Try this perfect cranberry pound cake recipe. It’s tart and sweet, with just the right consistency. It’s easy to make, even for beginners! This dessert is the perfect addition to the holiday season!
If you’re looking for a delicious and festive recipe full of holiday flavors, we’ve got just the thing: Cranberry Pound Cake!
Cranberry Pound Cake is so tasty and easy to make, it will be your new favorite to make for this time of year for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
This classic dessert has a rich buttery texture, not too sweet, and the perfect amount of tartness of fresh cranberries. This cranberry cake recipe can be made ahead of time so it’s easy to enjoy during the holidays!
Make the most of cranberries this fall by stocking up on them in October and November. Once Thanksgiving is over, you’ll have a difficult time finding any for yourself! So pick some bags up to freeze so that they’re ready when it’s time to make delicious recipes like this Cranberry Cake.
The bundt pan is the perfect bake-ware to create a beautiful and moist cake.
Take a look at the ingredients list below and let me know what you think in the comments section!
How to Make a Christmas Cranberry Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup softened butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 12 oz cranberries
Instructions
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepared loaf pan or bundt pan.
Cream butter until it is light and fluffy with your electric mixer or stand mixer.
Whisk in remaining wet ingredients: eggs and vanilla.
Add in the dry ingredients and beat on low speed, moving to medium speed once the flour has been mostly incorporated.
Wash and dry cranberries. Fold in the cranberries.
Pour batter into a prepared pan give it a light tap on the counter to remove air bubbles.
Bake in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean from the center of the cake.
Cool on a wire rack and lightly dust with powdered sugar.
Tips to Removing Your Cranberry Pound Cake from the Bundt Pan
One of the most stressful moments in cake making is removing bundt cakes from the pan.
Cover the inside of the bakeware with a generous layer of cake release or cooking spray prior to baking. Let it cool for about 15 minutes on a cooling rack after taking it out of the oven. Once you’ve done this, carefully turn over bottom side up so that gravity pulls down to remove easily without breaking apart or cracking.
Alternatives to this Delicious Cranberry Bundt Cake
- This delicious pound cake makes a great gift at Christmas time. Bake individual loaves in a 5-inch loaf pan.
- Make your recipe into an orange cranberry pound cake by mixing in 2 tsp of orange zest or orange juice. The sweetness of orange pairs wonderfully with the cranberry flavors.
- Drizzle this great recipe with a cream cheese frosting.
Yes. Let your pound cake cool to room temperature, then wrap in aluminum foil and put your cake into a freezer safe ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
No need to thaw your frozen cranberries.
If you love cranberries as much as I do, be sure to also check out some of these other delicious recipes using them!
Leftover Cranberry Sauce Muffins
Cranberry Oat No Bake Bars
Cranberry Upside Down Cake
If you make one of these festive pound cakes, take a photo and share it with us! We would love to see your holiday table spread come together. Let me know what you think of this particular recipe in the comments below or on our social media channels (@mommalewsblog).

Cranberry Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 12 oz cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and soften butter.
- Mix together sugar and eggs.
- Add vanilla and butter.
- Slowly beat in flour.
- Fold in cranberries.
- Pour into a prepared bundt pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let your cranberry cake cook and then lightly dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
Tips to Removing Your Cranberry Pound Cake from the Bundt Pan
One of the most stressful moments in cake making is removing bundt cakes from the pan.
Cover the inside of the bakeware with a generous layer of cake release or cooking spray prior to baking. Let it cool for about 15 minutes on a cooling rack after taking it out of the oven. Once you've done this, carefully turn over bottom side up so that gravity pulls down to remove easily without breaking apart or cracking.
Alternatives to this Delicious Cake
This delicious pound cake makes a great gift at Christmas time. Bake individual loaves in a 5-inch loaf pan.
Make your recipe into an orange cranberry pound cake by mixing in 2 tsp of orange zest or orange juice. The sweetness of orange pairs wonderfully with the cranberry flavors.
Drizzle this great recipe with a cream cheese frosting.
Can you freeze Cranberry Pound Cake?
Yes. Let your pound cake cool to room temperature, then wrap in aluminum foil and put your cake into a freezer safe ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Do I need to thaw frozen cranberries?
No need to thaw your frozen cranberries.
Terry McGovern
Wednesday 26th of January 2022
Love recipe not a million different ingredients, made twice 2nd time used honey fermented cranberries both ways excellent. My go to recipe, easy,all ingredients on hand. Thanks .
Nan R.
Friday 7th of January 2022
I actually made this cake. It's not only easy; it's absolutely delicious. My neighbor plowed my driveway for me in the last snowstorm and I needed a gift for him so I took a chance on this recipe. It was perfect, and by the way, I worked as a professional pastry chef in NYC so I know good from bad. It has a golden, crisp crust and is tender within. FYI I halved the sugar, and it was plenty sweet. I also used salted butter because there's no salt in the recipe though you don't need it. You must add the eggs slowly or the butter will curdle; I suggest beating the eggs together first, then slowly pour them in as you keep mixing. To get that tender crumb, don't overmix it. I used two loaf pans and filled one 3/4 of the way, and the other half the way so my first pan would not be over-full. Thanks for the great recipe!
momma lew
Friday 7th of January 2022
This just made me day reading this, thank you!!!!!
Mary Ellen Lattig
Tuesday 15th of December 2020
OMG, so yummy! Sometimes I drizzle a bit icing on it.
momma lew
Tuesday 15th of December 2020
OH! What kind of frosting do you use?
Brittney
Tuesday 26th of November 2019
I made this today (my first bundt cake). It was very easy to make. My first bite was amazing, but on second bite i decided it was too sweet and needed more cranberries so I will adjust the sugar and cranberries next time. I do not like overly sweet or buttery things and I prefer lightly sweet and tart so it is probably just me. I suspect a crowd would really enjoy this. How did you get the sides of the cake so well sifted with sugar? Did you have to roll it on its side? (Tip for those wondering about prepping the pan: I melted shortening and smeared it on with a pastry brush very thoroughly and then threw in some flour, put press and seal over the pan and then shook it all over to make sure the flour adhered evenly. Then i dumped the excess flour in the sink. I waited 5min to cool and then tipped over the pan. It came out so easy).
momma lew
Tuesday 26th of November 2019
I use a sifter to dust with the powdered sugar and then it sprinkles it on perfectly.
Cranberry Fluff - Momma Lew
Thursday 3rd of October 2019
[…] that is so versatile! Besides enjoying the berries on my holiday plate, I love to enjoy them in cakes, cookies, salads and this cranberry fluff […]