Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake

CAKE:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter or spray a 12-cup Bundt pan, flour well, and tap out excess.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add sugars, orange zest,and eggs. Mix with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment on medium speed until the eggs are pale and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes. Make sure to scrape the bowl a few times so that everything is well incorporated.
3. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, melted butters, orange juice, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using) and whisk until well combined.
4. In a separate small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to remove any clumps.
5. If using cranberries, toss them in the flour and set aside.
6. Mixing on low speed, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/3 of the liquid mixture at a time, being careful not to overmix. Switch to a rubber spatula when mixing in the last of the dry ingredients and when they are about halfway incorporated, add in the floured cranberries (if using). Fold them in carefully, ensuring they are mixed throughout the batter. It’s okay if a few streaks of flour remain.
7. Pour or scoop batter into the prepared Bundt pan, making sure the batter is distributed evenly.
8. Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a long wooden skewer inserted into the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached and the cake is golden brown and beginning to pull away at the edges of the pan.
9. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely.

CRANBERRY ORANGE GLAZE:

1. Make the glaze right before you’d like to glaze the cake. If you make it before that, it may become too thick to work with.
2. Combine cranberries and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5–6 minutes, until the berries begin to pop. You can also use the microwave to soften the berries. Strain the berries through a metal sieve, using a rubber spatula to press the excess juice out of the berries. Discard berries and measure out 3 tablespoons of the cranberry water.
3. In a separate bowl, combine powdered sugar and orange zest. Add heavy cream and cranberry water and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
4. If mixture is too thick, add more cranberry juice or cream. If mixture is too thin, add more powdered sugar until your desired consistency is achieved. The mixture should be thick but still pourable, so it drips down the sides of the cake but leaves nice drip lines.
5. Wait until the cake is cooled completely before glazing. This is important, or else the glaze will slide right off. Simply pour the glaze over the top and let it drip down the sides. Top with sugared cranberries. 

SUGARED CRANBERRIES:

1. Create a simple syrup by bringing sugar and water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir to dissolve sugar, then remove from heat to cool.
2. Toss the cranberries in the simple syrup to coat, then quickly remove them from the syrup using a slotted spoon. Place cranberries on a wire cooling rack on top of a baking tray to dry for 45–60 minutes, or until cranberries are tacky. Save excess syrup for cocktails or drinks if desired.
3. Toss cranberries in granulated sugar, rolling them around until they're covered and sparkly. Now they're ready for use.