CRANBERRY CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE

Filed under Desserts, Holidays

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

2 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 lemon, juiced and zested

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups fresh cranberries, tossed with 1 tablespoon flour

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.  With an electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until combined. Add the sugar, then turn the mixer to med-high and cream for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Add lemon juice and zest, almond extract, and vanilla and mix well. Stir in salt. Add the cake flour in two batches.  Fold in the cranberries.  Spread the batter evenly in the prepared bundt pan. Bakfor 60-70 minutes, until the cake has browned and a skewer inserted in the center comes out with only moist crumbs attached. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.

 

Let's Dish

This cake was amazing! Dense and moist, it was perfect mix of sweet and tart.  And I love that it's simple to make, yet elegant enough to serve as a Christmas dessert.  Of course, I'm already thinking about how delicious it woudl be with raspberries, or perhaps blueberries.  As with all bundt cakes, make sure you grease your pan generously--I like to use Baker's Joy.  I suspect it would also work well baked in loaf pans, but I haven't tried it, so don't quote me on that.  It really doesn't need any kind of frosting, but I topped mine with a bit of powedered sugar glaze, just to make it look pretty.  A dollop of whipped cream would be delicious too.  This cake is best when made ahead and allowed to sit overnight. 

 

Who Dished It Up First

Adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride.