A delicious lemon-cranberry bundt cake decorated with sugared cranberries and lemon wedges—the perfect centerpiece for Christmas dinner.
This post contains affiliate links.
As a busy baker, I always want my homemade sweets and treats to look their very best! From perfectly textured cakes and irresistible flavor combinations to scrumptious icings and eye-catching toppers, I customize it all, every time! I do everything I can to make sure my homemade cakes and pastries come out as incomparably stunning sweets.
This seems to be especially more true once the holidays start getting closer. I get filled with all of that giddy Christmas cheer and so I try to channel that cheer into my homemade Christmas cakes. That’s how I came up with this delightful recipe for a gorgeous Lemon Cranberry Bundt Cake topped with a simple lemon glaze and sugared cranberries!
This heavenly cake is the perfect Christmas cake, to say the least! It’s a very light and refreshing dessert to enjoy, especially after indulging in a bunch of heavy holiday foods. This tasty treat starts with a light and lemon-y cake made with fresh lemon flavors with some cranberries mixed in. Then, it’s iced with a simple and delicious lemon glaze, and finally it’s all topped off with sugared cranberries and a few fresh lemon wedges!
Of course, the unbeatable taste isn’t the only thing making this the perfect Christmas cake. The sugared cranberries on top add a glitzy holiday look that puts all of the holiday decor to shame. All in all, it’s easy to see why this is one of my absolute favorite holiday cakes to make!
Bundt Cake Equipment
For this berry good bundt cake recipe, I do have several kitchen tools and utensils that I use to make the process go as quickly and smoothly as possible. Most of these tools I have listed are very common in many household kitchens, so no need to worry about picking up any fancy or complicated equipment. Here are the tools I use for this Lemon Cranberry Bundt Cake:
- Cooling rack
- Hand mixer
- Glass mixing bowls
- Bundt cake pan
- Blending whisk
- Zester
- Silicone spatula
- Small saucepan
- Baking sheet
Sweet and Sugar-y Ingredients
Next, let me go over my ingredient list for this lemon-y bundt cake. At first glance, it probably looks like there is a lot needed for this recipe but it really just seems that way. There are quite a few typical cake ingredients needed for the bundt cake, but the homemade lemon glaze and sugared cranberry cake toppers only require a small handful of simple ingredients. Here is my ingredient list for this scrumptious cake:
Lemon Cranberry Bundt Cake Ingredients:
- 3 Cups All-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- 6 Eggs
- 1 Cup Milk
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 2 tbsp Lemon zest – from 2 lemons
- 1 Cup Butter – room temperature
- 2 ½ Cups Sugar
- 1 cup Fresh cranberries
Bundt Cake Pan Coating:
- 2 tbsp Vegetable shortening
- 2 tbsp All-purpose flour
Lemon Glaze:
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 ½ cup Powdered sugar
Sugared Cranberries:
- 1 cup Fresh cranberries – washed
- ¼ cup Sugar
- ¼ cup Water
- ½ cup Sugar for the final coat
Other Garnish:
- 1 fresh lemon
How to Make A Sparkling Lemon Cranberry Bundt Cake
And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for… it’s cake-making time! This process does involve quite a few steps overall but it’s all very simple to do, especially if you’ve ever made a homemade cake before. I’ve broken down my whole recipe routine into several easy-to-follow, bite-size steps that anyone can follow along with, even beginner bakers!
Making the Lemon Cranberry Cake:
- First, preheat the oven to 350°F and measure out all of the cake ingredients.
- Next, in a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with a hand mixer on medium speed until the mixture is light and pale in color.
- Then, in a separate small bowl, whisk the 6 eggs together with a blending whisk.
- Add the vanilla, lemon zest, and milk in with the eggs and whisk again until completely mixed.
- In another medium-sized bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
- Then, alternate between adding the egg mixture, ⅓ at a time, and the dry ingredients, also ⅓ at a time, into the bowl with the butter and sugar, mixing well between each addition.
