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Disclosure: Nordic Ware sent me the free product (Nordic Ware Non-Stick Cast Aluminum Fleur De Lis Bundt Pan) to try out - I love my new bundt pan and will be describing my experience with this pan in this post. I was not compensated for this post other than receiving the bundt pan for free! All opinions are my own.
RECIPE: Delicious Buttermilk Bundt Cake with Cranberries, Apples, and Pecans! Buttermilk gives this holiday cake a softer texture and keeps the cake light and moist while adding a nice, subtle tang. The cake will melt in your mouth! Vanilla, cranberries, apples, and pecans give the bundt cake lots of holiday flavor and crunch!
This Cranberry Apple Pecan Bundt Cake is a perfect coffee cake for the Fall, Winter, and Holiday season! So good with coffee or a cup of tea! It's very easy to make and looks pretty and sophisticated with minimal effort.
That's the beauty of using a beautiful bundt pan - it makes all cakes pretty! I've used the bundt pan that measures 9 inches in diameter and holds 10 to 12 cups - use any bundt pan of this size and volume!
The particular bundt pan I used was Nordic Ware Non-Stick Cast Aluminum Fleur De Lis Bundt Pan (which was sent to me for free by Nordic Ware - see the disclosure above). I was very pleased with this pan and will describe my experience with it and the tips on how to successfully release the bundt cake from the pan later in this post. Take a look how pretty this bundt pan is:
Apples and bundt cakes go really well together. I've made apple bundt cakes before and they were all successful, such as this Apple Cinnamon Buttermilk Bundt Cake or Apple Pumpkin Bundt Cake. All these cakes are great recipes to use for your holiday menu, for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's Eve.
How to make apple cranberry pecan bundt cake
First, make the cake batter. Then, add the dried cranberries (previously soaked in hot water and drained), chopped apple, and chopped pecans to the cake batter:
Fold all the fruit and pecans into the cake batter using the spatula. Your cake batter is ready to be poured into the bundt pan!
And, here are my tips on how to best use this (or any) bundt pan to ensure the successful release of the cake. It starts before you even bake the cake. Even though this bundt pan says it's non-stick, ALWAYS USE THE BAKING SPRAY WITH FLOUR (it's a special baking spray that already has flour in the spray itself). The proper way to do it is to hold the spray vertically and spray your clean and dried bundt pan along the top edges of the pan, going all the way to the bottom. Keep in mind that a bundt pan with such fine detail as this Nordic Ware Fleur De Lis Bundt Pan, does have a lot of detail, so make sure to spray all of the pan insides, not missing anything! Then, pour the cake batter gently into the prepared bundt pan:
Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven, and put the bundt pan on top of the baking sheet. This ensures that if you have a bundt pan with edges like mine, the pan doesn't slant. Bake at 350 F for about 1 hour, until the toothpick comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven, let it cool for 40 minutes on a wire rack in the pan:
How to remove a bundt cake from the pan
Here is how to make sure the cake releases from the bundt pan without any cake disaster:
- First of all, let me repeat, you should always use the Baking Spray with Flour and generously spray it all over inside your bundt pan before pouring the cake batter.
- After your bundt cake is done baking, and the bundt pan with the cake cooled off for 40 minutes on the counter, place the bundt pan in the freezer for 20 minutes - it will still be quite hot to the touch (even after 40 minutes of cooling), so use kitchen gloves to handle the pan.
- Remove the pan from the freezer after 20 minutes, invert the bundt pan onto a serving plate, and let it sit inverted for a bit to let the gravity do the work (it could take as little as half a minute or as long as 20 or even 30 minutes, depending on your bundt pan). Here is my bundt pan sitting inverted with the cake inside:
- With this pan, it took at least 20 minutes for the bundt pan to sit inverted like that and then release the cake (also, remember that before even inverting the pan, I cooled off the pan with the cake in it for 40 minutes on the rack, and then put the pan with the cake for 15 minutes in the freezer). I actually heard the sound of the cake being released.
- Be patient - gently lift the bundt pan to check and if your cake is not released, let it sit longer until it releases.
- My cake was released from this bundt pan beautifully, there was only one small piece of cake that got stuck in the bundt pan - I gently removed it and stuck it back on the cake where it belongs! 🙂 You can't even see this minor imperfection on the photos:
I love-love this bundt pan, the cake looks like it came from a high-end bakery, with minimal effort on my side. With proper handling and patience, the cake will release beautifully!
If you ever had trouble with removing your bundt cake from the pan, read and re-read this post - it has all the tips you need to make sure you have success with your bundt pan this holiday season!
Apple Cranberry Pecan Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature softened
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar or cane sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 Fuji apple cored, peeled, and cubed
- 1 cup pecans chopped
- powdered sugar for decorating
Instructions
- Special equipment: Use the bundt pan that measures 9 inches in diameter and holds 10 to 12 cups.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Soak 1 cup of dried cranberries in 1 cup of boiling-hot water, covered.
