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A gingerbread bundt cake with butterscotch glaze on top and sugared cranberries
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Gingerbread Bundt Cake

This Gingerbread Bundt Cake is glazed in butterscotch and topped with sparkling cranberries.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bundt cake, christmas cake, gingerbread cake, holiday baking
Servings: 10

Ingredients

For the Gingerbread Bundt Cake

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 ½ tea cinnamon
  • ½ tea all-spice
  • ½ tea freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 tea baking powder
  • ½ tea salt
  • ½ tea baking soda
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • ½ cup granulated white sugar
  • ¼ cup avocado or canola oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tea vanilla extract
  • ½ cup fancy molasses
  • 1 cup water

For the Butterscotch Glaze

  • 6 tablespoon unsalted butter diced
  • ¾ cup brown sugar packed
  • ½ tea salt
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 1 tea vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup confectioners' sugar

For the Sugared Cranberries

  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
  • ¼ cup cane sugar (or granulated)

Instructions

Make the Bundt Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10 to 12 cup-capacity bundt pan and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
  • Using a stand or hand mixer, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the oil and mix to combine.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, allowing the first to incorporate before adding the next. Add the vanilla and molasses and mix until combined.
  • Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until incorporated. Slowly add the water and mix until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until smooth.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or cake tester instead into the center of the cake comes out clean.
  • Set a time for 20 minutes. When the time goes off and the cake pan is just warm enough to handle (use oven mitts if the pan is still too hot), invert the cake out of the pan. To release the cake, place a cooling rack or cutting board on top of the cake, then flip everything upside-down. Allow the cake to cool before adding the glaze.
    Do not let the cake cool in the pan or it will be very tricky to get out.

Make the Cranberries

  • Place ½ cup sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the cranberries and remove from the heat. Allow the cranberries to soak in the syrup for about 10 minutes.
  • Strain out the cranberries (saving the cranberry simple syrup for tea or cocktails). Place the syrup-covered cranberries on a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow to dry out for about an hour. 
  • Sprinkle the cranberries with ¼ cup cane sugar and toss around until evenly coated. Use the cranberries to decorate your holiday desserts or use as a garnish for festive cocktails.

Make the Glaze

  • Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the brown sugar, heavy cream, and salt. While whisking occasionally, cook the mixture until thickened and the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth.
  • Allow the butterscotch to cool just slightly, no more than 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the butterscotch over the cake while it is still warm. The butterscotch will set once it cools.