- Keep mixing the batter together until all of the ingredients are completely combined.
- Then, use a spatula to gently fold the fresh cranberries into the cake batter.
Coating the Bundt Cake Pan and Baking the Cake:
- First, use gloved hands to coat the entire inside of the bundt cake pan with the vegetable shortening. Make sure to get all of the sides and corners.
- I like to use food-friendly disposable gloves to protect my hands during this step.
- Afterward, use the sifter to evenly sprinkle a light coating of flour over the layer of shortening. Then, turn the cake pan over and dump out any excess flour.
- Next, evenly pour the cake batter into the greased bundt cake pan.
- Bake the bundt cake for 50-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Then, let the cake cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan.
- If you do not let the cake cool long enough, it will come out of the pan in parts.
- Finally, after resting in the pan, remove the bundt cake from the pan and flip it onto a cooling rack to finish cooling completely, about 1-2 hours, before drizzling with the glaze.
Making the Easy Lemon Glaze:
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice until completely mixed and smooth.
- Yep, that’s it! That’s all it takes to whip up a quick and easy lemon glaze!
Sugaring the Cranberries:
- First, wash the cranberries under cold water and line a baking sheet with some paper towels.
- Pour ½ cup of sugar into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Next, combine the water and ¼ cup of sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Heat and stir the mixture with a silicone spatula until the ingredients are completely combined and the sugar is dissolved.
- Then, let the sugar syrup cool entirely.
- Next, dip the cranberries into the sugar syrup and then transfer them to the lined baking sheet.
- Finally, roll the cranberries around, a few at a time, in the mixing bowl with the remaining sugar to completely coat them. Once they are fully coated, let the sugared cranberries dry on the baking sheet, lined with dry paper towels, before cake assembly.
Lemon Cranberry Bundt Cake Assembly:
- First, slide a sheet of parchment paper under the wire rack of the completely cooled bundt cake. Then, slowly and evenly pour the lemon glaze over the entire bundt cake.
- Next, cut the fresh lemon into slices and cut each slice into four parts to make small wedges.
- Finally, add the finishing touches by decorating the top of the bundt cake with the fresh lemon slices and sugared cranberries.
Proper Bundt Cake Storage
Whether making this cake ahead of time for a holiday gathering or party, or you just need to save some leftover cake for later, it’s easy to do! There are actually several ways to store a bundt cake to get the most out of it. Here’s what to do:
How to store a decorated bundt cake:
- Store the decorated bundt cake in an airtight cake container and keep safely for up to 3 days on the counter at room temp…
- Or store the bundt cake in the fridge, either wrapped with plastic food wrap or sealed in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- I would suggest this storing method if you are preparing this cake ahead of time for a holiday or party.
- Individual slices can be frozen for longer-term storage:
- First, wrap the individual slices in cellophane, then wrap again in kitchen foil.
- These slices will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Always remember to label the date on the outside of the wrapping to keep up with freshness and quality.
To store extra sugared cranberries: transfer the coated berries to an airtight container lined with dry paper towels. Keep the berries in a cool, dry place for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Always label the date on the outside of the container to keep up with freshness.
Bundt Cakes
Berry Good Bundt Cake Recipes
If you love filling your house with sweet aromas and even sweeter treats as much as I do then be sure to check out some of my other berry good bundt cake recipes! My bundt cakes are my staple homemade treat so I make several of them throughout the year for year-round enjoyment for my family. Here are some of my favorite homemade bundt cake recipes:
- 4th of July Bundt Cake
- Christmas Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Funfetti Bundt Cake
- Lemon Bundt Cake
- Red Velvet Bundt Cake
- Apple Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze
- Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Toffee Glaze
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Lemon Cranberry Bundt Cake with Sugar Cranberries
Ingredients
- 3 Cups All-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- 6 Eggs
- 1 Cup Milk
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 2 tbsp Lemon zest from 2 lemons
- 1 Cup Butter room temperature
- 2 ½ Cups Sugar
- 1 cup Fresh cranberries
Bundt cake pan coating
- 2 tbsp Vegetable shortening
- 2 tbsp All-purpose flour
Lemon glaze
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 ½ cup Powdered sugar
Sugared cranberries
- 1 cup Fresh cranberries washed
- ¼ cup Sugar
- ¼ cup Water
- ½ cup Sugar for the final coat
Garnish
Instructions
Making the Lemon Cranberry Cake
- First, preheat the oven to 350°F and measure out all of the cake ingredients.
