Looking for an easy yet indulgent Christmas dessert? This decadent pound cake with cranberries, white chocolate, and cream cheese frosting is sure to be a hit! Moist, rich, and perfectly festive, your family will love this treat at the holiday table.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 187g cake flour (sifted) – about 1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons, but use a kitchen scale for accuracy.
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup fresh or thawed cranberries
- 140g (5 oz) white chocolate chunks
- 115g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 300g (1 1/2 cups) sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp browned butter
For the Frosting:
- 56g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 112g (4 oz) cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (or more, as needed for spreading consistency)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For Garnish:
- Handful of dried cranberries
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F for convection ovens (or 350°F for standard ovens). Butter and flour a loaf pan (8.5 x 4.5 x 3 or 9 x 5 x 3 inches) and line it with parchment paper.
- Prepare dry ingredients: Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt three times, then set aside.
- Brown the butter: In a small saucepan, melt 2.5 tablespoons butter over medium heat until amber-colored. Remove foam and let cool.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla extract, and set aside. Beat softened butter with a mixer on medium speed until creamy, then gradually add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add in heavy cream and mascarpone cheese, mixing until smooth.
- Combine wet and dry: On low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the egg mixture to the butter mixture. Stir until well combined.
- Prep cranberries & chocolate: Toss chocolate chunks and cranberries in a small amount of flour to coat them, then fold them into the batter.
- Assemble: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smooth the top, and gently tap the pan to release any air bubbles. Draw a line down the center with a butter knife and pour the browned butter into the line.
- Bake: Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too much, tent the cake with aluminum foil. For non-convection ovens, the baking time may be 10 minutes longer.
- Cool: Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting & Garnish
- Prepare the frosting: Once the cake has cooled, beat together softened butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing until creamy. Stir in vanilla extract and spread the frosting over the cooled cake. Place the cake in the fridge to set.
- Add garnish: Melt white chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over low heat until smooth. Let it cool slightly if too thin. Drizzle the chocolate over the cake and sprinkle with dried cranberries. For a neater drizzle, you can use a zip-lock bag with the corner cut off to pipe the chocolate.
Notes:
- If using frozen cranberries, thaw and rinse them with cold water until clear, then dry them with a paper towel before use.
This show-stopping cake will add a festive touch to your holiday dessert table!