• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

SAVOR With Jennifer

Create. Explore. Experience. Savor.

  • Home
  • RECIPES
  • About
  • CONTACT
  • Work With Me
  • Privacy Policy
You are here: Home / Dessert / Orange Cranberry Pound Cake

Orange Cranberry Pound Cake

Share
Pin
Email
Tweet
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Orange Cranberry Pound Cake is a moist, buttery, fragrant sour cream cake infused with orange zest and dotted with juicy cranberries!

Orange Cranberry Pound Cake sliced open with drizzling glaze on wire rack

The sweet burst of citrus combined with the bright tartness of cranberries in such a perfectly balanced sour cream pound cake makes this a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Special enough for a Holiday Dessert Centerpiece, but easy enough for a Weeknight Treat!

I absolutely love to bake. The smells, the sense of accomplishment, and the almost immediate gratification. But most importantly? The oh so satisfying yumminess that titillates the sweet tooth on mine and my friend’s and family’s plates!

Sour cream tends to be one of my go-to favorite baking additions because of the delightful moistness and subtle flavor it imparts to baked goods. My Blueberry Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake makes regular appearances in our house when a dessert is called for. But for breakfast, we eat the heck out of muffins! Especially the 30 minute, mixing-bowl-to-table varieties like Double Chocolate Banana Muffins, which are also super healthy, and Blueberry Sour Cream Streusel Muffins, that will disappear before they even have a chance to cool.

How to make Orange Cranberry Pound Cake

ingredients for Orange cranberry pound cake being prepared on a wooden cutting board

Begin by whisking together the dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together room temperature butter with the sugar. It’s very important that the butter be room temp and not melted. Cream them for 3-6 minutes until they are EXTREMELY light and fluffy.

sugar and butter being creamed in a metal mixing bowl.

Add the eggs one at a time, then the full-fat sour cream, orange juice, and orange zest. Once the eggs are added, be careful not to over beat the batter, mixing just to combine ingredients.

Gently stir in the dry ingredients and then fold in fresh cranberries that have been tossed in a bit of flour. I cut my cranberries in half so there is more cranberry dispersed throughout the cake and to make them lighter so they do not sink quite as easily.

uncooked batter dotted with cranberries ready for the oven

Sprinkle a few reserved cranberries on top and then bake the cake.

After the cake has cooled to room temperature, make a simple glaze from powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest and drizzle over the top. I like to garnish with orange zest and fresh berries for more color.

Tips for making the perfect pound cake.

  • Make sure the butter and eggs are room temperature.
  • Cream the butter and sugar together until they are EXTREMELY light in color and fluffy.
  • Do not substitute with margarine or low-fat sour cream. Both will affect the taste and texture of the cake.
  • Thoroughly grease and flour every corner of the pan as pound cake can stick easily causing the crust to tear.
  • Tossing the cranberries in flour before adding to the batter helps them to not sink to the bottom of the cake.

Can I substitute dried or frozen cranberries?

Yes. My preference is fresh cranberries, but they are only available seasonally. Frozen cranberries may be substituted with no recipe changes.

To use dried cranberries, microwave them in a covered container with enough water to cover the cranberries for two minutes. Drain the excess liquid. This re-hydrates the berries and makes them juicier then not doing this.

Orange Cranberry Pound Cake sliced open with drizzling glaze on wire rack

FOLLOW ME on Pinterest! Make sure to Pin this now to save for later!

Orange Cranberry POund Cake Pinterest Image

Question, comment, or review? I’d love to hear from you. Leave me one below!

Orange Cranberry Pound Cake sliced open with drizzling glaze
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Orange Cranberry Pound Cake

Orange Cranberry Pound Cake is a moist, buttery, fragrant sour cream cake infused with orange zest and dotted with juicy cranberries! The sweet burst of citrus combined with the bright tartness of the cranberries in such a perfectly balanced sour cream pound cake makes this cake a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Orange Cranberry Pound Cake
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 10
Calories 389kcal
Author Jennifer Grissom

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1.5 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup orange juice, fresh squeezed
  • 2 tablespoons orange zest
  • 2 cups cranberries, fresh and cut in half optional: leave berries whole
  • 2 teaspoons flour

Orange Zest Glaze

  • 1.5 cups powdered confectioners sugar
  • 3 tablespoons orange juice, fresh squeezed
  • 1.5 tablespoons orange zest

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
  • Grease and flour a 9" x 5" loaf pan.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar for 3-6 minutes until extremely pale and light and fluffy.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing just until the yellow yolk is combined after each addition.
  • Add the sour cream, orange juice, and orange zest and continue mixing just until combined.
  • Fold in the dry flour mixture by hand, stirring only until just combined.
  • Toss the cranberries in 2 teaspoons of flour and DIVIDE. Gently fold in 1.5 cups of berries into the batter just until incorporated. Do not over mix.
  • Pour the batter into the loaf pan.
  • Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cranberries over the top of the batter.
  • Bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Cool in the loaf pan for 15 minutes, run a knife around the outside edge, and then turn out to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Orange Zest Glaze

  • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest.
  • Drizzle over the cooled cake.
  • Garnish with orange zest and fresh berries if desired.

