Orange-Cranberry Glazed Cake
This orange cranberry cake is a gift to the holiday baker. It can be made ahead. It travels well. And it can be brought out any time of day — with coffee or tea in the morning or afternoon, or with Cognac or plum brandy after dinner. Dried cranberries add a jaunty burst of color that is especially nice for the most festive time of year. Don’t worry if all the glaze doesn’t stick; that is the charm of this cake.
- Total:
- Serves: 12 persons
Ingredients
- 1cup/226 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature (or use 1 cup/236 milliliters coconut oil)
- 3cups/360 grams all-purpose flour
- 1teaspoon baking powder
- 1teaspoon baking soda
- ½teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½cups/297 grams granulated sugar
- 4large eggs (3 whole and 1 separated)
- 2medium to large navel oranges
- 1 ¼cups/160 grams dried cranberries
- ¼cup lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 3to 3 1/2 cups/340 to 397 grams confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a Bundt pan or ring mold with a little of the butter and flour.Step 2
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.Step 3
Using a stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar until well blended. Add the 3 whole eggs, the yolk and half the egg white. (Reserve the rest of the white for the glaze.)Step 4
Zest the oranges, then juice them, adding both the zest and 3/4 cup/177 milliliters juice to the batter and mix to incorporate. (Reserve remaining juice for the glaze.)Step 5
Add flour mixture to the mixer and beat until well combined. Stir in 1 cup/128 grams dried cranberries. Pour batter into the cake pan, shaking the pan so the batter firmly settles and there are no air bubbles. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.Step 6
While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze: Mix the remaining half an egg white with lemon juice and 1/4 cup/59 milliliters orange juice. Gradually beat in 3 cups/340 grams confectioners’ sugar, mixing until all the lumps have disappeared and the glaze is thick and smooth, adding more sugar if needed.Step 7
Let cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Insert a knife between the cake and the pan to loosen it, put a rack on top of the pan, and flip the cake onto the rack. Set the rack on top of a plate, then spoon on the glaze when the cake is still warm, scooping up any glaze that drips onto the plate and using it to reglaze the cake. Transfer to a serving plate and decorate with remaining cranberries before the glaze sets.