This from-scratch Cranberry Orange Pound cake is loaded with flavors of the season. With the perfect combination of tart cranberries and fresh orange juice, this cake makes a beautiful, festive and completely irresistible addition to any dessert table.
Cranberry-Orange Pound Cake Recipe
This moist and tender pound cake is bursting with ruby red cranberries and citrusy flavor from fresh orange juice and zest. It’s topped with a simple and sweet orange glaze and garnished with even more zest and chopped dried cranberries. There is just enough sugar added to the batter to create a beautiful balance to the tartness of the cranberries, which soften and burst as the cake bakes in the oven.
Because this is not an overly sweet cake, it makes a great brunch cake or even a sweet breakfast treat for the holiday season. With the bright red cranberries studded all throughout the buttery cake, it also makes a pretty presentation for parties or gift giving. While fresh cranberries are in season, you also want to try these Sugared Cranberries and this Jalapeño Cranberry Dip.
💓 Why We Love This Recipe
- Festive- The festive colors make this a great cake for the holiday season.
- Easy- Super easy recipe that uses basic ingredients to make the simple batter.
- Delicious- Sweet buttery cake with an explosion of tart cranberries in every bite.
🔪 Recommended Tools
- Electric Mixer (stand mixer or hand mixer)
- 9×5 Loaf Pans (2)
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Small Bowl
- Citrus Zester
- Wire Rack
🛒 Ingredients
For the cranberry orange cake
- Butter (softened)
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Orange zest
- Orange juice
- Sour cream
- Fresh cranberries
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
For the orange glaze
- Orange zest (plus more for garnish if desired)
- Orange juice
- Powdered sugar
Optional for garnish
- Orange zest
- Dried cranberries (chopped)
🥄 How to Make this Orange Cranberry Pound Cake Recipe
Heat oven to 350 and butter each 9×5 loaf pan.
Step One: Cream Butter and Sugar
- Add the cup butter, sugar and orange zest to a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, cream until smooth.
- Add vanilla and add in eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition.
Step Two: Add Dry Ingredients
- In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Step Three: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
- Add half of the all purpose flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until well incorporated
Step Four: Mix in Sour Cream and Orange juice
- Add the sour cream and orange juice into the mixture and blend until mixed in well.
Step Five: Add Remaining Flour Mixture
- Add in remaining dry ingredients and continue mixing on medium speed until everything is well mixed.
Step Six: Add Cranberries
- Using a spatula or a wooden spoon, gently fold in the whole cranberries until evenly distributed.
Step Seven: Pour Batter
- Distribute the batter evenly between the two pans and spread it out smoothly.
Step Eight: Bake and Cool
- Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester placed in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool for about 30 minutes in the pans, then remove them from the pans and allow to cool completely to room temperature on a wire rack before glazing.
Step Nine: Glaze and Serve
- In a small separate bowl. mix powdered sugar, fresh orange juice and orange zest in a medium size bowl until well incorporated.
- Place the cakes on parchment paper or other surface to catch any drips.
- Spread the glaze evenly across the tops of the cakes.
- Sprinkle with dried cranberries and a little bit of orange zest if desired.
Slice and serve.
Cranberry Cake Recipe Variations
- Glaze: Instead of a thin orange flavor glaze, you can make it an extra decadent dessert by topping it with cream cheese frosting.
- Extracts: It’s easy to give the cake different flavors just by trying different extracts. Instead of vanilla, try adding almond extract or orange extract.
- Nuts: If you’d like to add a little crunch to cake, fold some chopped walnut or pecan into the batter.
- Garnish: Instead of dried cranberries and orange zest, you can use colorful holiday sprinkles or sanding sugar as a garnish.
How Do I Store Cranberry Cake?
- Fridge: Once it has cooled and been glazed, place it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6-7 days.
- Freezer: You can also freeze this cake. Wrap each of the small loaves in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for up to a couple of months. For best results, wait to add the glaze when you’re ready to serve it.
- Thawing: When ready to thaw, just place it in the fridge overnight, then add the glaze and serve.
Can You Make This Recipe in a Prepared Bundt Pan?
This recipe is for two 9×15 loaves, but you can also bake in a large bundt pan. You will need to increase the baking time. Once it has been baking for about 55 minutes, start testing for doneness. Allow the cranberry bundt cake time to cool before adding the glaze.
More Cranberry Recipes
- White Chocolate Cranberry Fudge
- Cranberry Chicken Casserole
- Cranberry Orange Quick Bread
- Cranberry Crescent Rolls
- Cranberry Jello Salad
- Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry Orange Pound Cake
Ingredients
For the Pound Cake:
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3 teaspoons orange zest
- 2 Tablespoons orange juice
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 2 ½ cups fresh cranberries
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Glaze:
- 2 teaspoon orange zest plus more for garnish if desired
- 2 Tablespoons orange juice
- 1 ½ cups confectioner's sugar
Optional for Garnish:
- 1-2 teaspoons orange zest
- ¼ cup dried cranberries chopped
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 and butter two 9 x 5 loaf pans.
- In a large bowl cream together butter, sugar and orange zest.
- Add vanilla and add in eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until well incorporated.
- Add in sour cream and orange juice and mix well.
- Add in remaining dry ingredients and continue mixing until everything is well mixed.
- Fold in the cranberries with a spatula or wooden spoon until evenly distributed.
- Evenly distribute the batter between the two pans and spread it out.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester placed in center comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool for about 30 minutes in the pans, then remove them from the pans and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before glazing. (about 30 minutes)
For the glaze:
- Mix powdered sugar, orange juice and orange zest in a medium size bowl until well incorporated.
- Place the cakes on parchment paper or other surface to catch any drips.
- Spread the glaze evenly across the tops of the cakes.
- Sprinkle with dried cranberries and orange zest if desired.
- Slice and serve.
- Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
Don’t forget to share it with me on @thebalancingmom and follow on Tiktok @balancingmotherhood and Pinterest @thebalancingmom for more!
What's For Dinner?
Find a recipe for dinner tonight! Get our Top 10 Most Popular recipes ebook sent right to your email.
Leave a Review!