Easy Cranberry Pound Cake
This easy cranberry pound cake is a festive holiday dessert filled with white chocolate, mascarpone, and fresh cranberries. Perfectly tender, creamy, and topped with a cream cheese frosting and a white chocolate drizzle — it's sure to bring cozy joy to any gathering.
Equipment
- Loaf Pan
- Mixing Bowls
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- Saucepan
- Wire Rack
- Sifter
Ingredients
Cake
- 187 g cake flour sifted
- 0.5 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup cranberries fresh or thawed
- 140 g white chocolate chunks
- 115 g unsalted butter softened
- 300 g sugar
- 0.5 cup heavy cream
- 0.5 cup mascarpone cheese
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp browned butter cooled
Frosting
- 56 g unsalted butter softened
- 112 g cream cheese softened
- 1.5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Garnish
- 1 handful dried cranberries
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 0.5 cup white chocolate chips for drizzle
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (convection) or 350°F (regular). Butter, flour, and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Sift cake flour, baking powder, and salt three times. Set aside.
- Brown 2½ tablespoons butter in a saucepan until nutty and amber. Skim and cool.
- Cream softened butter until creamy. Gradually beat in sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in heavy cream and mascarpone, then eggs whisked with vanilla extract.
- On low speed, alternate adding dry mixture with the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Lightly coat cranberries and white chocolate chunks in flour, then fold into batter.
- Pour batter into pan. Use a knife to draw a shallow line down center. Pour cooled browned butter into the line.
- Bake 55–65 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in pan 15 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool fully.
- For frosting: beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread over cooled cake.
- Melt white chocolate chips with oil. Drizzle over frosting. Top with dried cranberries. Chill until set.
Notes
Use room temperature ingredients for a smooth batter. Toss add-ins with flour to prevent sinking. Cool completely before frosting. Chill before slicing for cleaner presentation.