Special equipment: Use the bundt pan that measures 9" in diameter and holds 10 to 12 cups.
Preheat oven to 350�F.
Soak 1 cup of dried cranberries in 1 cup of boiling-hot water, covered.
In a medium bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups flour, baking powder and salt.
In a separate large bowl, add together the softened butter and sugar and mix, using mixer, on high setting for about 3 minutes until even consistency is reached.
Add 3 eggs and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture and continue beating until well-incorporated and light in color.
Now we�ll be adding flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture in 3 gradual steps, instead of dumping all of flour at one time. If you dump all of flour mixture into your butter mixture at one time, it will be more difficult to stir and you won�t get a smooth texture. So, we�ll be adding flour and buttermilk in 3 additions:
With your mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of flour mixture to butter-sugar mixture, beating just a little until all is well combined. Then follow by 1/3 cup of buttermilk. Add the second 1/3 of flour mixture, beating with mixer just to combine. Follow by the second 1/3 cup of buttermilk, beating just to combine. Finally, add the third 1/3 of flour mixture, followed by the final 1/3 cup of buttermilk. Again, beat just enough to combine.
Make sure to have your mixer on low speed while adding flour, otherwise flour might fly around your kitchen. Make sure to not overmix or overbeat, use mixer just to combine the ingredients.
Drain the dried cranberries that you soaked in hot water and wring the water out of them. Dried cranberries now should be plump and juicy - it's OK if they retain some water.
Using spatula, fold in these dried cranberries (after you soaked them and drained them), chopped apple, and chopped pecans into the cake batter.