Every year in October when the cranberries start showing up in the stores, I grab a couple of bags to bake with.  It feels like such a treat, since they are mostly only available in the fall and winter.  They are such a beautiful, versatile berry, and they just scream Christmas to me.

This is the simplest, easiest, and most delicious cake.  It is packed with orange flavor, moist, and dotted with tart bursts of cranberries.  It is smothered in white chocolate and topped with my sugared cranberries.  It is absolutely amazing.

It is one of those cakes that people will ask you for the recipe thinking they’ll never actually make it because it looks like it must be complicated.  Here’s the secret: It’s not.  It’s an incredibly simple batter, made from easily accessible, humble ingredients, and it’s in the oven in 10 minutes, ready to eat in two hours.

Bring this to your next Christmas gathering and wow your family and loved ones.  Or just make it to eat around the house with a cup of tea.  I promise you will enjoy.

A Rumbly in my Tumbly original.

Ingredients:
2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
the zest of one orange
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1 egg
3/4 cup orange juice

Topping:
2 cups white chocolate chips, melted
sugared cranberries (directions here)

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°.  Spray a standard sized bundt pan with cooking spray.

Sift together your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Stir in the orange zest and the fresh cranberries.  Set aside.

In a different bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, marmalade, and egg.  Add the orange juice slowly and beat until well combined, scraping the bottom of the bowl.  Add the wet mixture to your flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Pour into your prepared bundt pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.  Start checking after 30 minutes.  When a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few crumbs, it’s ready.  Remove from oven and cool on the counter.

When the cake is ready to be iced, melt your chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between until melted.  Spread over the top of your cake, and immediately garnish with the sugared cranberries.  I like to fill the center of the cake with the cranberries as well.

Let chocolate set and then enjoy!