Christmas Cranberry Pound Cake

cranberry cake on a white cake stand, with lights in the background of the shot.

Christmas Cranberry Pound Cake is a festive holiday dessert with fresh cranberries, orange liqueur, vanilla bean paste, and a sweet orange glaze.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time2

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: christmas dessert ideas, christmas desserts, easy christmas desserts

Servings:

Author: Katerina | Easy Weeknight Recipes

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Pound Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
1¾ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste, or pure vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, NOT dried cranberries

For the Glaze:

1½ cups powdered sugar
5 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, or pure vanilla extract

Garnishes:

fresh rosemary sprigs, for garnish, optional
cranberries dipped in white crystal sugar, for garnish, optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously grease a cake pan with butter. Sprinkle one tablespoon of flour to the buttered mold and shake it lightly so that it covers the entire inside of the mold. Set aside.
Add flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together to combine. Set aside.
Use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a hand-held mixer) to cream the butter and orange zest, about 3 to 4 minutes. Then beat in the sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
With the mixer running on low speed, add the eggs one at a time. Make sure that each egg is incorporated before adding the next one.
Then, add the buttermilk, orange liqueur, and vanilla bean paste; continue to mix until incorporated.
With the mixer on the lowest speed, add in ⅓ of the flour mixture. Once the flour is combined, repeat this process two more times with the remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides as needed. Once the last addition of flour is combined, remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a silicone spatula, fold the cranberries into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, gently smoothing out the top with a spatula. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with a couple of baked crumbs. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Turn the cake onto a cooling rack and remove the cake from the pan using light movements so that pieces do not break off and remain on the mold. Let the cake cool for another hour before glazing.
To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar with the freshly squeezed orange juice and vanilla paste. Whisk until it has a thick pouring consistency. Pour over the cooled cake.
Decorate the cake with fresh cranberries dipped in white crystal sugar and sprigs of rosemary.
Cut and serve.

Notes

Cake Pans: Pound cakes are usually made in a tube pan, a loaf pan, or a Bundt pan. Any of these will work so long as the pan is 12-cups.
Room Temperature Ingredients: When baking, eggs and butter should always be at room temperature. Set the eggs and butter on the counter a couple of hours before you want to start baking.
Baking Time: Baking time for cakes may vary depending on the size of the cake, ingredients, and even your oven. Best way to test for cake's doneness is by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake; if the toothpick comes out with a few dry crumbles, the cake is done.
Removing the Cake from the Pan: This can get tricky if you don't grease and flour your cake pan before adding in the batter. So, make sure to do that. Also, let the cake cool for at least 10 minutes after baking, and before you try to remove it from the pan.
Lastly, and this goes for any cakes/baked goods, don't overmix and don't overbake. In doing so, you'll end up with a dense and dry cake.

Nutrition