Apple Cranberry Pound Cake

This special cake uses unsweetened applesauce instead of diced apples, because easy. It uses bagged cranberries for a lovely sweet/tart punch of flavor, and, because I have a serious thing for spice, a lil’ kiss of cinnamon. It’s incredibly moist (🙉), with pops of flavor in every bite, and topped with a simple-but-delicious vanilla glaze.

You want this cake in your rotation, and here it is!

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The Recipe

Apple Cranberry Pound Cake

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This Apple Cranberry Pound Cake is deceptively simple but utterly delicious, and is an amazing addition to any fall dessert table. Sweet/tart cranberries, married with cinnamon and applesauce, make this a spectacular addition to your baking repertoire.

• Total Time: 5-7 hours
• Yield: 18 servings 1x

Ingredients

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For the Cake Batter:

• 384 g (3 c) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 114 g (1/2 c) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 114 g (1/2 c) cream cheese, room temperature
• 500 g (2 1/2 c) granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp apple liqueur (optional)
• 313 g (1 1/4 c) unsweetened apple sauce, room temperature
• 150 g (1 1/2 c) fresh cranberries, picked, cleaned, and dried

For the Vanilla Simple Syrup:

• 84 g (1/3 c) water
• 67 g (1/3 c) granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the Vanilla Glaze:

• 240 g (2 c) confectioner’s sugar
• 2–3 tbsp whole milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp fine salt

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Instructions

To Make the Cake:

1. Set oven to a true 325°. An oven thermometer will help you determine whether your oven is actually the correct temperature. Temperature is an important ingredient in this cake!
2. Sift together the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and kosher salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Place the butter and cream cheese into a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until the fats are completely smooth.
4. Add the granulated sugar and cream the mixture until light and fluffy. (psst…don’t know what it means to “cream until light and fluffy”? Take a look at this article!) Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary to ensure even mixing.
5. Add eggs, one at a time. Mix each egg until it’s fully incorporated before adding the next egg. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary to ensure even mixing.
6. Add pure vanilla extract and apple liqueur (if using) and mix until fully combined.
7. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until nearly combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
8. Add all of the applesauce and mix on low speed until nearly combined.
9. Add the second half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until nearly combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a stiff spatula, and fold the batter until it is smooth and combined.
10. In a medium bowl, combine the cranberries with two tablespoons of flour. Stir to coat the cranberries, then place the cranberries in a fine mesh strainer to remove the excess flour. Fold the cranberries into the batter, and combine until batter is cohesive and the cranberries are distributed evenly.
11. Prepare a 12- or 15-cup bundt pan as you normally would and place the batter into the pan. Bake at 325° for 65-75 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the cake reaches 212°F.
12. Remove the pan from the oven. After ten minutes, remove the cake from the pan by inverting the pan onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.

To Make the Vanilla Simple Syrup:

1. Place granulated sugar, water, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil.
2. Remove from the heat and add pure vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
3. Once the cake is fully cooled, brush with the fully cooled simple syrup.

To Make the Vanilla Glaze:

1. Add the confectioner’s sugar, fine sea salt, vanilla extract, and two tablespoons of whole milk to a medium mixing bowl.  Stir until the mixture is mixed but clumpy.  If all of the confectioner’s sugar won’t incorporate into the clumpy mixture, add up to another tablespoon of whole milk, ½ teaspoon at a time.
2. The final glaze should have the consistency of thick honey.
3. Pour over the cake with a spouted measuring cup, squeeze bottle, or spoon.
4. Enjoy!

Equipment

digital kitchen scale

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Notes

Want to master this Apple Cranberry Pound Cake? From achieving that perfect balance of tart cranberries and sweet apples to getting that signature dense-yet-tender crumb, I’ve gathered my best tips below! These resources will help you nail everything from the ideal fruit-to-batter ratio to that golden, crackling crust. Keep reading to make your most impressive pound cake yet!

• Author: Shani
• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 65-75 minutes
• Category: Dessert

Apple Cranberry Pound Cake Ingredients

Recipe tinkerers, unite! By reading this section, you’ll learn some of the important baking science in this recipe, which will help understand how to personalize this recipe to a degree. While I don’t recommend wholesale changes to an existing recipe, there are always fun touches that you can add to make it your own! Read on to learn more!

All-Purpose Flour – This kitchen staple is a pound cake’s backbone! While it might be tempting to reach for cake flour, stick with all-purpose for this recipe – its higher protein content gives us that pleasantly plump, tight-crumbed texture we need in a proper pound cake. Cake flour would make things too delicate and fluffy, which isn’t the goal here.

