The holiday season is upon us, and nothing quite says Christmas like a delicious and festive dessert. If you’re looking for a recipe that’s sure to impress your family and friends, then look no further than this Christmas Cranberry Pound Cake.
This recipe is perfect for those who love the tart flavor of cranberries, but also want a sweet and moist pound cake. The combination of cranberries and pound cake is truly delightful, making it the perfect dessert for any holiday gathering or party.
➤ You’ll need :
For the Cake:
- 187 grams cake flour-sifted (it’s about 1 1/2 cups plus 3 Tablespoons cake flour before sifting but you better measure it on kitchen scale because the cake could be dense or dry if you overdo it with the flour )
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup cranberries (fresh or thawed)
- 140 grams (5 oz.) white chocolate chunk
- 115 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter-softened at room temperature
- 300 grams sugar ( 1 and 1/2 cups)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons browned butter
Frosting:
- 56 grams (1/4 cup) unsalted butter-softened
- 112 grams (4 oz.) cream cheese-softened
- 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar (or more to make it thick enough to spread on top of the cake)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnish:
- handful dried cranberries
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
➤ Step-by-Step Guide to Making it :
- Preheat the convection air oven to 325 F (if you don’t have convection air oven raise the temperature to 350 F and you will have to rotate the pan half way through the baking time)
- Butter and flour 8.5 x 4.5 x 3 (or 9 x 5 x 3 )inches loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
- Combine cake flour, baking powder and salt and sift it three times, set aside.
- In a small sauce pan over medium heat brown 2.5 Tablespoons butter until it’s nice amber color, remove the foam and set aside to cool.
- Whisk the egg with vanilla extract and set aside.
- Mix the butter on medium speed until it’s creamy, slowly add sugar and continue beating until it’s creamy.
- Add heavy cream and mascarpone, and beat on medium speed.
- Turn mixer on low speed and gradually add dry ingredients alternately with eggs.
- Add handful flour in chocolate chunks and toss them to cover evenly. Toss cranberries with a handful flour to cover them completely.
- Add chocolate chunks in the batter and stir well, then gently stir in cranberries
- Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan, smooth the top and gently tap the pan on working surface to remove the air bubbles.
- With a butter knife draw a line down the center of the pound cake and pour browned butter into the line.
- Bake until the top of the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean (about 55 to 65 minutes). If you don’t have convection air oven, baking time might be about 10 minutes longer. If the top starts browning too much tent the cake with aluminum foil
- Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool on the rack.
Glaze:
- When the cake is completely cooled prepare the glaze.
- With a mixer, cream together softened butter and cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add in powdered sugar and beat until smooth, mix in vanilla extract. Spread on top of the cake.Place the cake in the fridge until the frosting is set.
Garnish:
- When the frosting is set melt 1/2 cup white chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a small sauce pan over low heat until it’s smooth( cool if it’s too thin)
- Sprinkle the cake with dried cranberries and drizzle with chocolate. (You can drizzle the chocolate with a spoon or transfer it into small zip-lock bag, cut off the corner and pipe the chocolate over the cake).
➤Becky’s Tips:
- If you don’t have fresh cranberries, you can use frozen cranberries instead. Just be sure to thaw them first and drain off any excess liquid.
- For an extra festive touch, you can drizzle a simple glaze over the cooled cake. Mix together 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons of milk until you reach your desired consistency, then drizzle over the cake.
- To make this cake ahead of time, you can wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze the cake for up to 2 months – just wrap it in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil before freezing.
➤Storage:
This Christmas Cranberry Pound Cake can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. If you want to freeze the cake, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil before placing it in the freezer. The cake will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer.
➤Nutrition Information:
This recipe makes 1 loaf, which can be sliced into 10-12 servings. Each serving contains approximately:
Calories: 354
Fat: 18g
Saturated Fat: 11g
Cholesterol: 105mg
Sodium: 170mg
Carbohydrates: 44g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 26g
Protein: 5g
Overall, this Christmas Cranberry Pound Cake is a delicious and festive dessert that is perfect for any holiday celebration. Whether you’re serving it to your family or bringing it to a holiday party, it’s sure to be a hit. So why not give this recipe a try this holiday season and enjoy the delicious flavors of cranberry and pound cake combined?
That’s it, all you have to do is Enjoy !
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