Cranberry orange pound cake is a moist orange-vanilla pound cake with a tart cranberry filling throughout. The cake is topped with an orange glaze for the ultimate Thanksgiving dessert recipe!
I think cranberry-orange is one of the season's most underrated flavor combinations. This time of year, pumpkin spice everything gets all of the attention.
And while I love just about anything pumpkins spice, I also love the refreshingly tart/sweet combination of cranberry orange baked goods like this cranberry orange pound cake.
The cake itself has a mild vanilla orange flavor, and it has a sweet cranberry swirl throughout. The cake is topped with a light orange glaze for a sweet citrus-y finish.
Not only is this cake a great Thanksgiving dessert, but it's also a delicious way to use up any extra cans of cranberry sauce that you happen to end up with after turkey day.
How to make cranberry orange pound cake
In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together until well-combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Add in the sugar, and mix until well-combined, about 2-3 minutes on medium.
Mix in the eggs one at a time until well-combined. Add the orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla. Mix in until combined.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in just until combined. Don't overmix.
Pour 2/3 of the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
In a separate bowl, stir together the cranberry sauce, chopped cranberries, and almond extract, if using.
Spoon the cranberry mixture over the batter. I try to keep it to the center of the batter and avoid the edges of the pan.
Top with remaining 1/3 batter. Place the bundt pan on a baking sheet.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I start checking around 35 minutes, and then I tent with foil if browning too quickly.
Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edges to loosen. Invert onto on a wire cooling rack.
Let cool completely before glazing. To make the glaze: Mix the powdered sugar, orange zest, and 3 teaspoons orange juice together.
Add additional orange juice as needed to make a glaze with a drizzle-able consistency. Drizzle glaze over the top of the cooled cake.
Tips
Tips- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe.
- Cream cheese: You can use regular, 1/3 less fat, or Greek yogurt cream cheese. I don't recommend using fat-free cream cheese.
- Flour: Be sure to properly measure your flour. To do so, either weigh the flour or stir or sift the flour to break it up. Lightly spoon into the measuring cup and level. Too much flour can give you a dry or doughy cake.
- Cranberries: I haven't tried using fresh cranberries in this recipe. I use chopped Craisins.
- Almond extract: The almond extract in the filling gives it a little extra oomph. If you don't like almond extract or have allergy concerns, omit the almond extract.
How to store
I store this cake, covered, at room temperature. The cake is very moist, and if you find that it's getting overly soft, you can store it covered in the fridge.
The cake will keep for up to 5 days.
More cranberry recipes!
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Cranberry Orange Pound Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- 8 ounce package cream cheese (softened)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 14 ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce
- 1/2 cup chopped dried sweetened cranberries
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 3-5 teaspoons orange juice
Instructions
- To make the cake: Preheat oven to 350F. Generously grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together until well-combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Add in the sugar, and mix until well-combined, about 2-3 minutes on medium.
- Mix in the eggs one at a time until well-combined.
- Add the orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla. Mix in until combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Stir in just until combined. Don't overmix.
- Pour 2/3 of the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the cranberry sauce, chopped cranberries, and almond extract, if using.
- Spoon the cranberry mixture over the batter. I try to keep it to the center of the batter and avoid the edges of the pan.
- Top with remaining 1/3 batter.
- Place the bundt pan on a baking sheet.
- Bake for about 50-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I start checking around 35 minutes, and then I tent with foil if browning too quickly.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.
- Run a thin knife around the edges to loosen.
- Invert onto on a wire cooling rack.
- Let cool completely before glazing.
- To make the glaze: Mix the powdered sugar, orange zest, and 3 teaspoons orange juice together.
- Add additional orange juice as needed to make a glaze with a drizzle-able consistency.
- Drizzle glaze over the top of the cooled cake.
Notes
- Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe.
- Cream cheese: You can use regular, 1/3 less fat, or Greek yogurt cream cheese. I don't recommend using fat-free cream cheese.
- Flour: Be sure to properly measure your flour. To do so, either weigh the flour or stir or sift the flour to break it up. Lightly spoon into the measuring cup and level. Too much flour can give you a dry or doughy cake.
- Cranberries: I haven't tried using fresh cranberries in this recipe. I use chopped Craisins.
- Almond extract: The almond extract in the filling gives it a little extra oomph. If you don't like almond extract or have allergy concerns, omit the almond extract.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition Information
Adapted from Taste of Home.
Debbie says
The cake was moist and so flavorful. I’ll definitely make it again.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad you liked it!