How to make cake batter:
- In a medium bowl, combine 2 and ½ cups flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, add together the softened butter and sugar and mix, using mixer, on high setting for about 3 minutes until even consistency is reached.
- Add 3 eggs and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture and continue beating until well-incorporated and light in color.
- Now we’ll be adding flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture in 3 gradual steps, instead of dumping all of flour at one time. If you dump all of flour mixture into your butter mixture at one time, it will be more difficult to stir and you won’t get a smooth texture. So, we’ll be adding flour and buttermilk in 3 additions:
- With your mixer on low speed, add ⅓ of flour mixture to butter-sugar mixture, beating just a little until all is well combined. Then follow by ⅓ cup of buttermilk. Add the second ⅓ of flour mixture, beating with mixer just to combine. Follow by the second ⅓ cup of buttermilk, beating just to combine. Finally, add the third ⅓ of flour mixture, followed by the final ⅓ cup of buttermilk. Again, beat just enough to combine.
- Make sure to have your mixer on low speed while adding flour, otherwise flour might fly around your kitchen. Make sure to not overmix or overbeat, use mixer just to combine the ingredients.
- Drain the dried cranberries that you soaked in hot water and wring the water out of them. Dried cranberries now should be plump and juicy - it's OK if they retain some water.
- Using spatula, fold in these dried cranberries (after you soaked them and drained them), chopped apple, and chopped pecans into the cake batter.
How to fill bundt pan with cake batter:
- Spray your bundt cake pan with a Baking Spray with Flour (it's a special spray that already has flour in it). The proper way to do it is to hold the spray vertically, and spray your clean and dried bundt pan along the top edges of the pan, going all the way to the bottom. Spray every single little detail, especially if your bundt pan has lots of fine detail.
- Pour batter gently into prepared bundt pan. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven, and put the bundt pan on top. This ensures that if you have a bundt pan with edges like mine, the pan doesn't slant.
How to bake bundt cake:
- Bake at 350 F for about 1 hour, until toothpick comes out clear. Remove the pan from the oven, let it cool for 40 minutes on wire rack.
Tips on releasing the cake from the bundt pan:
- First of all, you should always use the Baking Spray with Flour and generously spray it all over inside your bundt pan before pouring the batter.
- After your bundt cake is done baking, and the bundt pan cooled off for 40 minutes on the counter, place the bundt pan in the freezer for 20 minutes - it will still be quite hot to the touch (even after 40 minutes of cooling), so use kitchen gloves to handle the pan.
- Remove the pan from the freezer after 20 minutes, invert the bundt pan onto a serving plate, and let it sit inverted for a bit to let the gravity do the work (it could take as little as half a minute or as long as 20 or even 30 minutes, depending on your bundt pan). Then, gently lift bundt pan and your cake should be released. Sometimes, you will actually hear your cake release. Be patient.
- Sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
Looking for a complete THANKSGIVING MENU?
- Be sure to check out my 50 Best Thanksgiving Recipes (The Complete Holiday Menu) - it includes everything: Fall-inspired holiday appetizers, side dishes, salads, main courses, pasta recipes, desserts, and even breakfast. This holiday menu features proven, tried, and true Thanksgiving dishes that have been reader favorites for years (I've been publishing recipes since 2012). Most of these recipes can also be re-purposed for Christmas and New Year's Eve.
Looking for THANKSGIVING SIDE DISHES?
- I have created a comprehensive recipe collection of 60 Thanksgiving side dishes conveniently categorized by ingredient: Green Beans, Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, Potatoes, Acorn Squash, Spaghetti Squash, Asparagus, Broccoli, etc. It's a great resource to browse through for a last moment holiday inspiration! This side dishes will also work great for Christmas and New Year's Eve.
Looking for THANKSGIVING salads?
- I have created a comprehensive recipe collection of 30 Thanksgiving salads - this collection exclusively features Thanksgiving salads that highlight Autumnal ingredients, such as apples, roasted butternut squash, sweet potatoes, beets, Brussels sprouts, green beans, pecans, cranberries, pears, pomegranates, mandarin oranges, pumpkin seeds, and the list goes on and on! These Fall salads will add freshness, colors, and vibrancy to otherwise heavy and creamy comfort food (stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes) that we often cook for the holidays. These salads would also be perfect for Christmas and New Year's Eve.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Disclosure: Nordic Ware sent me the free product (Nordic Ware Non-Stick Cast Aluminum Fleur De Lis Bundt Pan) to try out - I love my new bundt pan and will be describing my experience with this pan in this post. I was not compensated for this post other than receiving the bundt pan for free! All opinions are my own.
I made this for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it!! So yummy and moist.
Will definitely add this to my holiday baking list.
Very easy to make. Thank you for the great recipe. A 5 star treat..
Liz, your comment made my day! Thank you for stopping by and sharing such positive feedback - I really appreciate it!
I made this for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it!! So yummy and moist. Will definitely add this to my holiday baking list.
Very easy to make.
