Description
This festive Christmas Bundt Cake combines warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger with a moist, tender crumb enhanced by sour cream and milk. Optional dried cranberries and chopped nuts add texture and bursts of flavor. Finished with a simple vanilla glaze and colorful holiday sprinkles, it makes an inviting centerpiece dessert perfect for holiday celebrations, yielding 12-16 generously sliced servings.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup milk
Add-ins (Optional)
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Glaze and Decoration
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Red and green sprinkles
- Powdered sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a bundt cake pan thoroughly to ensure the cake releases easily after baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the softened unsalted butter with the granulated sugar until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs, one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract for flavor.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Alternately add the dry ingredients and sour cream to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Pour in the milk along with these additions. Mix gently until just combined to avoid overmixing.
- Fold in Add-ins: If using, fold in the dried cranberries and chopped pecans or walnuts carefully to distribute evenly through the batter.
- Pour Batter and Bake: Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the Cake: Let the cake cool in the bundt pan for about 15-20 minutes. Then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
- Prepare Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk (start with 2 tablespoons and add more if needed), and vanilla extract until smooth and slightly thick but pourable.
- Glaze and Decorate: Drizzle the glaze over the cooled bundt cake. Immediately sprinkle with red and green sprinkles to create a festive look. Optionally, dust with additional powdered sugar for extra holiday charm.
- Serve: Slice into 12-16 pieces and serve. Store any leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Ensure butter is softened at room temperature for best creaming results.
- Do not overmix the batter to keep the cake tender and avoid toughness.
- The dried cranberries and nuts are optional but add nice texture and flavor contrast.
- Use a toothpick test to check doneness to prevent under or overbaking.
- The glaze can be adjusted for thickness by varying the milk quantity.
- Store the cake in an airtight container to keep it moist.
