Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 and 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup baker’s sugar
- 2 Tablespoons fresh orange zest
- 5 large room temperature eggs
- 1/2 cup room temp full-fat sour cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup room temp milk
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 and 3/4 cups fresh or still frozen cranberries
Filling
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Orange Glaze
- 1 and 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3–4 Tablespoons orange juice
Glaze: 1 /12 cup powdered sugar, Juice from zested orange, fresh orange zest for decoration
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray cake pan and coat in light flour.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and thoroughly grease a 10-inch Bundt pan.
Prepare the cake batter: Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, whisking well. Set this dry mixture aside. In another large bowl, use a handheld or stand mixer equipped with a paddle or whisk attachment to cream the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and orange zest for about 3 minutes, until smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract, mixing on medium speed until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Don’t worry if the mixture appears curdled—it will smooth out once the dry ingredients are added.
Combine dry ingredients into the wet mixture along with the milk and fresh orange juice, mixing at medium speed until fully blended. Fold or beat in the cranberries until evenly distributed. The batter should be thick but smooth.
Prepare the filling: In a separate small bowl, blend 2/3 cup (135g) brown sugar and cinnamon.
Pour half of the prepared batter evenly into the Bundt pan. Evenly distribute the cinnamon-sugar filling over the batter, taking care to avoid the edges so it stays centered and doesn’t stick to the pan during baking. Carefully spread the remaining batter over the filling, smoothing evenly.
Bake the cake for approximately 55-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs. Keep in mind this cake is large and dense, so baking time might slightly vary.
Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for exactly 1 hour. Then, invert the cake gently onto a wire rack or serving platter and allow it to cool completely.
Prepare the icing: In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar with 3 tablespoons of orange juice. If the icing is too thick, add an additional tablespoon of juice to thin. Conversely, add more confectioners’ sugar (1-2 tablespoons) if you prefer a thicker icing. Drizzle the icing evenly over the cooled cake.
