🎶 on the fourth day of christmas, my true love gave to me… 4 mini cranberry bundt cakes

and a mini chai latte cupcake. 🎶

Day 4 of 12 {mini} days of Christmas brings tiny little cranberry bundt cakes drizzled with a sweet tart lemon glaze that are almost too cute to eat. Almost.

🎄welcome to the 12 {mini} days of christmas – day #4! 🎄

If you’re wondering “why mini?” click on over to the first post in this series to find out. Otherwise, let’s talk about these adorable little cranberry cakes with lemon glaze…

Every year, sometime around Thanksgiving, I wonder why I relegate all things cranberry to the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. What, exactly, makes Cranberries holiday food? Because they’re red?

Every December, coffee shops, bakeries, and restaurants proudly offer at least one cranberry something in their bakery case or on their menu. But, try and find a cranberry scone in February, and you’re out of luck.

The same is true for buying fresh cranberries in most grocery stores. Starting a few weeks before Thanksgiving, produce sections across the country stock piles of fresh cranberries. But, try to purchase a bag in March and you’re probably going to come up empty handed.

Again, I ask you…. why?

This year, I’m stocking up. I love cranberry muffins, scones, pancakes, and cake. I see no reason why cranberry sauce and cranberry relish should only be made once a year to accompany turkey. Have you ever tried cranberry sauce with roast chicken?

I hadn’t either. But, the other night, my teenage daughters rummaged around in the refrigerator for cranberry sauce leftover from Thanksgiving so they could eat it with the roast chicken I’d cooked for dinner. And they are SO on to something.

Roast chicken and cranberry sauce is the bomb. I also suspect it would be amazing with lamb or pork roast. Also, I see no reason why a cranberry muffin or scone wouldn’t be lovely in June.

And, I’ll tell you another thing…

These mini cranberry bundt cakes are getting made year round in this house from now on.

I just can’t get over how cute these little cranberry cakes are. Several weeks ago I discovered this Mini-Budnt Pan (adorably called a “charms” pan) and ordered it immediately because, well… look at it.

These mini cranberry cakes were the first thing I made in my new charms pan. I’ve made probably 7 batches since that first one. One of the best things about mini bundt cakes is how perfect they are for dinner parties or holiday get togethers.

I would never consider not serving dessert at a dinner party or big holiday meal.

But… after a big meal, no one is really actually hungry. So, it might be impressive to serve up a gorgeous layer cake (I’m not above it), but no one is going to eat more than a few bites.

This past Thanksgiving, I put these mini Cranberry Bundt Cakes and slices of Mini Lemon Ricotta Loaves right beside the pies and they were a perfect addition. They allowed all of us to feast on several different desserts, while only taking a bite or two of each.

So, if you don’t have one already, go get yourself a mini-bunt pan and get to baking these adorable little sweet and tart cranberry cakes. Year round, of course.

(Also, for anyone reading this and wondering what they’re going to get me for Christmas, I need at least one, if not two or three more mini bundt pans. Just putting that out there.😉)