Sweet Potato Cranberry Pound Cake

This Sweet Potato Cranberry Pound Cake has willingly accepted the assignment, and comes ready for center stage: granulated sugar and brown sugar dance deliciously together to add absolutely incredible flavor, with deep molasses notes. The sweet/tart cranberries give wonderful lil’ *pops* of amazing contrasting flavor, and the sweet potatoes in the batter give the smooth, delightful texture that they are supposed to give, as well as enhancing the sweet notes from the sugar. The maple syrup in the batter does its own enhancing…of the maple notes in the sweet potatoes. And, to finish, there’s the most outstanding Maple Cranberry Cream Cheese Glaze that is even more decadent than it sounds.

If Thanksgiving was a symphony, BB, this cake is the emotional, fortissimo swell of music at the end of the show that brings everyone to their feet, moved to tears.

Let’s get right into this recipe.

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The Recipe

Sweet Potato Cranberry Pound Cake

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This Sweet Potato Cranberry Pound Cake is the apex Thanksgiving dessert. Rich but balanced, it has a one-of-a-kind contrasting texture that is created by the melt-in-your-mouth sweet potato cake and the delicious sweet/tart cranberries. Be prepared to delight and wow your guess, and also be prepared to go home with an empty cake plate at the end of the night!

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

Ingredients

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For the Batter:

• 384 g (3 c) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 227 g (1 c) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 350 g (1 3/4 c) granulated sugar
• 150 g (3/4 c) dark brown sugar
• 5 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp maple extract or bourbon (optional)
• 1/2 vanilla bean or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 425 g (1 can) sweet potato puree (or about 1.5 large or 2.5 medium sweet potatoes) * I strongly recommend using fresh sweet potatoes! *
• 3 tbsp real maple syrup
• 200 g (2 c) fresh cranberries, whole
• Finishing sugar (optional)

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 Cranberry Maple Cream Cheese Glaze:

• 154 g (2/3 c) cream cheese, room temperature
• 240 g (2 c) confectioner’s sugar
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 2 tbsp gelled cranberry sauce (Yes! The kind in the can!)
• 1–2 tsp whole milk (start with 1)

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Instructions

If Using Fresh Sweet Potatoes (recommended):

1. Peel, rinse and dice the sweet potatoes into a medium dice. Place the sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover fully with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, and allow to boil for 10-15 minutes, or until fork tender.
2. Remove the sweet potatoes from the heat. Process through a potato ricer or food processor until smooth.
3. Place in a heat-proof bowl to cool. Add maple syrup and combine. Set aside to cool while you prepare the batter.

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, allspice, cinnamon, baking soda, and kosher salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Place the granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice the vanilla bean pod open (if using). Then, use the knife to scrape out the vanilla beans from the vanilla bean pod. Add the vanilla beans to the sugar mixture and use your fingers to massage the vanilla beans into the sugar. Alternatively, you can add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla beans to a deli cup, snap on the lid, and shake to your heart’s content! Set aside until ready to use.
4. Place the butter into a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until the butter is completely smooth.
5. Add the vanilla-infused sugar mixture and cream until light and fluffy. (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.
6. 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.
7. Add pure vanilla extract (if using) and/or maple extract/bourbon (if using) and mix until fully combined. If you’re not using pure vanilla extract in this recipe because you’re using vanilla beans, you only need to add your maple extract/bourbon at this point.
8. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until nearly combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
9. Add all of the sweet potato puree and mix on low speed until nearly combined.
10. 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.
11. 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 the batter is cohesive and the cranberries are distributed evenly.
12. Prepare a 12- or 15-cup bundt pan as you normally would and place the batter into the pan. Bake at 325° for 70-80 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the cake reaches 212°F.
13. 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 Cranberry Maple Cream Cheese Glaze:

1. Place the room temperature cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, mix until completely smooth.
2. Add the confectioner’s sugar, fine sea salt, vanilla extract, maple syrup, cranberry sauce, and 1 tsp of whole milk. Using a small whisk, stir to combine.Do not be fooled into adding additional ingredients too quickly! The more you stir, the more the glaze will come together.
3. If absolutely necessary, add one more teaspoon of whole milk, ½ teaspoon at a time. Stir until the glaze has the consistency of thick honey.
4. Using a spouted measuring cup, squeeze bottle, or spoon, pour the glaze over the completely cooled cake. If desired, top with finishing sugar.
5. Enjoy!

