Cranberry Orange Pound Cake

The holidays are over, but I still love all things cranberry. I came across a recipe for Cranberry Orange Cream Cheese Pound Cake by Sophistimom, and I had to try it. This recipe makes two loaves, which is perfect for gifting and keeping one for yourself to enjoy.

I followed the recipe exactly, and it came out perfectly! It may seem like a lot of steps, but it's not as complicated as you may think. Zesting oranges is divine - and you can squeeze fresh orange juice when you're done. I used frozen cranberries (chopped, not thawed) and they were great. Don't skip the glaze either! I love the flavor of tart cranberries with orange. So delicious! 

Ingredients:
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
zest of 2 oranges
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, roughly chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour two medium size loaf pans, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, cream cheese, and sugar. When mixer is light in color and fluffy, add in zest. With mixer on low, add in eggs, one at a time, incorporating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just incorporated. Fold in cranberries. Divide batter evenly between the loaf pans. Place on a baking sheet, and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

3. Remove from oven. Place cakes on a wire rack to cool. After about 5 minutes, lay cakes on their sides, and allow to cool for another 5 minutes. Flip cakes onto their other sides and cool for another 5 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, and let cool on the wire rack. While still warm, drizzle with orange glaze (recipe follows). Serve warm or at room temperature.

Orange Glaze
3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tablespoon melted butter
zest of 1 orange
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Add more juice or sugar to achieve desired consistency.

Thank you, Sophistimom for sharing such a delicious recipe! I'll definitely make this again.