Cranberry Christmas Bundt

This cranberry and vanilla Christmas bundt cake is everything I wanted my alternative Christmas cake to be. There’s no marzipan, currants, nuts or cinnamon in sight. You don’t have to feed it or store it for weeks, just forty minutes in the oven and you have a worthy edible centrepiece for your guests.

Cranberries to me just scream Christmas and although they’re normally saved for the turkey’s sauce, I think they come in to their own in this cake. I started testing this recipe with dried cranberries simply because I knew almost everyone would be able to get hold of them. I was seriously surprised by their transformation when I cut in to the cake for the first time. Each one had plumped up to become a juicy red jewel thanks to the extra moist mixture. Impressive!

I’ve had this bundt tin for 18 months now and this is the only cake mix ever to grace it. I’ve tested this recipe a lot which comes with the terrible side effect of lots of cake to eat. It’s been tough, but I’ve made it through with the help of family and the recipe is ready to share.

Now let me tell you why it needed testing so many times… my ‘non-stick’ bundt tin was the worlds biggest liar. My cake was welded to the cake pan and it just wasn’t budging. I’ve now got releasing a bundt cake down to a fine art so it’s time to note the things I’ve learnt on the way. If you’ve found this blog post because your cake is stuck in the tin, I feel your pain. Here are my top tricks for getting your bundt cake out of the tin:

Releasing a bundt cake

The first rule of bundt tins is not to flour them. I tried a naked tin, a buttered tin, a floured tin and a bit of both. Only one of them turned out without a fight. The best way to …. a bundt tin is to generously butter the inside, focussing on any intricate areas of the design and around the ‘cone’ in the centre. Most bundt tins have a seam here and that is where they tend to get stuck.
Make sure you turn the cake out whilst it is still warm. The cake will continue to cook as it cools in the tin and once it has cooled, it will be harder to budge. Give the cake 5 minutes in the tin then turn out on to a cooling rack.
If the cake doesn’t come out easily, a hefty slam on to the worktop or floor should loosen the cake and allow you to turn it out.
Pour boiling water over a clean tea towel and drape it over the open side of the tin. The steam should help to loosen the bond between the tin and the cake.
For the final emergency bundt release, try sliding a flexible spatula down the inside of the tin and loosening the cake. If your tin has any kind of coating inside, you need to be careful not to scratch it.

Once you’ve got your bundt cake out, a dusting of icing sugar is all that’s needed.

Despite my battles with the bundt tin, this recipe is really easy to make and the tin does all the hard work for you. I love how bundt cakes look with minimal effort and this quick Christmas cake sure is handy to have on standby.