These baby bundts are adorable and festive

It seems I become nostalgic every year, luckily Sydney has embraced our family tradition. During the time between Thanksgiving and New Years we bake a plethora of cookies, cakes, pie, and pavlovas. Cranberry cake has joined the Noto tradition in 2001; Christmas that year was particularly special and Cranberry Baby Bundt Cakes became a part of the holiday regime.Sydney had been put on a emotional roller coaster due to a wrong diagnoses of my health. Although she was over joyed to learn I would be eventually  fine, the year had taken a part of her innocence. Developing, creating, and baking Cranberry Bundt cakes side by side had a cathartic effect.

The cranberries resemble holiday bells

Holiday Cranberry Cake: 

• 187 grams, 1½ cups plus 3 Tablespoons cake flour, sifted
• ½ teaspoons baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 113 grams, ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 300 grams, 1½ cups sugar
• 122 grams, ½ cup buttermilk
• 116grams, ½–cup mascarpone cheese
• 3 large eggs, about 165 grams
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-teaspoon pomegranate liqueur
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 340 grams/ 12 ounces whole cranberries
• Icing sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F/163°C.

Prepare your mise en place.

Mise en place

Butter and flour a mini bunt pan (6 mini bunts per pan). Sift together, 3 times, cake flour and baking powder. Set aside.

In standing mixer with fitted paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until blended, about 4 minutes.

Cream the butter for a minute prior to adding the sugar

Add orange zest.

Extra zest may be stored in the freezer

Add the buttermilk  and mascarpone. Continue to beat on medium speed for about 1 1/2 minutes.

The buttermilk adds a unique flavor to this cake

In a measuring jug whisk vanilla extract to 3 cracked eggs.

I prefer using Madagascar Vanilla Extract

 Whisk in the Pama.

If you don't want to use liqueur substitute with Pom pomegranate juice

Reduce the speed of the mixer to the lowest setting; add dry ingredients and alternating with the egg mixture, starting with the flour mixture.

Slowly add half the flour

 Allow the flour to combine with batter for about 45 seconds and pour the egg mixture, while the mixer is still on low speed.

Allow the egg mixture to amalgamate

Now slowly add the the second half of the flour ingredients.

Mix only till the flour is combined

Fold the fresh cranberries into the batter, gently.

Prior to adding the cranberries toss them with about 4-teaspoons of flour to prevent from sinking to the bottom of the cake

Using an ice cream scoop equally add the batter to each prepared  floured and sprayed mini bundt pans.

A pastry bag works fine too

 Smoothing the top, gently tap the pan against the counter top. (To remove air bubbles.) Pour melted butter in the center of the raw cakes. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the top of the cakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, and remove from the pan. Once the baby bundts have completely cooled dust with powder sugar.

Voila!1