Cranberry Almond Cream Cheese Pound Cake
This Cranberry Almond Cream Cheese Pound Cake is a rich and moist cake with a tender crumb. I like to soak the dried cranberries in spiced rum to plump up the cranberries. The addition of the cream cheese is essential to get a moist cake. This cake is amazing on its own, sprinkled with a little powdered sugar, or drizzled with a cream cheese glaze. Make this recipe for a casual get together with friends or even eat a piece for breakfast. It’s really delicious!
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Ingredients for Cranberry Almond Cream Cheese Pound Cake:
- 1 cup (135g) dried cranberries
- ½ cup (125mL) spiced rum (or water)
- 3 cups (12oz/342g) cake flour
- ¾ tsp (3.3g) baking powder
- ¼ tsp (1.5g) baking soda
- ¾ tsp (5g) salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks/8oz/227g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 8oz (227g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (14oz/400g) granulated sugar
- 5 large (267g) eggs, room temperature
- 1½ tsp (5g) vanilla extract
- ½ tsp (2g) almond extract
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Baking Spray with Flour (optional)
Equipment
- Digital scale (or liquid measuring cup, dry measuring cups, and measuring spoons)
- Strainer
- 12-15 cup Bundt pan
- Whisk
- Silicone spatula
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment (or hand mixer with a large bowl)
- Cooling rack
Preparation Steps
Pour the spiced rum in a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave for about 1 minute or until hot. You could also heat the alcohol on the stove. Place the dried cranberries into the rum and ensure they are all submerged. Set the mixture to the side for about 20 minutes to cool and to allow the dried fruit to absorb most of the rum. This will make for plump and moist cranberries.
Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C with the rack in the middle.
Prepare the Bundt pan by using baking spray or grease the pan with butter or vegetable shortening and dust with a light layer of flour.
Making the Cranberry Almond Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk to evenly combine the ingredients and set off to the side.
In the bowl of the stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to combine the cream cheese and butter on medium speed. Gradually pour the granulated sugar into the mixing bowl. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for approximately 2 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy. This process is called creaming.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add the vanilla and almond extracts. Mix to combine.
Add the flour mixture at low speed in 3 additions and mix just until incorporated.
Fold in the cranberries and remaining liquid. Scoop the batter into the prepared Bundt pan.
Baking the Cranberry Almond Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Bake the cake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Don’t be tempted to increase the temperature to make the pound cake cook more quickly. Since this cake is dense, it needs to bake at a lower temperature for a longer time. If you increase the oven temperature, the outside will brown before the inside has completely cooked.
Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
Invert the cake onto the wire rack, remove the cake pan, and allow to cool completely.
Serving the Cake
Use a small sifter to dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar before serving.
Storing the Cranberry Almond Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Store the pound cake at room temperature in a covered cake stand or wrapped in aluminum foil for up to 5 days.
Notes
- If you would prefer to make this cake alcohol-free, use hot water instead of rum.
- If you don’t like cranberries, feel free to exchange the fruit for an equal amount of cherries, apricots, or blueberries. All of these dried fruits would pair well with almond extract. Cut larger dried fruit to make sure the fruit pieces won’t sink in the batter as the cake bakes.
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Cranberry Almond Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Equipment
- Digital scale (or liquid measuring cup, dry measuring cups, and measuring spoons)
- Strainer
- 12-15 cup Bundt pan
- Whisk
- Silicone spatula
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment (OR hand mixer with a large bowl)
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup (135g) dried cranberries
- ½ cup (125mL) spiced rum (or water)
- 3 cups (12oz/342g) cake flour
- ¾ tsp (3.3g) baking powder
- ¼ tsp (1.5g) baking soda
- ¾ tsp (5g) salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks/8oz/227g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 8 oz (227g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (14oz/400g) granulated sugar
- 5 large (267g) eggs, room temperature
- 1½ tsp (5g) vanilla extract
- ½ tsp (2g) almond extract
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Baking Spray with Flour (optional)
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Pour the spiced rum in a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave for about 1 minute or until hot. You could also heat the alcohol on the stove. Place the dried cranberries into the rum and ensure they are all submerged. Set the mixture to the side for about 20 minutes to cool and to allow the dried fruit to absorb most of the rum. This will make for plump and moist cranberries.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C with the rack in the middle.
- Prepare the Bundt pan by using baking spray or grease the pan with butter or vegetable shortening and dust with a light layer of flour.
Making the Cranberry Almond Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk to evenly combine the ingredients and set off to the side.
- In the bowl of the stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to combine the cream cheese and butter on medium speed. Gradually pour the granulated sugar into the mixing bowl. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for approximately 2 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy. This process is called creaming.
- Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add the vanilla and almond extracts. Mix to combine.
- Add the flour mixture at low speed in 3 additions and mix just until incorporated.
- Fold in the cranberries and remaining liquid using the silicone spatula. Scoop the batter into the prepared Bundt pan.
Baking the Cranberry Almond Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- Bake the cake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Don’t be tempted to increase the temperature to make the pound cake cook more quickly. Since this cake is dense, it needs to bake at a lower temperature for a longer time. If you increase the oven temperature, the outside will brown before the inside has completely cooked.
- Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
- Invert the cake onto the wire rack, remove the cake pan, and allow to cool completely.
Serving the Cake
- Use a small sifter to dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar before serving.
Storing the Cranberry Almond Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- Store the pound cake at room temperature in a covered cake stand or wrapped in aluminum foil for up to 5 days.
