Cranberry Pound Cake
Cranberry Pound Cake is the ultimate holiday treat—perfect for dessert, gifting, or brunch! Prep it in just 20 minutes, and for a festive touch, garnish with rosemary and extra cranberries. Use fresh or frozen cranberries!
Servings: 3 mini loaves
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter softened
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries coarsely chopped
Icing
- 6 teaspoons whole milk
- 1½ cups confectioners' sugar
- Rosemary for garnish
- Cranberries for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350ºF. Butter and line 3 mini loaf pans with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and set aside. Combine sour cream, milk, and extracts in a bowl and set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and beat until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, incorporating each into the batter.
- Alternately mix in the flour and sour cream mixture in 3 additions, starting and ending with flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat the batter for 20 to 30 seconds after the last addition of flour.
- Fold the chopped cranberries into the batter by hand. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared loaf pans. Place spaced out on a baking sheet to bake in the oven.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cakes cool in the pans a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
- When cakes are cooled, make the icing. Mix together the confectioners’ sugar and milk until smooth. Icing will be thick–it’s best to use a wooden or metal spoon to mix.
- Spoon icing onto each cake, gently spreading it over the top. Let the icing set about 30 minutes before topping with garnish.
- Baked and iced cakes can be stored airtight for up to 3 days. Garnish just before serving or gifting for best results.
