Orange Cranberry Pound Cake
This orange cranberry pound cake is moist, flavorful and easy to make. It's flavored with fresh orange zest and filled with cranberry sauce! This cake is perfect for Christmas breakfast or dessert.
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 358kcal
Ingredients
Cranberry Sauce
- 2 cups cranberries fresh or frozen
- ½ cup granulated sugar or more, to taste
- ¼ cup water plus 3 tablespoons water for the cornstarch
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
Pound Cake
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese full fat, brick style, room temperature
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Orange Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 -2 tablespoons orange juice add 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
Cranberry Sauce
- Zest the orange. Set zest aside. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cold water until smooth. Set aside.
- Add the ¼ cup water, orange juice, cinnamon stick, and sugar to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Stir until sugar dissolves.
- Add cranberries and pour in the cornstarch mixture. Simmer 5–7 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat. Remove cinnamon stick and stir in orange zest. Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the cake batter.
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 335 F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- With a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese together on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes until creamy and light. Add the sugar and beat an additional minute until slightly fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
- Turn the mixer down to low speed, add the eggs one at a time followed by the orange zest and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients. Beat until dry ingredients are just incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
- Spread 1/3 of the batter in the prepared loaf pan. Spoon 1/3 cup cranberry sauce over the top and use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it evenly, leaving a 1/4-inch border around the edges so the sauce doesn’t touch the pan. Spread another 1/3 of the batter over the sauce to cover it completely. Spread another 1/3 cup cranberry sauce on top, again leaving a 1/4-inch border, then cover with the remaining 1/3 of the batter.
- Stick a knife or skewer in the batter almost to the bottom of the pan. Run the knife or skewer through the batter in a swirling motion going from side to side from the top to the bottom of the pan. Rotate the pan 45 degrees and run the knife through the batter side to side from top to bottom one more time. Be careful not to overswirl.
- Bake 60–70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Remove the cake from the oven and set on a cooling rack to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn the cake out and allow it to cool completely on the rack. Cool completely before icing.
Orange Icing
- Add the powdered sugar to a medium sized bowl. Whisk in the orange juice until desired consistency is achieved. Add the orange zest and whisk til combined. Pour or spread the icing over the cake. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Cranberry sauce amount: Use 1/3 cup per layer (about 2/3 cup total). Don’t add extra — too much can weigh the cake down and make the center undercooked. You'll have leftover cranberry sauce with this recipe. Add extra sauce to your charcuterie board or to sandwiches!
Cranberry sauce: Use homemade, leftover or store bought cranberry sauce. If using store bought, make sure to stir it ahead of time so that it is a spreadable consistency.
Oven temp: Make sure your oven is really 335°F. Lower temps can make the cake bake unevenly.
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To freeze, wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 30 days. Thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
Recipe Updates: This recipe was slightly modified in November 2025 to help the cake bake more evenly and thoroughly. These are the changes: baking powder changed to 1 tsp, oven temp set to 335°F, bake time adjusted to 60–70 minutes, and cranberry sauce layering clarified.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 168mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 466IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg
