cream cheese. Right after you turn it out of the pan to cool, it has this kind of chewy, sugary crust.

This goes away when you let it rest overnight covered like you’re supposed to. But I like to cut off any uneven parts from the bottom and eat them right away. Because quality assurance is the most important part of baking. I also like to serve it with a spoonful of sweetened whipped cream with just a hint of vanilla.

Cranberry-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

The cranberries offer a tart contrast to the cake. Raspberries also work nicely. If I could only get my hands on some superbly fresh blackberries like the ones that used to grow along our fence line as kids…

Cranberry-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

Moist, tangy cream cheese bundt cake studded with perfectly tart fresh cranberries.

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 8 oz cream cheese, room temp
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 lemon, juiced and zested
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, tossed with 1 Tbsp flour
  • Whipped cream, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a bundt pan with baking spray, coating well.
  2. Beat butter and cream cheese until combined. Add sugar and turn mixer to med-high and cream for 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time until combined. Add lemon juice and zest, almond extract, and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Turn mixer to low and add salt. Add the cake flour in two batches. Fold in the cranberries.
  3. Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake 60-70 minutes, until the cake has browned and a skewer inserted in the center comes out with only moist crumbs attached. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a rack and cool completely. Cover tightly overnight (I put it in on a cake plate and cover with a glass dome) and enjoy the next day. (You can certainly eat it the same day but it gets better with an overnight resting period.)

Notes

Yields: 10-12 recipes

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride

Estimated time: 1 hour 30 minutes

38 comments… add one
  • Oh wow. I want this so badly. This sounds great. I’m bookmarking this. Lovely photos, too.

  • katie

    Haha! Great minds think alike! I love cranberries. Your cake looks great! 🙂

  • Looks super yummy!!! I love desserts with fruit- you can convince yourself it’s somehow healthy for you!!

  • I just love cranberries in any way, shape or form, and I can’t wait to try this cake. I agree with you, being a grown-up isn’t always bad, especially when you can eat this scrumptious cake whenever you’d like!

  • This cake looks amazing! I’m going to have to make this soon!

  • Looks simply divine.

  • Thanks for the recipe, it looks soo yummy. I will make this tonight!

  • Oh yum! I see myself making one of these in the near future.

  • The texture looks great, and so pretty, like jeweled with the cranberries.

    Also, it’s a “rule” to eat cake for breakfast if I have any cake. =D

  • This looks great! I love all the cranberries specking the cake like tart pieces of goodness 🙂

  • mm looks very yummy!

  • Amanda

    Oooooh…I think I’m going to take the cranberries I bought for T-day and make this instead!

  • Stacy

    Do you think these would work as cupcakes? I don’t have a bundt pan (yet) and want to make this as cupcakes for the family gathering on Thursday!
    Could you kindly email or post and let me know (anyone?)

  • Stacy – I think the cake might be too heavy for cupcakes. They would be more muffin-like and I wouldn’t expect them to rise much (they definitely won’t dome).

  • The cake looks delicious! Makes me crave cranberries even more!

  • This cake looks like a perfect holiday treat. A warm slice on x-mas morning with a hot cup of coffee…now I’m drooling! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

  • Bianca

    Oh wow, this is REALLY good. The top stuck to my pan though, and I thought I sprayed it well enough. Guess I’ll have to do it more the next time. And yes, there will be a next time. Thank you 🙂

  • Shannon

    Bianca, I have found that putting a light coating of shortening on a bundt pan then dusting with a mixture of sugar & flour before pouring in the batter works really well for getting the cake out without any tears or sticking 🙂

  • This cake is amazing. I am making it today for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I have made it three times and everyone loves it. My sister in law stocks of on Cranberries during the holidays in order to make it throughout the rest of the year! Lovely cake!

  • Francesca

    Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I have never made a bundt cake before, nor have I used fresh cranberries (or frozen for that matter) only dried. Anyway, I did not have a traditional bundt tin only a rose bundt/funnel mold – I thought I’d give it a go, and thanks to your wonderful recipe, I think it has turned out ok – I will know for certain when I take it into work tomorrow 🙂 If you would like to see a picture of it… http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150403775626252&set=a.10150318873711252.380562.511246251&type=1&theater
    Thank you, Francesca

  • IpseDixit

    Tried this for Thanksgiving and it was perfect! The only cake that we finished eating, in fact. Have you ever tried it with an orange instead of the lemon. I would like to whip up another one while my children are napping, but I am completely out of lemons. Would it be okay to substitute orange, juiced and zested?

    • Orange would be lovely, you’ll probably only need to juice half of one to replace the lemon juice.

  • April was in CT now CA

    This in the oven baking as I type and it smells incredibly good, can’t wait to try it!

  • spelyea

    this is a beautiful, beautiful cake!
    so easy to throw together, and even converts to gluten free wonderfully
    with tapioca starch, potato starch, and white rice flour.
    it has gotten rave reviews from three year olds and adults alike.
    thank you so much for sharing!

  • I am making this for the second time. What a great recipe; thanks for sharing!

  • Vanessa

    I made this fabulous cake 3 nights ago and making another tonight….no more explanation!

  • Gloria

    I, most definitely, am making this bundt cake for Thanksgiving. It looks as though it melts in your mouth. I can almost taste it just from the picture!!

  • Paula B

    Can this be frozen for a few weeks?? Thanks! Making for Txgiving – P.

    • Yes. Wrap really really well and thaw before unwrapping.

      • Paula B

        Thank you!! Can’t wait!

  • Paula B

    Well… I followed directions exactly and it stuck. I think the cranberries stuck to the sides which made the cake stick? Don’t know what else to do??? 🙁
    Any suggestions??

    • Paula B

      I’ve answered my own question – used the wrong kind of baking spray – Chef’s Joy is not Baker’s Joy!!! My mistake and lesson learned! Can you tell I don’t bake much???

  • Debbie Stevens

    Shawnda, I found this recipe last year when looking around the web for a not-very-fruity fruitcake. It is absolutely perfect – not so sweet that it is a delicious breakfast option but rich enough to serve as a delightful dessert. It is easy to understand why this cake was so popular in your parents’ bakery. I have made this cake several times to rave reviews, even by friends who don’t like cranberries. Thank you!

  • Joe

    wowowow this looks sooooo good, I can’t wait to make this tomorrow!

  • Laura

    I noticed this cake has no leavening agent such as baking soda or powder. Is this an oversight?

  • This was so delicious. I enjoyed making it.

  • Maria

    I am making this right now and I noticed there is no baking soda or baking powder in this recipe. Does it rise without or am I missing something?

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