Festive Cranberry Lemon Pound Cake
- Cook Time: 80 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup powdered sugar (for the glaze)
- 1–2 tablespoons lemon juice (for the glaze)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a standard 9×5 inch loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Toss the cranberries with one tablespoon of the flour mixture to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
- In a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed. Continue for about 3 to 5 minutes until the mixture is very light, pale, and fluffy. This step incorporates air, which is vital for the cake’s rise.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Don’t worry if the batter looks slightly curdled at this stage; it will come together once the dry ingredients are added.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix only until just combined. Over-mixing at this stage can result in a tough, rubbery cake. Gently fold in the floured cranberries by hand using a spatula.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If the top is browning too quickly, loosely cover it with aluminum foil halfway through baking.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. While the cake cools, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice to create a thick glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and let it set before slicing.