Just in Time for Thanksgiving!

Cranberry-Orange Bundt Cake

My grandparents bought an orange grove when my grandfather retired. We grew up with the grove always being in our family and a favorite place for us to visit. Every summer our mom would send us off for at least a few weeks with our grandparents to spend time there, running around the grove, learning new skills, and enjoying “farm” life.

I understandably have a soft spot for anything orange, and fell in love with the taste duo of cranberries and oranges. A dear friend, and former neighbor, loves this combo as well so I worked out this recipe for her. This was my first attempt and I didn’t bother to “make it pretty”.

I am also a terrible photographer so please forgive the poor photos. I’ll add prettier ones at a later date, but I wanted to assure you all that pretty has very little to do with whether or not something gets devoured. This cake didn’t last but maybe 5 minutes when I dropped it off at one of my favorite restaurants for the waitstaff for a beta-tasting.

Groceries Needed

1 cup milk

½  cup melted butter or olive oil

1 cup orange juice

1 tsp orange extract

2 eggs

2 ¼ cups flour plus ¼ cup flour to coat cranberries

1 ½ cups sugar

3 tsps baking powder

½ tsp salt (optional)

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed

For Glaze:

2 cups confectioner’s sugar

1or 2 tsps orange extract

3 tblsps milk

Directions

1.       Preheat oven to 350°F. Use baking spray, or grease and flour a bundt pan.

2.       Rinse and pat dry the cranberries – they do not have to be completely dry – place the cranberries in a bowl and coat with ¼ cup of flour.

3.       In a medium bowl mix together flour, baking powder, and salt; I use a whisk for this.

4.       In a large mixing bowl, mix sugar, orange juice, milk, eggs, and butter together using a mixer or strong wooden spoon.

5.       Add the dry mix and  cranberries and mix by hand – using a stiff spatula or wooden spoon – until just blended.

6.       Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean

7.       While cake cools prepare the glaze by whisking the powdered sugar, orange extract, and milk together. Adjust as needed. If too thick add a bit more milk, if too thin add more confectioner’s sugar.

8.       When cake is cool, turn it out of the pan onto a suitable plate, dish, or cake board.

9.       Drizzle or spread glaze on cake and let rest.

10.    Slice and enjoy!