Fresh Cranberry and Orange Bundt Cake

Some of the first friends we ever made when we came to Yakima 16 plus years ago are moving out of the Valley in a few short weeks. While we are so incredibly happy for them and their next adventure, we will miss them deeply. The holidays just around the corner seems to magnify that bittersweet feeling.

These are the friends we convinced to drive up into White Pass looking for a Christmas tree our first winter in the Valley. A couple of newly married, not-from-around-here (except one), early 20-somethings with nothing but time, a 4-wheel truck and a bad sense of direction. I’m not sure if that’s the beginning of a bad joke or the start to a horror film. There was definitely mud and snow and at least one vehicle stuck for a brief amount of time and probably some arguing but all I remember is the fun.

We did eventually find some Christmas trees, both very much Charlie Brown inspired sparse mountain trees, but trees nonetheless. The decorated them with way too many string lights and all the hand-me-down decorations our mothers passed on to us.

These are the same friends we convinced to go camping with us later that year and before we could even pull the cooler out of the back of the truck, our puppy had impaled himself on a stick and needed minor surgery. A homemade bandage somehow appeared and was administered and the four of us set about nursing that darn dog back to health all weekend long. That same trip we also got eaten alive by mosquitos but did find a huckleberry bush oasis where we picked every last morsel we could find. I made huckleberry oatmeal scones when we got back to town and it became our special tradition to have huckleberry scones every summer.

For years we got together almost every week for dinner, cooking and laughing around the table, eventually bouncing babies and passing pacifiers and burp cloths across the table. The four of us love a good dessert and most of our meals centered around the treat after dinner.

When I think of these dear friends and the inevitable day just around the corner when the moving truck will pull away from the driveway, I want their send off to feel like a giant symbolic hug. So I will make them a treat, specifically this sweet and tender fresh cranberry orange bundt cake, slicing thick pieces and wrapping them in wax paper before tucking it away in a safe corner so that when they arrive at their new home, a special comforting treat is waiting for them.

I love a bundt cake for the holidays because it’s so pretty and festive while at the same time, simple and easy to put together. This tender cake has a wonderful crumb and the sweetness of the orange and vanilla balance beautifully with the tart cranberries. Perfect for dessert with a dollop of whipped cream after a decadent dinner or even better the next morning as an extra special breakfast with coffee; this is a recipe not to be skipped this year.

Fresh Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake

• 4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• Zest of 2 Cara Cara oranges

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup softened butter

• 2 eggs

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

• 1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice

• 2 cups fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together orange zest and sugar, mixing for 10 to 15 seconds to release the oils from the zest. Add the butter to the bowl and beat for two to three minutes until the butter is light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla, mixing after each addition.

Add half the flour mixture and stir to just barely combine. Add half the orange juice and mix, just barely. Add the remaining flour and mix, then finally, the remaining orange juice, stirring until batter is just barely combined. Gently fold in cranberries.

Grease a bundt cake pan with cooking spray and a dash of all-purpose flour. Pour batter into pan and spread evenly. Bake in the oven for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 20 minutes in the pan. Run a knife around the edges of the pan and cake before inverting onto a plate or cake stand.

In a small bowl, mix half a cup of powdered sugar with two tablespoons orange juice to form a glaze. Drizzle over cake and garnish with a dusting of powdered sugar right before serving.