How to make a delicious lemon cranberry bundt cake topped with sugared cranberries and fresh lemon wedges - the perfect centerpiece for Christmas dinner!
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.