Swirled Orange Cheesecake Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake

This post is being sponsored by Nordic Ware featuring their absolutely beautiful Fleur De Lis Bundt Pan.  With the holiday season in full swing right now I wanted to create a cake that not only was delicious but also regal in flavor and texture.  This Swirled Orange Cheesecake Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake most certainly fits the bill.

Even before you bite into it you’re hit with the hints of orange zest so fragrant and inviting.  The texture is simply sublime.  It’s creamy but in a cake-texture form.  It practically melts in your mouth until you’re hit with that fresh tart pop of the cranberries and that light hint of ginger on the back end.

Originally when I went to make this cake I was just going to go with an orange cranberry bundt cake with a simple glaze.  I’ve made that cake hundreds of times and it’s always a holiday favorite with my customers and family. Right before I was ready to put the batter into the Fleur De Lis Bundt Pan I got to thinking on how I could make this cake something more. Don’t get me wrong the batter without the orange cheesecake is amazing and is one of my favorites but with it being the holidays we try to make things more decadent, more refined more… fancy schmancy.

Desserts, while they are supposed to taste amazing, should also impress visually.  Thanks to the amazing design of the pan, that part was taken care of already for me. So I wanted to make a taste that matched the regal-ness of the pan. Yes I know “regal-ness” isn’t a real word but it’s my blog, my improper use of grammar and made up words. LOL  It’s funny as my one niece is a BRILLIANT writer and I can picture her face as she reads my blog shaking her head and questioning “Really Aunt Lori, you’re supposed to be a genius and you write like that?! Yeah, you sooooooooooo are not the writer.  Good thing you code and cook!”  LOL

So instead of just sticking with the cake batter I quickly whipped up a cheesecake batter that I wanted to swirl in.  I envisioned a cake, when cut, with swirls of cake and cheesecake.  Well that’s not exactly how this cake turned out and I’m THRILLED that it didn’t because the outcome far exceeded my expectations.  You see the cake batter is thick to the point it’s not exactly pourable but rather you would scoop it out.  What I did was pour the cheesecake batter into the cake mixture and gently mix enough to barely combine it.  It was a loose and almost ‘chunky’ batter.

I wasn’t exactly sure how it would bake up, or even if it would at all, but when I unmolded it from the Fleur De Lis Bundt Pan I was met with such a gorgeous cake whose smell was intoxicating.  You could smell the warm orange from the batter and the ginger and cinnamon from the cake. This cake smelled like Christmas.  As the cake was cooling I wanted to go with a white chocolate glaze but at the last minute I changed my mind, I went with a simple confectioners’ sugar and cream thick glaze.

To “pretty it up” I garnished it with some sugared cranberries and more orange zest.

As I was doing the photo shoot for this cake Mr. Fantabulous at the kitchen table “almost” patiently waiting.  I say almost as he sighed heavily.. MULTIPLE times. And the fact that he already had a fork, plate and hot cup of coffee waiting.  LOL  When I cut this cake I was met with such an awesome slice.  You could see the moistness of the crumb.  Just from looking at it you could tell it was going to be tender.  As we both took our first bite you’re met with such an unexpected texture that seriously is the best cake texture I have ever, EVER had. This cake is creamy in texture but in a cake form – you have to make it to truly understand.  It melts in your mouth like a cheesecake but maintains it in a cake crumb.

And don’t even get me started on the marriage of orange and cranberries.  Seriously this cake will now become a tradition in my house for every Christmas from here on end.  I took a few slices of this to our accountant and he went absolutely nuts over it though Mr. Fantabulous did make sure I packed him some too to snack on.

So this holiday season get your favorite Foodie this Fleur De Lis Bundt Pan and have them bake up this amazing Swirled Orange Cheesecake Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake!

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