This festive chocolate and cranberry bundt cake is studded with cranberries and topped with a chocolate glaze and makes for the perfect festive table dessert.
'If it's Christmas, it must be Cranberries' - so goes the title of a chapter in Nigella Lawson's 'Feast'. I agree, it ain't festive enough, if there ain't cranberries in it! This isn't a fruit I grew up on, and although fresh cranberries are now available in gourmet supermarkets in India, they were a rarity several years ago.
They are not commonly available in supermarkets in Switzerland either, so I was pleasantly surprised to see boxes of cranberries in the local store around Thanksgiving this time.
I have been trying to use them in as many possible ways I can think of - cranberry compote, cranberry syrup, a garnish for drinks. How would you use fresh cranberries? Let me know your ideas in the comments!
Now about this cake - making a chocolate and cranberry bundt cake has been on my list for the longest time. And when I got hold of this beauty from Nordic Ware, I couldn't make any more excuses.
This bundt cake recipe calls for sour cream and I've added dried cranberries to the batter. The cake itself is moist and intense. It is a fool-proof and no fuss recipe, and the silky chocolate glaze and a smattering of sweetened cranberries, gives it a glamorous makeover.
This cake would make a delicious addition to any holiday feast, and I particularly like how the Bundt kinda looks like a wreath!
If you like this Holiday-special Chocolate and Cranberry Bundt recipe, you may like these holiday treats as well:
WALNUT-PEAR LAYER CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE
DORIE’S LINZER SABLES
CLASSIC GINGERBREAD COOKIES
RED VELVET CHEESECAKE CAKE
WASSAIL-INSPIRED MULLED APPLE JUICE
Chocolate and Cranberry Bundt Cake
Equipment
- Nordicware Bundt Cake Pan
Ingredients
- 230 grams butter at room temperature
- 270 grams or 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 120 grams or ½ cup sour cream
- 280 grams or 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 75 grams or 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup dried cranberries and a little more for the topping
- ¼ cup fresh cranberries optional
- For the chocolate glaze:
- 100 grams dark chocolate
- 100 ml cream
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar
Instructions
- Prepare a 10-cup bundt cake pan by coating the inside with butter and dusting it with flour. Shake off any excess flour.
- Toss the cranberries in 1 teaspoon flour, and keep it aside.
- Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F)
- In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand-held mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until it is pale and fluffy.
- Add the sugar and beat for a minute more.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition
- Mix the sour cream with the milk in a bowl.
- Add the flour-mixture and the milk-sour cream mixture in 3 increments, alternating between wet and dry ingredients.
- Mix on low speed until just combined.
- Add the flour-coated cranberries into the batter and give it a mix, until just combined.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 45-50 minutes untill the cake is done.
- While the cake is baking, prepare the chocolate glaze.
- Melt the chocolate together with the cream and butter in a bowl over simmering water (also known as the double boiler method) stirring occasionally.
- As soon as the chocolate starts to melt, remove it from the heat and add in the sugar and stir.
- Pour the glaze over the cake, while it is still a little warm.
- Top with dried and fresh cranberries.
- I cooked some of the fresh cranberries in sugar syrup for 5 minutes, and add these sweetened cranberries on the top on the cake.
Nutrition
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Such a beautiful looking bundt cake! I am not a fan of sour fruits, so even the box of cranberries was pushing me to pick it up, I didn't do it... I guess I would love it in this bundt cake for sure... the sour cream will make it even more moist and delicious!
Thank you so much! Yes, cranberries are not my favorite on their own, but when cooked with a little sugar syrup, I can have them happily any time!
The cake looks simply elegant and festive! I am sure everybody at Fiesta Friday would love to have a slice or two!???? Thanks for joining this week’s party! I hope you could visit other guests as well.????
Thank you so much Jhuls! I'm a bit behind on catching up with the others, but I just visited a few and I am drooling already!