One-Bowl Cranberry Sauce Cake

We're slowly creeping up to the holidays and that means trying to find something to take to family gatherings, potlucks, and parties. I ran across this One-Bowl Cranberry Sauce Cake in an old church cookbook and it sounded intriguing.

I realize probably everybody in the U.S. has heard of this recipe, but not me!

One-Bowl Cranberry Sauce Cake is, well, mixed up in one bowl, poured into the tube pan and baked. Easy enough.

There aren't any eggs or butter and it's moistened by the whole-berry cranberry sauce and mayonnaise.  Yes, mayonnaise.

Yesterday when I made the cake, I tasted it and thought, 'hmm this is pretty good.' It was overcast and rather dark most of the day so taking photos wasn't a possibility since I use natural light.

Today is beautiful, sunny and clear, so I pulled out the cake and took the photos. Oh, and I always have to eat the slice that's being photographed.

Waiting overnight is definitely the thing to do with this cake. All of the flavors came together and the texture is wonderful - soft, loose, but tender and rather moist.

The walnuts are a must and every once in awhile you get a little tang from one of the cranberries and a touch of the orange zest. Oh, and don't forget that thick layer of luscious, buttery orange glaze. Really terrific.

The cranberry, walnut, and orange flavors of this cake shout HOLIDAY! Put this one on your list for Thanksgiving, potlucks, and your Christmas table. Definitely.

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One-Bowl Cranberry Sauce Cake

Yield: 10-12

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Inactive Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Outstanding cranberry/orange Bundt cake with a luscious buttery glaze.

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Ingredients

• 3 C all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ C granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 C mayonnaise
• 1 can (15 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce
• ⅓ C orange juice
• Orange zest from 1 medium orange (about 2 tsp.)
• 1 C chopped walnuts
• For the Glaze:
• 1 ½ C powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoon butter, melted
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla
• pinch of salt
• ¼ teaspoon orange zest (a couple of swipes over a medium orange)
• 1 -2 tablespoon milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease or spray the bottom, sides, and middle of a 10" tube pan. Place parchment paper in the bottom of the pan and also spray the paper.
2. In a stand mixer bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Give the dry ingredients a few turns on low just to combine. Add the mayonnaise, cranberry sauce, orange juice, and orange zest, and mix on medium until ingredients are just combined, about 30 - 45 seconds. Stir in the walnuts until thoroughly distributed evenly in the batter.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, giving it two good thumps on the counter to smooth it out. Bake the cake for 55-60 minutes, turning the cake in the oven at 25 minutes. Remove from the oven when a toothpick comes out almost clean (maybe a few crumbs on the toothpick - don't over bake).
4. Let the cake cool in the pan sitting on a rack for 20-25 minutes, then run a knife around the outside and inside edges of the cake to loosen. Turn out carefully onto a rack (I like the top to still be the top - some people prefer the smooth bottom turned up).
5. Let cool completely, about 30 more minutes, then mix together the glaze ingredients. Thin out with extra milk to get desired consistency. Place wax paper under the rack and pour the glaze evenly onto the cake. Allow glaze to dry before slicing. Store at room temperature tented with aluminum foil or in a covered cake stand.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

Use full-fat mayonnaise.  It won't work with reduced fat or lite.

Don't over mix this cake - you want it to be nice and tender.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 523Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 446mgCarbohydrates: 77gFiber: 2gSugar: 49gProtein: 5g

Nutrition Values are Approximate