How to Make This Delicious Orange Cranberry Pound Cake
Citrus is such a fun addition to the holiday season. We’re truly so lucky and blessed to be able to enjoy these fresh, vitamin C-filled gems all winter long. And cranberries? Don’t get me started. My goal in life is to visit a cranberry field one day. I’d swoon over those floating rubies. What better way to honor these amazing fruits this holiday season than with this cranberry orange pound cake recipe?
Whenever I think of citrus in winter, it’s always in the movie Little Women. And to be clear, it’s from the real version of Little Women—the only one I’ll watch—with Winona Ryder, Christian Bale, and Susan Sarandon. Any other attempt at the book just doesn’t compare.
“Why, you see, the girls are always buying them, and unless you want to be thought mean, you must do it, too. It’s nothing but limes now, for everyone is sucking them in their desks in schooltime, and trading them off for pencils, bead rings, paper dolls, or something else….If one girl likes another, she gives her a lime; if she’s mad with her, she eats one before her face, and doesn’t offer even a suck. They treat by turns, and I’ve had ever so many but haven’t returned them, and I ought, for they are debts of honor, you know.” – Amy March, Little Women
I don’t have a reference to cranberries in the movies—they’re just delicious. Growing up, we only had cranberries on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and they were always from the can. Five minutes before serving, my mom or grandma would whip out the can opener, spin off the lid on a can of jellied cranberries, and it would make that sucking sound as they plopped it onto a crystal dish. And that was cranberries for us growing up. It was also one of my favorite things to eat at those holiday dinners!
Flash forward many years, and I found out you could make cranberry sauce from fresh cranberries, which completely changed my life. I soon realized they were amazing in so many other dishes, like my Starbucks copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars. And today, I’m thrilled to share my latest recipe with you: cranberry orange pound cake.
Don’t Skip the Simple Glaze!
Make it just as the recipe lays it out and enjoy the melody of flavors in your mouth. They are the perfect sweet and fruity combo.
For Best Results, this orange cranberry pound cake is best served cool. This allows the flavors to pop. And don’t forget the glaze—it adds that final touch of citrusy flavor and sweetness that makes this cake unforgettable.
If you’re not following along on Instagram yet, make sure to do so for all my recipes and creations in real time, as well as my movie musings. 😉
If you’re not yet, make sure to follow along on Instagram for all my recipes and creations in real-time, as well as my movie musings. 😉
Enough of all that now, let’s get to the recipe!
Cranberry Orange Pound Cake with White Chocolate and an Orange Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/2 cup all-purpose flour cake flour can also be used for a denser texture
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup fresh or dried cranberries
- 3 tbsp orange zest lemon zest can be used for variation
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice or bottled orange juice if that’s what you have
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chunks
- 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
- 1 & 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Glaze
- 3 tbsp melted butter
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- Fresh squeezed orange juice to glaze consistency
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F and line a loaf or bundt pan with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, and salt—and sift together. Don't skip this step, it’s imperative to the outcome.
In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla extract, orange zest, and juice. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter until smooth. Add in sugar, heavy cream, and cream cheese. Mix until well incorporated.
Slowly add in the egg mixture to the butter mixture on low speed.
Begin to add in the flour mixture. When half the flour is added, toss the remaining flour with the cranberries and white chocolate to coat. Stir this into the batter to prevent clumping.
Pour batter into the prepared pan and tap gently to remove any bubbles.
Bake at 350°F for one hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and there’s no wiggle.
Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.
Right before serving, mix together the melted butter, powdered sugar, and orange juice for the glaze. Drizzle over the cake and garnish with extra orange zest for added orange flavor.
Want more Christmas goodies?
You need to try these thumbprint cookies. They’re a bit different than others out there and are filled with a thick, raspberry preserve. Fruit and dessert just go together!
Want more cranberry orange goodness? These Icebox cookies are for you!
Yum!!! This looks amazing, Eryn! I have got to give this recipe a try! I have a bag of fresh cranberries in my refrigerator right now!