So happy to hear that! Glad you liked the recipe! 🙂
Hi Julia I made this recipe on the weekend, it was fabulous! The recipe was so easy to follow and I just love your useful tips and tricks throughout the recipe. The cake was so moist and light, a real keeper. I followed the recipe exactly, no changes required, delicious as it is! I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Kim, so glad you found this recipe useful. Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to share such positive feedback. 🙂
Looks delicious! Can you use fresh cranberries instead of dry? Maybe with less liquid?
Even though this recipe is best with dried cranberries, you can use fresh cranberries with a few adjustments. The recipe calls for 1 cup of dried cranberries, I would use 1 1/4 cups of fresh cranberries (since there are a lot more dried cranberries in a cup than there are in a cup of fresh, so you have to compensate for that). Also, I would add extra sugar, such as using 2 cups of sugar vs 1 3/4 cups. Also, chop up fresh cranberries before adding them to the cake batter.
Can I use fresh cranberries?
Hi Sue, even though this recipe is best with dried cranberries, you can use fresh cranberries with a few adjustments. The recipe calls for 1 cup of dried cranberries, I would use 1 1/4 cups of fresh cranberries (since there are a lot more dried cranberries in a cup than there are in a cup of fresh, so you have to compensate for that). Also, I would add extra sugar, such as using 2 cups of sugar vs 1 3/4 cups. Also, chop up fresh cranberries before adding them to the cake batter.
I really liked your recipe however because I made it in a silicone bundt mold part of the cake (the inside) was not really well baked but the part that was baked was saved and enjoyed. Will have to get a better bundt mold because definitely need to try this one again. Any recommendations on bake times in other types of bakeware?
Hi Joanna! Yes, silicone bundt pans can be really tricky in baking the cake! I think if you used the regular metal bundt pan, the cake would have come out much better. I found this really interesting article about silicone bundt pans, here is the link: https://www.foodandwine.com/cooking-techniques/baking/best-bundt-pan
Thank you, actually found that blog as well 🙂
Will definitely try this recipe with a different bundt pan. Thank you!
You are very welcome! 🙂
Made the cranberry, apple and pecan cake, I'm sorry to say it didn't have much flavor. I wish I had added spices like my heart told me to maybe that would have helped.
Thanks,
Sharon
Thank you, Sharon, for trying my recipe! Yes, the recipe doesn't have extra spices because it's all about just cranberries, apples, and pumpkin. I am sure it would be even better with spices!
Hi Julia,
I noticed you said in one of your replies that it’s all about the cranberries, apple, and pumpkin. Is there supposed to be pumpkin in this recipe? I just bought all the stuff to make it, but I didn’t get pumpkin because it wasn’t in the ingredients list. I just want to make sure before I make it!
Thank you
Shirley, no, there is no pumpkin in this recipe. I must've confused this recipe with another bundt cake recipe that I have that does have pumpkin and pecans! So, you are all good with your ingredients!
Can you use this recipe and place it on a loaf pan instead of a bundt pan?
Yes, absolutely! This would work well in a loaf pan. Baking times would have to be adjusted.
How did you get your pan from Nordic?
Hi Joyce! If you mean where to get pans from Nordic Ware - you can buy them at Williams Sonoma.
Ty, Julia, for that delicious looking recipe! I definitely will try baking it! Instead of using the oil with flour spray, can I use the oil spray without the flour? Have you tried it with this recipe?
Hi Debra! When using a bundt pan I always use the oil with flour spray just to be on the safe side. Especially, if the bundt pan has a lot of detail. However, I think if it is a new, non-scratched non-stick bundt pan, you could try using a non-stick vegetable spray alone. I would just make sure the cake is completely cooled off before even attempting to release the cake out of the pan.
I made this with liquid yogurt as a substitute for buttermilk. Kefir also works wonders as a substitute.
Great recipe, we enjoyed in every morsel. I enlisted it among my regulars 🙂
Thank you very much for this recipe!
Tanja, you are very welcome! So glad you enjoyed this recipe - thank you for such a positive comment! I love using yogurt and kefir in baking!
I use buttermilk a lot in baking. It makes for a moist and very tasteful bread, cake, rolls, and bread. I also make a buttermilk pie which is better than custard. I'm going to use fresh cranberries with this. I'm looking forward to making this.
Hi Vickie, I hope you like it! I love using buttermilk, Greek yogurt, or kefir in baking, as well.
I don’t have sugar I’m trying to cut down could you use brown sugar I don’t even have white sugar substitute darlene
Yes, just go ahead and use brown sugar in the same quantities.
Could use the small individual bundt pans? If so, any idea for baking time?
Yes, you can definitely use small individual bundt pans. Fill the mini pans 2/3 way full and bake for 20 minutes. After baking for 20 minutes, check them with a toothpick to see if it comes out with a few crumbs but not batter. I think 20 minutes should be enough, if not bake for a bit longer, checking frequently with a toothpick after the initial 20 minutes.
I've never seen a baking recipe using buttermilk that did not ALSO call for baking soda, rather than baking powder. Sometimes they even call for both. Could this be a typo? The cake sounds AWESOME & I definitely plan on making it, but I was just wondering about it not containing baking soda.