Cinnamon – Cinnamon adds cozy fall flavor, but this spice is actually a natural preservative that helps your cake stay fresher longer (but let’s be real – this cake never lasts long enough to need preserving! 😉)

Kosher Salt – Don’t even think about skipping this! Salt is your flavor balancing superhero – it counteracts the sweetness of the sugar while magically making the apple and cranberry flavors pop even more. Without it, your cake would taste flat and overly sweet, rather than perfectly balanced.

Baking Soda – This tiny but mighty ingredient is your cake’s lift ticket! When it meets the acidic cream cheese and applesauce, it creates bubbles that help your cake rise to perfectly plush heights.

Butter – Butter adds its distinctive delicious flavor, but it does so much more – as butter melts during baking, it helps tenderize the proteins in the flour to achieve perfect balance. Plus, when creamed with sugar, it traps air bubbles that give your cake that perfect pound cake texture.

Cream Cheese – Our secret weapon for an extra-moist cake! Cream cheese also adds a subtle tang that makes those sweet-tart fruit flavors sing, while its richness keeps every bite super tender.

Granulated Sugar – Sugar isn’t just for sweetness! When creamed with butter, it creates millions of tiny air pockets that give your cake structure. It also helps create that gorgeous, deep golden crust we all fight over.

Eggs – Talk about nature’s perfect contradiction! These kitchen MVPs are basically two ingredients in one shell – the proteins in the whites build structure and strength, while the fatty yolks work to tenderize those same proteins. It’s like having your own little good cop/bad cop situation right in your mixing bowl!

Vanilla Extract – More than just flavor! Vanilla actually enhances our perception of sweetness, meaning we can get maximum yum without having to add extra sugar.

Apple Liqueur – This optional ingredient is our flavor booster! Alcohol is actually really good at carrying flavor compounds, helping that apple taste reach every corner of your cake.

Applesauce – Talk about a multitasker! Beyond bringing amazing apple flavor, this ingredient is stepping in to help with moisture duty – which is exactly why we only need 4 eggs instead of the usual 6 you’d find in a classic pound cake. Plus, its acidity works with the baking soda to create the perfect rise.

Fresh Cranberries – These tart little gems do more than just taste amazing – their natural pectin helps bind moisture, keeping your cake fresh longer, while their pop of color makes every slice Instagram-worthy!

Now that you know the science, there’s some additional resources that will help you create the most perfect Apple Cranberry Pound Cake ever! First, let’s go down the yellow brick road of techniques.

Techniques for the Best Cakes

One of the absolute best things about this Apple Cranberry Pound Cake is the texture contradiction between the moist cake and the pops of cranberry. However, there are some techniques that will help you execute this cake perfectly, and I have included some links for them here! 

These resources cover so many fun techniques that will take your baking to the next level, and will allow your confidence to soar to new heights!

• My Favorite Bundt Pans
• Sifting: Quick Technique, Huge Impact
• Meet Your Kitchen BFF–Your Digital Kitchen Scale!
• Technique Tips for the Best Pound Cakes
• How to Cream Butter and Sugar (With New Video!)
• Baking 101: How to Measure Ingredients
• How to Grease a Bundt Pan
• The Best Tools for Perfect Pound Cakes
• Knowing When to Stop a Technique
• Begin with Butter Home Baking Academy | Perfect Pound Cakes Class!

These resources are super helpful to help you build consistency and confidence on your baking journey. Happy reading!

But wait! There’s more! Grab your coffee or a glass of wine and get ready to check out my favorite equipment!

Important Tools

Guess what? Begin with Butter has its own Amazon Storefront, where you can find all of the amazing equipment that I used in this Pineapple Carrot Pound Cake! Want even more specific product recommendations? Check out the product links, below.

I do get paid a commission when you purchase, but these are the tools that I use all the time in my own kitchen.

If you have these tools already, great! Think of this as a checklist to help you build the confidence that you’ll need to execute this cake!

• Taylor Oven Thermometer
• ThermoWorks Square Dot Thermometer
• Ozeri Pronto Digital Food Scale
• OXO Digital Food Scale
• KitchenAid Hand Mixer
• KitchenAid Stand Mixer 
• Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set
• Deli Containers for Prep
• OXO Spatula Set
• Sifter
• My Absolute Favorite Pound Cake Pans

Conclusion: This Cake is Sweet, Spice, and Everything Nice

This cake should be lauded for its simplicity, but also celebrated for its absolutely fantastic taste and texture. The sweetly spiced, moist cake, combined with the cranberry perfection, make this a fall dessert that you’ll want to make over and over again. When you take it to your fall gatherings, it will disappear without delay; just be prepared to babysit the dessert table once you open the cover!

I am so excited for you to make this cake! When you make this one, make sure to tag me on Instagram @beginwithbutter so that I can shout out your success!

See you tomorrow for Day 8 of the Twelve Days of Pound Cake!