Cranberry Orange Pound Cake
Make this delicious cranberry orange pound cake this holiday season! It's a festive holiday baking pound cake that is easy to make.
Servings: 1 loaf (9x5)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened and at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 3 teaspoons orange zest (from 3-4 oranges)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, at room temperature
- 2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)
Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (plus more as needed)
- 1/2 tablespoon orange zest (plus more if desired)
- 1/2 tablespoons fresh orange juice (plus more as needed)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk (plus more as needed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan with butter.
- Prepare the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- With a handheld mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter on high speed until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar, and mix on high speed until fluffy for 1-2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Lower to medium speed and add in the eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined. Add the Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, and the 3 teaspoons of orange zest. Mix on medium speed until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl. Don’t worry if it seems like the butter is separating from the liquids, it will come together when you add the dry ingredients.
- On low speed, gradually add the prepared dry ingredients and mix until evenly combined. Do no over-mix. Add the 2 tablespoons of orange juice and mix a few more times. At this point, the batter should be a bit thick and silky. With a rubber spatula, fold in cranberries until just combined.
- Pour batter over the prepared loaf pan, and even out the top with a rubber spatula. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean (a few crumbs are okay). If the top is browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil. When ready, remove from oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Then, when it’s easier to handle, remove pound cake from pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
- Once cooled, make the glaze/icing: Whisk the icing ingredients in a bowl, adding the liquid little by little. Glazes can be finicky when you add the liquid components, so whisk the orange juice and milk gradually until you get the desired thickness.
- Pour or spread the glaze over the cooled pound cake. Enjoy!
Notes
- Special equipment: 9x5 loaf pan, mixer, zester.
- Make ahead: You can bake the pound cake the day before, and make the glaze/icing the day of. In fact, pound cakes develop more flavor the longer they sit, within reason.
- Storing: Store the pound cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. You can also store it in the fridge - wrap it tightly with aluminum foil.
- Freezing: You can also freeze the pound cake (without icing) for up to 2 months. Let the pound cake cool completely, wrap tightly in aluminum foil, and freeze. When ready to eat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, add the glaze.