Notes

All loaf pan sizes are NOT the same! This recipe is for a 9″x5″ loaf pan.
This recipe may be made in a 12 cup circular bundt pan by increasing the batter to 1.5 times the original recipe.  Bundt pans with excessive and intricate designs can cause tearing of the crust due to the sticky nature of this cake. Make sure to grease and flour well.  (Adjust the serving size above in the recipe for the quantities to be calculated for you.)
 

Nutrition

Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 276mg | Potassium: 108mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 50g | Vitamin A: 442IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg
Jennifer - Savor With Jennifer Image
Jennifer Grissom

Mother, Gardener, Book Devourer, and Food Obsessor. I love being inspired with fresh, seasonal ingredients and relish every opportunity to elevate my home cooking. Join me!

Read more…

Previous Post: « Easy Roasted Butternut & Acorn Squash with Sage Brown Butter
Next Post: Lemon Birthday Cake Batter Cookies »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tom

    December 4, 2020 at 8:46 am

    5 stars
    This cake was incredibility moist. I loved it! 🙂

    Reply
    • Jennifer Grissom

      December 4, 2020 at 11:22 am

      Awesome! Thanks for letting me know!

      Reply
  2. VICKIE

    February 22, 2021 at 11:17 am

    I’m using frozen cranberries do i need to unthaw them?

    Reply
    • Jennifer Grissom

      April 19, 2021 at 1:31 pm

      No, but the cook time may be slightly longer.

      Reply
  3. Vin Landvatter

    December 15, 2021 at 2:37 pm

    Absolutely delicious!! I misplaced my recipe for Cranberry Orange Loaf Cake, and stumbled upon this in a Google search. So glad I tried it, and I know it will be a hit come Christmas time!! Thank you and Merry Christmas from Wisconsin!!!

    Reply
    • Jennifer Grissom

      December 16, 2021 at 11:38 am

      So happy you loved it and Merry Christmas to you!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Jennifer - Savor With Jennifer Image
Jennifer Grissom

Mother, Gardener, Book Devourer, and Food Obsessor. I love being inspired with fresh, seasonal ingredients and relish every opportunity to elevate my home cooking. Join me!

Read more…

As Seen In:

Reader Favorites

  • Sticky Asian Baked Pork Ribs
  • The Bomb Italian Sausage Sandwich on white plate The Bomb Italian Sausage Sandwich
  • one blueberry sour cream muffins on a wire rack Blueberry Sour Cream Muffins with Streusel Topping
  • three Sticky Asian Grilled Chicken Thighs on white background Sticky Asian Grilled Chicken Thighs
  • square image of The BEST Teriyaki Marinade being poured on a sirloin The BEST Teriyaki Marinade
  • close up of beef stew Red Wine Beef Stew with Mushrooms and Carrots
  • slices of Blueberry Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake on wire cooking rack Blueberry Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake
  • white bowl of smoked chuck roast chili with sour cream and cheese Smoked Chuck Roast Chili
  • The Best Cherry Pie Recipe with Homemade Filling
  • sliced smoky brown sugar pork tenderloin on a white cutting board Smoky Brown Sugar Crusted Pork Tenderloin

Recent Favorites

square close up of half empty jar of barbecue sauce

Cranberry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

square photo of Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe from Scratch with noodles

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe From Scratch

close up of goat cheese crostini with blistered tomatoes on cutting board

Goat Cheese Crostini with Tomato Recipe

close up of Blistered Cherry Tomatoes

Blistered Cherry Tomatoes

close up of one lemon birthday cake cookie

Lemon Birthday Cake Batter Cookies

Orange Cranberry Pound Cake sliced open with drizzling glaze

Orange Cranberry Pound Cake

close up of Easy Roasted Butternut & Acorn Squash with Sage Brown Butter on metal baking sheet

Easy Roasted Butternut & Acorn Squash with Sage Brown Butter

brown bowl of Cream of Turkey (or Chicken) Soup Recipe on white plate

Cream of Turkey (or Chicken) Soup Recipe

close up of sage butter spatchcock chicken

Whole Roasted Spatchcock Chicken with Sage Brown Butter

large stock pot with large stock pot with a chicken in Simple Turkey and Chicken Brine

Simple Turkey and Chicken Brine

Footer

Send me Fabulous Recipes!

Mother, Gardener, Book Devourer, and Food Obsessor. I love being inspired with fresh, seasonal ingredients and relish every opportunity to elevate my home cooking. Join me!

Read more...

My Favorites

square close up of half empty jar of barbecue sauce
square photo of Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Recipe from Scratch with noodles
close up of goat cheese crostini with blistered tomatoes on cutting board

Categories

  • 30 Minute Meals
  • Appetizers, Hors d'oeuvres, and Starters
  • Baking
  • Beef
  • Bread
  • Breakfast
  • Dessert
  • Drinks and Cocktails
  • Essential Skills
  • Fish and Seafood
  • Grilling / Barbecue
  • Kitchen Tools
  • Lamb
  • Lunch
  • Main Course
  • Pork
  • Poultry – Chicken & Turkey
  • Recipe
  • Salads
  • sandwiches
  • Sauces
  • Side Dishes
  • Soups and Stews
  • Supper
  • turkey
  • Uncategorized
  • Vegetarian

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in