Cranberry Orange Pound Cake

If the holidays have taught us anything, it’s that cranberry and orange are a wonderful pairing, whether they come together in a sauce, glaze, punch or dessert. This cranberry orange pound cake celebrates both fruits in every bite, with a buttery, soft, orange-scented crumb studded with tart cranberries. Made in a fluted tube pan with traditional pound cake ingredients—butter, eggs, sugar and sour cream—it’s a stunner with a citrusy zing and a warm vanilla butter sauce drizzled on top. Like other cranberry and orange desserts, it’s perfect for a holiday brunch or for any time, particularly when there’s a cup of coffee, tea or sparkling punch involved.

Ingredients for Cranberry Orange Pound Cake

• Butter: All pound cakes require plenty of butter to provide rich flavor and texture. Start with softened butter for the smoothest batter. You’ll need extra for the vanilla butter sauce that tops this orange cranberry pound cake.
• Granulated sugar: Sugar adds sweetness to the pound cake and the vanilla butter sauce.
• Eggs: Pound cake is made with plenty of eggs for proper moisture and texture. Be sure to use room-temperature eggs for easier incorporation into the batter.
• Orange zest: Use freshly grated orange zest to infuse the batter with vibrant flavor.
• Vanilla extract: Use a good vanilla extract brand if it’s in your budget. The flavor will enhance the pound cake and sauce.
• All-purpose flour: Incorporate all-purpose flour to provide structure for the cake, plus a small amount to thicken the sauce.
• Baking powder: Just one teaspoon of baking powder goes a long way in helping this cake rise while baking. Here’s how to quickly test your baking powder to see if it’s still fresh before you add it to the mixture.
• Salt: Salt is essential in most baked goods. It balances and enhances the flavors.
• Sour cream: Some pound cake recipes use sour cream for moisture and richness.
• Cranberries: Use fresh or frozen cranberries, depending on what you have available. Just be sure to chop the cranberries before folding them into the batter.
• Half-and-half cream: For a rich, flavorful vanilla butter sauce, use half-and-half.

Directions

Step 1: Preheat the oven and prep the pan

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10-inch fluted tube pan.

Editor’s Tip: When greasing a Bundt pan, make sure it’s well-coated so the cake releases in one piece.

Step 2: Start the cake batter

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until they’re light and fluffy, five to seven minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the orange zest and vanilla.

Editor’s Tip: Creaming butter and sugar essentially gives the cake structure. The key is to ensure it’s light, fluffy and pale yellow in color.

Step 3: Add the dry ingredients and sour cream

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture, alternating with the sour cream. Fold in the cranberries and pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Editor’s Tip: When alternating the dry ingredients and sour cream, try not to overmix the batter. Mix until the streaks just disappear.

Step 4: Bake the cake

Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 65 to 70 minutes. Cool the cake for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan and transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 5: Make the vanilla butter sauce

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and flour. Stir in the cream and butter. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil it for two minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Serve the vanilla butter sauce warm over the cranberry orange pound cake.

Cranberry Orange Pound Cake Variations

• Incorporate more citrus: For even more citrus flavor, add more orange zest to the batter. You can also add orange zest to the vanilla butter sauce.
• Add nuts for crunch: Play with the texture of this pound cake by adding chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter before baking or sprinkling them over the glaze.
• Try another glaze: The vanilla butter sauce is an excellent complement to this cranberry orange pound cake, but you can skip it and choose another topping. A simple powdered sugar glaze with vanilla and orange zest would be a lively option to try.

How to Store Cranberry Orange Pound Cake

Store the orange cranberry pound cake tightly wrapped or in an airtight container. Even though it has half-and-half in the glaze, you can store it at room temperature up to three days. Pound cake will last up to one week in the refrigerator.

Can you freeze cranberry orange pound cake?

This orange cranberry pound cake is easy to freeze, but you should freeze it without the butter sauce topping. Wrap the cooled cake in storage wrap and then aluminum foil. Place it in a freezer bag and store it for up to six months. Thaw it at room temperature before slicing and digging in again.

Cranberry Orange Pound Cake Tips

Can you make cranberry orange pound cake in a loaf pan?

You can make a cranberry orange pound cake in a loaf pan for easier slicing. Prep the batter and bake it in two greased 9×5-inch loaf pans. The baking time will vary if you use two loaf pans instead of one tube pan.

Can you make cranberry orange pound cake in a Bundt pan?

No tube pan at home? No problem! You can bake this pound cake in a well-greased Bundt pan (aka a fluted tube pan) instead.

Are fresh or frozen cranberries better for cranberry orange pound cake?

For this cranberry orange pound cake, you can use fresh or frozen cranberries. Chop the cranberries and add them to the batter while they’re still frozen. There’s no need to thaw the cranberries before mixing them in.

How should you serve cranberry orange pound cake?

Serve this cranberry orange pound cake for dessert, brunch or as an afternoon snack with tea or coffee. Enjoy it warm or at room temperature with a drizzle of vanilla butter sauce. If you skip the vanilla butter sauce, try it with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.