This Cranberry Orange Pound Cake is bursting with holiday flavors. Its moist, delicate crumb will have you coming back for more!
There’s something I really love about the combination of tart cranberries and sweet oranges. Put it in a soft, buttery pound cake and you’ve got me hooked for life…or at least the holidays. ☺️
How to Make Cranberry Orange Pound Cake
To start, you’ll want to butter and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan and set it aside. I used King Arthur Flour Organic All-Purpose Flour for this particular recipe (and in most of my baking) because it yields such a fine crumb. Pound cake is all about the crumb!
Next, in the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter, sugar, and orange zest until it’s light (pale in color) and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, then add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing after each addition. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda. With mixing speed on low, alternate adding the dry ingredients and yogurt. I used Stonyfield’s Greek Vanilla Whole Milk Yogurt because really love the flavor, thickness and fat content it has- it’s great for baking! You definitely need a full-fat yogurt for this recipe. DO NOT use anything else or the texture and flavor of the loaf will be more like spongy cornbread, and trust me, you don’t want that!
Then, in a medium mixing bowl whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the cup cranberries (don’t add any more- if you have larger ones, you can cut them in half or quarter them), then the egg whites. Be EXTRA careful, you don’t want to deflate the egg whites!
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place in the oven to bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. The loaf doesn’t rise very much, so don’t be alarmed. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes before removing it from the pan.
To prepare the glaze, in small mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice/zest, and vanilla. Spread it over the loaf and allow it to sit for 20 minutes to harden before serving.
Slice it up and enjoy, or wrap it up and give it to your neighbor and friends. This irresistible Cranberry Orange Pound Cake is sure to become a holiday favorite!
Storage Info
Storing leftovers: Cover this pound cake tightly with plastic wrap and you can store this on the counter at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To freeze: After this pound cake has baked and cooled, wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap, then wrap it in a layer of aluminum foil. Place it into a freezer bag. It can stay frozen for up to 3 months. To thaw: Allow the pound cake to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then remove from the refrigerator and allow it to get to room temperature before slicing and serving. If you are making this in advance more than a few days, we recommend freezing this pound cake without the glaze and then adding the glaze after thawing.
Cranberry Orange Pound Cake Recipe
Recommended Products
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter - room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 3 large eggs - room temperature, divided
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract - OR vanilla bean paste
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp kosher sea salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
For the Orange Glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (149 degrees Celsius). Butter and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and orange zest until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Add vanilla extract, then add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing after each addition.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda, then with mixing speed on low, alternate adding the dry ingredients and yogurt.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the cranberries, then the egg whites using a large spatula. Pour into the prepared pan and place in the oven to bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan.
- To prepare the glaze, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice/zest, and vanilla. Spread over the loaf and allow to drip over the edges and sides. Allow to sit for 20 minutes to harden before serving.
NOTES
Nutrition
I’m partnering with King Arthur Flour and Stonyfield as a member of their Clean Plate Club to bring you today’s recipe. I received this product for review, all opinions are my own. Thank you for helping me work with brands I love!
Is 300 °F a typo? I made it and i had to turn it up to 350 cause it wouldnt solidify in the middle
Really delicious sliced in thin pieces and served with coffee or tea. A really lovely taste and texture. And it looks terrific – great for the holidays.
hey girl this looks so yummy!
This looks devine! This is on my to-bake-list! Can’t wait to taste it!
Thank you!