Homemade cranberry curd baked into a buttery, pound cake; can life get any better?! This pound cake is lightly flavored with lemon, which adds a nice brightness to the rich cake and compliments the cranberry curd filling, without overpowering it. Pound cake has always been one of my favorite cakes, especially with strawberries and whipped cream. However, ‘tis the season, why not infuse it with a little extra holiday spirit?! Cranberries it is!

Step 1:

Let’s begin by making the cranberry curd! Take a pan and add water & cranberries. Turn on medium heat and let the cranberries simmer until they are softened. Keep them in the pan to cool, as they will absorb the water.

STEP 2:

Once the cranberries have cooled slightly, puree them over a fine mesh strainer into a bowl.

STEP 3:

In a heat proof bowl add egg yolks and sugar. Blanch the egg yolks & sugar for about a minute. Add in the cranberry puree and give it another quick whisk. Using a double broiler or a pan that will fit the bowl without letting the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Fill up the pan about 1 inch high of water. Make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl, this is important as it could burn your curd. Let the water gently boil and place the bowl on the pan. Whisk for about 3 minutes, add in softened butter. Whisk again until all butter is melted, about 2 more minutes. Switch to a silicon spatula and continue to scrap and stir the curd for another 5 minutes. The curd should thicken and be the consistency of a smooth pudding. Spoon the curd into a shallow bowl and place in the refrigerator to chill.

STEP 4:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Beat sugar, butter, and cream cheese in a stand mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. The air from beating the sugar, butter, and cream cheese will help the pound cake rise. Add the eggs in one at a time, making sure to beat well and scrape down the bowl after each addition. Add in the vanilla and lemon extract. Make sure to only add 1/8 tsp of the lemon extract, this gives it a subtle flavor. Lemon extract is potent and it can over power the cake, we just want a hint of lemon flavor. If you aren’t sold on the lemon flavor, feel free to omit the lemon extract. I like the vanilla pound cake flavor with cranberry curd too! Turn down the mixer to low speed and slowly add the flour in 1/2 cup increments into the batter, blending until just incorporated.

Step 5:

In a parchment lined and greased loaf pan, add 1/2 the cake batter, then add the cranberry curd in spoonfuls (reserved 3 tbsp of the curd for the icing), use a knife and gently swirl the curd around. Top the remaining half of cake batter over the curd, completely covering it. Bake in the preheated over, on a lower middle rack, for about 1 hour and 25 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Step 6:

Make the cranberry curd frosting by mixing together the powdered sugar, cranberry curd, and hot water together until smooth. Once the pound cake has cooled, drizzle the frosting over the top! Garnish with sugared cranberries and enjoy!

Ingredients

cranberry curd

1 1/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp butter, softened
1/4 tsp vanilla

Pound cake

1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces (1/2 block) cream cheese, softened
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp lemon extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking soda

Frosting

2 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp cranberry curd
2 tbsp hot water

Instructions:

Cranberry curd

In a pan add water and cranberries, let simmer until cranberries are softened, let sit for a minute to cool
Strain the cranberries (water should have absorbed into them) into a bowl. Pressing down and getting as much puree as possible
In a heat proof bowl add egg yolks and sugar. Whisk together for about a minute. Add in the cranberry puree and give it another quick whisk
Use a double broiler or heat a pan of water, about 1 inch high, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk for about 3 minutes, add in softened butter
Whisk until all butter is melted, about 2 minutes
Switch to a silicon spatula and continue to scrap and stir the curd for another 5 minutes. The curd should thicken and be the consistency of a smooth pudding
Spoon the curd into a shallow bowl and place in the refrigerator to chill

Pound cake:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F
Beat sugar, butter, and cream cheese in a stand mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes
Add the eggs in one at a time, making sure to beat well and scrape down the bowl after each addition. Add in the vanilla and lemon extract. Make sure to only add 1/8 tsp of lemon extract, this gives it a subtle flavor. Lemon extract is potent and it can over power the cake. Turn down the mixer to low speed and slowly add the flour in 1/2 cup increments into the batter, blending until just incorporated
In a parchment lined and greased loaf pan, add 1/2 the cake batter, add the curd in spoonfuls (reserved 3 tbsp of the curd for the icing), use a knife and gently swirl the curd around. Top the remaining half of cake batter over the curd, completely covering it
Bake in the preheated over, on a lower middle rack, for about 1 hour and 10 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean

CRANBERRY CURD FROSTING:

Mix everything together until smooth and drizzle over cooled pound cake