- Next, in a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with a hand mixer on medium speed until the mixture is light and pale in color.
- Then, in a separate small bowl, whisk the 6 eggs together with a blending whisk.
- Add the vanilla, lemon zest, and milk in with the eggs and whisk again until completely mixed.
- In another medium-sized bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
- Then, alternate between adding the egg mixture, ⅓ at a time, and the dry ingredients, also ⅓ at a time, into the bowl with the butter and sugar, mixing well between each addition.
- Keep mixing the batter together until all of the ingredients are completely combined.
- Then, use a spatula to gently fold the fresh cranberries into the cake batter.
Coating the Bundt Cake Pan and Baking the Cake
- First, use gloved hands to coat the entire inside of the bundt cake pan with the vegetable shortening. Make sure to get all of the sides and corners.I like to use food-friendly disposable gloves to protect my hands during this step.
- Afterward, use the sifter to evenly sprinkle a light coating of flour over the layer of shortening. Then, turn the cake pan over and dump out any excess flour.
- Next, evenly pour the cake batter into the greased bundt cake pan.
- Bake the bundt cake for 50-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Then, let the cake cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan.If you do not let the cake cool long enough, it will come out of the pan in parts.
- Finally, after resting in the pan, remove the bundt cake from the pan and flip it onto a cooling rack to finish cooling completely, about 1-2 hours, before drizzling with the glaze.
Making the Easy Lemon Glaze
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice until completely mixed and smooth.Yep, that’s it! That’s all it takes to whip up a quick and easy lemon glaze!
Sugaring the Cranberries
- First, wash the cranberries under cold water and line a baking sheet with some paper towels.
- Pour ½ cup of sugar into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Next, combine the water and ¼ cup of sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Heat and stir the mixture with a silicone spatula until the ingredients are completely combined and the sugar is dissolved.
- Then, let the sugar syrup cool entirely.
- Next, dip the cranberries into the sugar syrup and then transfer them to the lined baking sheet.
- Finally, roll the cranberries around, a few at a time, in the mixing bowl with the remaining sugar to completely coat them. Once they are fully coated, let the sugared cranberries dry on the baking sheet, lined with dry paper towels, before cake assembly.
Lemon Cranberry Bundt Cake Assembly
- First, slide a sheet of parchment paper under the wire rack of the completely cooled bundt cake. Then, slowly and evenly pour the lemon glaze over the entire bundt cake.
- Next, cut the fresh lemon into slices and cut each slice into four parts to make small wedges.
- Finally, add the finishing touches by decorating the top of the bundt cake with the fresh lemon slices and sugared cranberries.
Video
Food Photography & Video Tips from My Studio
Here’s a peek at the tools, gear, and camera setups I use to film my recipe videos and photograph food at home. Over the years, I’ve tested dozens of different setups, and now I’m sharing what actually works for me—whether I’m filming overhead shots for YouTube or styling still photos for my blog. If you’re curious about how I create the content you see here, these posts are a great place to start.
Omg. Made it 3 times over the holidays. Absolutely the best Bundt cake ever. I’m 80 and I’ve made 1 or 6 of them. We added blueberries to the third one. We used the extra sugared cranberries and blueberries for all kinds of things afterwards. Some of us, who shall remain nameless, right GUYS AND KIDS, were caught eating them straight from the freezer. So pretty and sooooooooo good. Thanks a lot. Will be making this a lot.
I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience baking this delicious bundt cake! I totally agree, they are such an easy and fun treat to make. Thanks again! 🙂