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slice of christmas cranberry pound cake on a white plate with a few fresh cranberries
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4.97 from 33 votes

Christmas Cranberry Pound Cake

This Christmas, try something new and bake a cranberry pound cake! The tartness of the cranberries is the perfect balance to the sweetness of the cake. And with a little bit of glaze on top, it will be everyone's favorite dessert this holiday season.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16 Servings
Calories: 428kcal
Author: Wendy

Equipment

  • 2 loaf pans
  • Medium bowl
  • Large bowl
  • Electric Mixer stand or hand mixer
  • wire rack

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cup 3 sticks unsalted butter
  • 2 ¾ cups sugar
  • 6 eggs room temperature
  • 2 ½ teaspoons grated orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 ½ cups fresh cranberries
  • Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Sset aside.
  • In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 7 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.
  • Next, add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition and scraping down the sides as needed. Mix in the orange zest and vanilla.
  • To the batter, add half of the flour and beat until combined. Mix in the sour cream until blended and then the remaining flour, occasionally scraping down the sides.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared pans.
  • Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center returns clean.
  • Cool the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes prior to removing the loaves to cool completely on the wire rack.
  • Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, prior to slicing and serving.

Notes

  • Make sure to beat the butter and sugar together for at least 7 minutes, this will create that light and fluffy texture.
  • Spray your baking pans generously with nonstick baking spray so the cakes don’t stick to the pans. Or you can line the baking pans with parchment paper.
  • Once you start to mix the flour into the batter, be careful to not overmix it.
  • Mix until just combined or for a maximum of two minutes.
  • Make sure to let the cakes cool completely before you take them out of the pans so that they don't fall apart.
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 428kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 717IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1mg