Christmas Cranberry Pound Cake

A delicious and easy Christmas dessert recipe. This decadent pound cake is packed with cranberries and has a white chocolate and cream cheese frosting! 

1 1/2 cups plus 3 Tablespoons cake flour-sifted 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup cranberries (fresh or thawed)
5 oz white chocolate chunk
1/2 cup unsalted butter-softened at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar 
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons browned butter

Frosting:
1/4 cup unsalted butter-

4 oz.cream cheese-softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (or more to make it thick enough to spread on top of the cake)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish:
handful dried cranberries
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

• Preheat the convection air oven to 325 F 
• If you don’t have convection air oven raise the temperature to 350 F and you will have to rotate the pan half way through the baking time
• Butter and flour 8.5 x 4.5 x 3 (or 9 x 5 x 3 )inches loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
• Combine cake flour, baking powder and salt and sift it three times, set aside.
• In a small sauce pan over medium heat brown 2.5 Tbsp butter until it’s nice amber color
• Remove the foam and set aside to cool.
• Whisk the egg with vanilla extract and set aside.
• Mix the butter on medium speed until it’s creamy
• Slowly add sugar and continue beating until it’s creamy.
• Add heavy cream and mascarpone, and beat on medium speed.
• Turn mixer on low speed and gradually add dry ingredients alternately with eggs.
• Add handful flour in chocolate chunks and toss them to cover evenly. 
• Toss cranberries with a handful flour to cover them completely.
• Add chocolate chunks in the batter and stir well, then gently stir in cranberries
• Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan, smooth the top 
• Gently tap the pan on working surface to remove the air bubbles.
• With a butter knife draw a line down the center of the pound cake 
• Pour browned butter into the line.
• Bake until the top of the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean (about 55 to 65 minutes). 
•  If you don’t have convection air oven, baking time might be about 10 minutes longer. 
• If the top starts browning too much tent the cake with aluminum foil
• Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool on the rack.
• When the cake is completely cooled prepare the glaze.
• With a mixer, cream together softened butter and cream cheese until smooth. 
• Slowly add in powdered sugar and beat until smooth, mix in vanilla extract. 
• Spread on top of the cake.
• Place the cake in the fridge until the frosting is set.
• When the frosting is set melt 1/2 cup white chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a small sauce pan over low heat until it’s smooth( cool if it’s too thin)
• Sprinkle the cake with dried cranberries and drizzle with chocolate. 
• You can drizzle the chocolate with a spoon or transfer it into small zip-lock bag, cut off the corner and pipe the chocolate over the cake

Note: If you are using frozen cranberries, thaw them first, rinse with cold water until the water is clear, drain the cranberries and then dry them on paper towel.

Recipe: OMG Chocolate Desserts