Cranberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake

A moist and delicious bundt cake made especially for Christmas. This Cranberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake is a spin on the classic Kentucky Butter Cake. Prepared with fresh cranberries, orange zest, and orange extract, this cake is kept soft and moist because it’s made with buttermilk – each slice is perfection!

CranberryButtermilk Bundt Cake reminds me of the boxed cake mixes you buy at the store. Even though this cake is made using real ingredients, the texture reminds me of a baked Duncan Hines boxed cake. It’s super light and fluffy despite the addition of the buttermilk. This cake is sure to impress everyone who is lucky enough to get a slice!

You know I love to bake and cook, Dear Reader. This is why, unlike most homes, we always have buttermilk in our fridge. It’s a great ingredient for my Buttermilk Dill Ranch Pasta Salad, and my Jalapeno Buttermilk Ranch Coleslaw. If you’re more in the mood for something sweet instead of savoury, buttermilk is there for you. In addition to this bundt cake, take a look at my Buttermilk Pound Cake and tell me if you disagree!

I mentioned that our fridge always has buttermilk. But, it’s not my fault! The reason is that I always have lots of leftover buttermilk. Memory tells me that I might have mentioned before that buttermilk comes in one size only here in Canada. It’s a one-litre carton, which is way more than most recipes need. In the United States buttermilk can be purchased in smaller portions. There’s really no rhyme or reason why the same logic shouldn’t be applied here as well! I guess it’s not so bad. All of that leftover buttermilk is the perfect reason to make a buttermilk cake!

WELCOME TO A LORD BYRON CHRISTMAS!

I’m going to tell you all about this recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re getting closer to the big day, so it’s time to get to the holiday-themed recipes! Over the past decade, I have built a reputation for sharing series-type recipes. The most popular would be my annual 24 Cookies of Christmas, which was fashioned after an advent calendar. But, I have others that are only 12 days, which were fashioned after the 12 Days of Christmas.

This particular recipe is a part of my second holiday series for this year. So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Cranberry Recipes Series. Just like every other series that I’ve shared over the years, this one will also see a new recipe shared each day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW AND NEVER MISS ANOTHER RECIPE!

Traditionally, every year I share a series of recipes that you might already be familiar with. For example, I’ve previously shared 12 Holiday Trifles, 12 Holiday Bars & Squares, and even these 12 Edible Holiday Wreath recipes! Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! And, just in case you’re curious, you can see previous annual posts for my 24 Cookies of Christmas Series here!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature!
• Sugar  
• Eggs – Whenever you set out to bake, make sure your eggs are at room temperature too – just like your butter!
• Orange Extract – Don’t skip out on the orange extract!
• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Orange Zest
• Salt – This is a common ingredient in baking and cooking. 
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda
• Buttermilk – You will need one cup of buttermilk. Even though you can make your own buttermilk at home, store-bought is best for this recipe.
• Cranberries – Please use fresh cranberries for this recipe. Frozen cranberries have too much moisture and will cause the cake to deflate.
• Confectioner’s Sugar

HOW TO MAKE A CRANBERRY BUTTERMILK BUNDT CAKE

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-cup bundt pan and set aside. In a small mixing bowl, combine the cranberries with the 1 tablespoon of flour and set aside. In a large bowl, add all other ingredients and use a spatula to combine well. Be sure to fold the ingredients into one another and to scrape the sides of the bowl. Add in the flour-coated cranberries and fold into the batter.

Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to rest in the bundt pan for 15 minutes before turning it out onto a wire cooling rack to finish cooling. Once the cake is fully cooled, dust the top with the confectioner’s sugar. You may serve the cake immediately or transfer the cake to a cake stand with a domed lid and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.

WHAT IS BUTTERMILK?

Buttermilk is the liquid that is left behind after churning butter made from cream. The stuff we buy in the store is not pure buttermilk though. What we buy is cultured buttermilk which has had bacteria added to it and allowed to ferment.

You’ll note that buttermilk has a slightly sour taste and smell – much like sour cream! But, don’t worry; it’s not spoiled and you can consume it safely without getting sick.

Did you know that you can make your own buttermilk at home? Yes! If you don’t have any on hand, you can make your own. Just stir one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar into a cup of whole milk. It will not be as thick as store-bought, cultured buttermilk, but it will do the trick – just not in this recipe. Well, it will, but storebought buttermilk is thicker and you need the thickness for this cake batter.

CRANBERRIES AND ORANGES ARE A PERFECT PAIRING

I’m not sure what it is, but the tartness of fresh cranberries always pairs so well with the sweet tanginess of fresh citrus. In the case of this Cranberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake, I choose to use fresh orange zest you can also use lemon zest here too!

There’s a tremendous lack of things like fresh cranberries for many months of the year. Don’t even get me started on holiday confections like Hershey’s chocolate or candy canes! Luckily, here in Canada, we celebrate Thanksgiving in October, so I was able to get my hands on fresh cranberries!

I’m much prefer to use fresh cranberries, but you can use dried cranberries here too. Dried cranberries are sweet though, not tart like fresh cranberries, so keep that in mind. If you absolutely must use frozen cranberries, thaw them first in a single layer and pat them dry with paper towels to absorb the excess moisture. They must be fully thawed! I have not tested this recipe with frozen cranberries and I don’t recommend you use them. Just be aware that the recipe may not work well with thawed previously frozen berries!

O CRANBERRY, CRANBERRY, WHEREFORE ART THOU CRANBERRY?

Have you been reading my blog for any length of time? If you have, you will already be aware of what I’m about to discuss. If you haven’t, it’s important that you understand how frustrating it can be to be a food blogger at times. Food bloggers are always working ahead of schedule. When it comes to Christmas recipes, for example, we are baking cakes and cookies as early as September! In fact, I finished the recipe you’re reading here and the photographs you’re seeing in November 2025!

We do this so that we can test the recipes to make sure that they will work for you at home. The recipe needs to be plated and styled. Photographs need to be taken. We have to write up the post and make sure we please the folks at Google, otherwise, our recipes run the risk of being buried in cyberspace somewhere. There are many other steps that I’m skipping here, but all of it is to say that we need the time to get the recipes out to you a few weeks before you need them.

Now, as a huge fan of Christmas baking – the 400+ Christmas recipes here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen are proof of that – there’s one thing that frustrates me every single year. There’s a tremendous lack of things like fresh cranberries for many months of the year. Don’t even get me started on holiday confections like Hershey’s chocolate or candy canes! I do hope that you try this recipe and that it is easy for you to find fresh cranberries where you live!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!