A Cake for Autumn
“But in California it does ordinarily rain at all between the end of May and the first of November.”
East of Eden, John Steinbeck
Inspiration
It’s raining today and I couldn’t be happier. By the time I publish this post it will probably be sunny again. But such a nice big rain the first week in November is a very good thing. California is parched and ready for good news.
I first made this Bundt cake in the fall of 2011 and have made it at least once every autumn since then. I don’t remember how I discovered Amiee’s blog but once I made her recipe for the Spiced Cranberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake I was hooked. I adore everything about this recipe. After the ingredients are gathered and the mise en place is ready, the cake comes together in a flash. With cranberries there is no chopping, peeling or coring, yes! A tender crumbed cake gives way to the surprise of tangy cranberries. The Bundt is spiced to evoke autumn in every bite, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and cloves. It’s not too sweet, the cranberries make sure of that. Even the burst cranberries do not seem to stick to the pan like fruit often will in a Bundt. A perfect cake for autumn, especially since a Bundt cake recipe makes enough to share.
Essentials
I switched up a few things in the recipe which are not at all necessary, this is a fabulous Bundt cake. I added ginger to the cake batter which pairs so nicely with cranberries, ground, ½ teaspoon and 3 tablespoons candied ginger. I prefer orange juice and zest instead of the tang of lemon with cranberries. Rather than a shiny glaze I kept the powdered sugar thicker and made more of a drizzle with a sprinkle of more candied ginger and tiny little slices of cranberries that peek out of the icing. The recipe doesn’t seem to mind my tinkering, it’s not at all fussy and so very festive.
A few baking details: 4 cups of fresh cranberries equals a 1 pound bag at the store. Butter and flour the Bundt pan with vigor, making sure no part of the pan is missed. Then put the prepped pan in the freezer while mixing up the cake batter. Following these steps go a long way toward having the baked Bundt slide out of the pan without mishap, even when it is loaded with fruit. Now I’m off to make my annual batch of cranberry sauce.
Wonderful! The delinquent blogger that I am, I just wandered into my page, had a look at my stats, and saw I had some referrals from your blog. This is still one of my favourite recipes and I’m delighted to see you tried it out and loved it, too! I’ll have to try it with orange zest and candied ginger… sounds divine. Happy (belated) new year, Deb! Aimee.
Thank you for sharing the wonderful recipe Aimee!
I can’t imagine a more perfect fall cake! Simply marvelous, Deb.
Thank you for the generous comment Viviane, much appreciated!
Such a beautiful bundt cake, the cranberries are so striking – they remind me of jewels!
Thank you Laura! Fall baking is wonderful.
Hi Deb, I just found your post buried deep into my emails . This cake looks so delicious and so pretty , I would love to have a piece right now. It was snowing in the Sierra’s .
I’m so thrilled about the snow and rain! Thank you for the lovely comment Gerlinde!
So glad to read that you’re getting some rain!!! Hope you continue to get more, but not too much. They say it’s going to be a good El Nino year for California. What a gorgeous bundt cake. Love the color, the fruit, the glaze, the seasoning – everything! Even after a full dinner, no one could refuse a piece of this!
Thank you for the gracious comment MJ! It raining again late yesterday and more is on the way today!
More rain? How wonderful! This cake seems a celebratory one and looks very delicious and very pretty too. I love cranberries, but they are rarely sold fresh here, only dried.
Yes, more rain Cathy! Fresh cranberries must be a seasonal American thing. Although I haven’t tried dried fruit in this recipe I am sure it would work. With a bit more buttermilk to make up for the moisture of the burst cranberries?
So beautiful, Deb. I love the sound of this cake, and your pictures of the ingredients (& cake) are so pretty. I especially love the spoons with spices. Here’s hoping for more rain soon. 🙂
Thank you Valentina! Rain is on the way again, thank goodness!
Have you ever tried it with nuts? I bet a handful of chopped pistachios would be good in this. Pretty, too.
Hi Jill, I have never added nuts to this recipe. But I believe they would fine. As long as the total volume of the cake batter remains 1/2″ below the top edge of the Bundt pan the recipe should accommodate the addition of nuts. Pistachios would be very festive!
I love how tart cranberries keep sweetness in check – and I am a huge fan of orange and cranberries. This looks luscious.
Orange and cranberry are wonderful together! Thank you Lynda!
I love the perfectly uniformed slices atop the cake – such a festive Bundt! We had a spell of summer during the week, but we are back to damp and chilly. 🙁
We’re easing into fall too, but the nights are much colder already. Thank you for the Bundt love Jacquee!
Gorgeous cake, Deb! Buttermilk makes the cake moist and the cranberries give a nice tang to it. This is definitely the season to bake and enjoy comforting baked goodies.
Thank you Denise! I love to bake, just about any reason is good enough for me!
Gorgeous! I’m making this as soon as possible. A perfect cake to post on an autumn weekend, Deb!
Thank you Carol! This Bundt will not disappoint, it’s a fall favorite!