Equipment

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Notes

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

• Author: Shani
• Prep Time: 1 hour (active)
• Cook Time: 60-70 minutes
• Category: Dessert

Ingredients in this Sweet Potato Cranberry Pound Cake

When you understand the role that each ingredient plays in your cake, it’s like having a backstage pass to a magic show! When you know why each ingredient is there and what it’s doing, you’re not just following a recipe – you’re mastering the art and science of cake making. Let’s break down each ingredient in this Sweet Potato Cranberry Pound Cake so you can increase your pound cake knowledge for all of your future baking adventures.

All-Purpose Flour: The backbone of our pound cake, flour provides the essential structure that makes cake actually hold together as cake. In a pound cake, we want just the right amount of structure for that signature tight crumb, but not too much – that’s why we mix just until combined and use all-purpose flour rather than bread flour or cake flour!

Allspice & Cinnamon: These two spices aren’t just about flavor – they contain natural compounds that enhance our perception of sweetness, meaning we get incredible taste without as much sugar. They also create super cozy aromatic notes, which the cake seem even more satisfying.

Kosher Salt: Beyond just enhancing flavors, salt plays a crucial role in strengthening gluten structure and supporting the Maillard reaction, which creates those delicious browned, complex flavors in our pound cake. Salt also helps balance sweetness and acts on our taste buds to amplify all the other flavors in the cake, making every bite more vibrant and satisfying.

Baking Soda: This potent lil’ powerhouse reacts with the acidic components in our pound cake (those cranberries) to create carbon dioxide bubbles. Those bubbles get trapped in the batter as it bakes, helping our cake rise and creating a tender, light texture.

Butter: More than just delicious, butter is a multitasking marvel in pound cake baking. During creaming, butter traps air bubbles that expand during baking for lift, while its fat content coats flour proteins to limit gluten development, ensuring tenderness. As it melts in the oven, it also creates steam that helps the cake rise.

Granulated Sugar: Beyond sweetness, sugar helps create a more delicate texture in our pound cake. During creaming, sugar crystals create tiny air pockets in the butter that expand during baking, contributing to the cake’s rise.

Dark Brown Sugar: With its molasses content, dark brown sugar brings both moisture and acidity to our pound cake. The molasses also contains compounds that react with proteins during baking (called the Maillard reaction), creating deeper flavor and that beautiful golden-brown color.

Eggs: Eggs are the great emulsifiers of the baking world, helping oil and water-based ingredients play nicely together while providing structure through protein. The fat in the yolks adds richness, while the proteins in both yolks and whites firm up during baking to help the cake set.

Maple Extract/Bourbon & Vanilla: These flavor enhancers work differently than simple sweeteners – they contain aromatic compounds that stimulate both our taste buds and our sense of smell, creating a more complex and satisfying flavor experience. Vanilla particularly contains hundreds of flavor compounds that enhance other ingredients.

Sweet Potato Puree: Sweet potato adds natural sweetness and incredible moisture through its high water content, while its starches help create a tender crumb. The natural sugars in sweet potato also caramelize during baking, contributing to both flavor development and that beautiful color.

Maple Syrup: Real maple syrup isn’t just about sweetness – it contains natural compounds that create complex flavor notes. Its liquid form also contributes to the pound cake’s moisture content while its unique sugars help create that lovely browned crust during baking.

Fresh Cranberries: These tart berries do more than provide bursts of flavor – their acidity helps activate the baking soda, making them an active participant in the cake’s texture development. As they bake, they release moisture that creates lovely pockets of tartness throughout the pound cake.

Finishing Sugar: Optional but genius, finishing sugar is sprinkled on top about 10 minutes after glazing (this timing is key – it prevents the sugar from being absorbed into the glaze). These larger sugar crystals create a delightful crunch that contrasts beautifully with the smooth, tender cake and creamy glaze beneath, while also adding an appealing sparkle to your finished pound cake.

Techniques for the Best Cakes

One of the absolute best things about this Sweet Potato 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 Sweet Potato Cranberry 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: The Time to Make this One is NOW

Like, right now. This cake is new, exciting, and it’s ready to cause a positive stir this Thanksgiving. Featuring two of the major Thanksgiving players (sweet potatoes and cranberries), it will be the perfect segue between the savory and sweet portions of the meal. 

BB, I am so excited for you to try this one! Make sure you tag me on Instagram @beginwithbutter when you make it, so that I can give you all the props! If you have questions, please don’t hesitate! Reach out to me at bakingbestie@beginwithbutter.com and let’s have a chat! I want you to be serve a successful cake to the aunties this year. 😊

See you tomorrow for Day 11! XOXO