Christmas Cranberry Pound Cake

This Cranberry White Chocolate Pound Cake is the perfect holiday dessert—rich, festive, and full of seasonal flavors! The cake is moist with tart cranberries, creamy mascarpone, and sweet white chocolate chunks, topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting and a white chocolate drizzle. It’s the ultimate Christmas treat that your family will love.

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

• 187g cake flour, sifted (1 1/2 cups + 3 tbsp before sifting)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup cranberries (fresh or thawed)
• 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 (more if needed to thicken)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Garnish:

• Handful of dried cranberries
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions:

For the Cake:

1. Preheat your convection oven to 325°F (or 350°F for standard ovens, rotating halfway through). Butter and flour an 8.5 x 4.5 x 3-inch loaf pan, and line with parchment paper.
2. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt three times. Set aside.
3. Brown 2.5 tbsp butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until amber-colored. Remove foam, cool, and set aside.
4. In a small bowl, whisk eggs with vanilla extract.
5. In a mixer, beat softened butter until creamy. Slowly add sugar and continue mixing until fluffy.
6. Add heavy cream and mascarpone, and beat until smooth.
7. Gradually add dry ingredients and eggs, alternating between the two.
8. Toss white chocolate chunks and cranberries in a bit of flour to coat, then fold into the batter.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Tap the pan gently to remove air bubbles. Using a butter knife, make a line down the center and pour browned butter into it.
10. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If using a standard oven, you may need an additional 10 minutes of baking time. If the cake browns too quickly, cover with foil.

For the Frosting:

1. Cream together softened butter and cream cheese until smooth.
2. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat until thick and spreadable. Mix in vanilla extract.
3. Once the cake is completely cooled, spread the frosting on top and chill until set.

For the Garnish:

1. Melt white chocolate chips with vegetable oil over low heat until smooth. Let cool slightly if too thin.
2. Sprinkle dried cranberries over the frosted cake and drizzle with melted chocolate. You can use a spoon or transfer the chocolate to a ziplock bag, snip the corner, and pipe the drizzle.

Enjoy your beautiful, decadent Cranberry White Chocolate Pound Cake! Perfect for a cozy holiday dessert.