Simple Orange Cranberry Cake (Doctored Cake Mix)

If you’re looking for the perfect treat to serve your guests during the holiday season, you’ve come to the right place. This delicious bundt cake is packed full of flavor and texture and starts with a simple box of cake mix! 

Why do Orange and Cranberry Go Together So Well? 

Oh, friends! I can think of so many reasons, but let me give you my top four: 

1. Talk about the perfect balance of sweet and tart: Cranberries are naturally tart. This is one reason you don’t see them in a lot of spring or summer desserts. But when you pair them with the sweetness of orange. . .voila! Combined, they create a lovely, well-rounded flavor profile that’s not too tart and not too sweet. As Goldilocks would say, “it’s just right!” 
2. Citrus adds brightness to any baked good: Oranges have a zesty, aromatic flavor. Cranberries? Well, they’re tart! Put them together and you’ve got a bright, vibrant dish! 
3. Seasonal appeal: Cranberries just cry out, “Christmas!” And orange is very popular during the holidays, as well. When you merge them, the results can evoke cozy holiday vibes. Their seasonal overlap makes them staples in all sorts of holiday dishes, like my Orange Cranberry Cookies or my Orange Cranberry Muffins. 
4. Visual appeal: Those gorgeous red of cranberries and that bright, cheerful orange hue? Well, together they’re visually appealing. Talk about the perfect contrast of colors. Your holiday dishes will look festive and appetizing.

There you have it! My top four reasons to merge orange and cranberry. And can I just say. . .this is one of my favorite flavor profiles. . .ever. (And not just during the holidays.) 

So, what are we waiting for? Let’s bake up a delicious orange-cranberry cake! 

Orange Cranberry Cake Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here's a quick peek at what you'll need to make this delicious cake.

• 1 yellow cake mix
• 1 cup orange juice
• 3 room temperature eggs
• ½ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)
• 2 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed
• Powdered sugar (for sprinkling)

How to Make Orange Cranberry Cake

This comes together in minutes, which makes it perfect during the busy holiday season. Here’s how you’re going to make this delicious cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Coat a bundt pan with Baker’s Joy or other baking spray. (It’s important to use a baking spray as opposed to a traditional non-stick spray or the cake will stick.) If you don’t have Baker’s Joy you can use non-stick spray (or shortening) dusted with all purpose flour. 

Rinse the berries.

Place them in a small bowl. Add a couple tablespoons of the dry yellow cake mix.

Stir until coated. 

In a separate large bowl combine cake mix, orange juice, eggs, and oil. 

Mix well. 

Now it’s time to gently fold in the cranberries. 

Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. 

Place in preheated oven and bake for 40 -45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Remove from the oven and place on wire rack to cool. 

After about 10 minutes you can flip the cake out of the pan. 

Allow to continue to cool. 

Once the cake is completely cool you can sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

Plate it up!

Slice and serve! 

Store the leftover in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should stay good for 4-5 days. 

What to Expect from this Cake

It’s moist, it’s bright, and it’s loaded with that tart flavor from the cranberries. In short, it’s perfect. And the fact that it starts with a box of cake mix makes it even more appealing to me. What really made me happy was the moistness from the orange juice. And just like a big glass of OJ you're going to want to serve this cake cold. So, give it plenty of time in the fridge before serving to get the full effect.

I don’t know about you but I’m really busy during the holidays and it’s fun to have a recipe that comes together with ease. This cake has really become a favorite in my house and I can’t wait to share this recipe with my friends and family. I hope they love it as much as I do. 

Variations on this Recipe

Not a fan of cranberries? No problem. You can use other fresh berries. Choose from blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries. (Yum!) 

Chocolate Chips: If you like, you can add a cup of chocolate chips to this recipe. Orange and chocolate are amazing together and cranberries pair well with chocolate, too. 

Other Bundts from Out of the Box

• Black Forest Bundt Cake
• Coconut Pecan Pound Cake
• Easy Carrot Bundt Cake
• Easy Orange Coconut Cake

That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe. 

If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you're at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

See this recipe at  

• Full Plate Thursday 
• Weekend Potluck

About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 165 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.