Cranberries, sour cream elevate pound cake
Fresh berries add tartness and a delightful pop of colour to this buttery, tangy cake
Pound cake is simple but elegant; it’s also incredibly rich. We thought tart cranberries and tangy sour cream would provide a welcome contrast to the buttery cake, and the bright cranberries would also add a burst of colour for an extra-special dessert.
We wanted this pound cake to have a crumb that wasn’t quite as tight as a classic all-butter pound cake, so we used all-purpose flour instead of cake flour and we thoroughly creamed the butter.
While cranberries should add tartness, fresh cranberries can border on acerbic. To tame the sourness, we tossed coarsely chopped cranberries with confectioners’ sugar before adding them to the batter; this also prevented them from sinking to the bottom of the pan.
Baking the loaf slowly (for almost two hours) in a low (300 F) oven ensured the inside cooked through before the exterior got too brown. If you’re using frozen cranberries, there’s no need to thaw them first. The ideal temperature for the eggs and butter is 60 F. The test kitchen’s preferred loaf pan measures 8½by-4½-inches; if you use a 9-by 5-inch loaf pan, start checking for doneness five minutes early.
Cranberry Sour Cream Pound Cake
Makes 8 servings
5 large eggs, room temperature 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 3⁄4 cups (8 3⁄4 ounces) all-purpose flour
Salt 1⁄2 tsp baking powder 1⁄3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons milk
14 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 14 pieces and softened but still cool
1 1⁄4 cups (8 3⁄4 ounces) granulated sugar
4 ounces (1 cup) fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped coarse 1 tbsp confectioners’ sugar
Start to finish: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Adjust oven rack to lowermiddle position and heat oven to 300 F. Spray 8½-by-4½-inch loaf pan with baking spray with flour.
Whisk eggs and vanilla together in 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Sift flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, and baking powder into bowl. Whisk sour cream and milk together in second bowl.
Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter on mediumhigh speed until smooth and creamy, two to three minutes, scraping down bowl once. Reduce speed to medium and gradually add granulated sugar. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until pale and fluffy, three to five minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Reduce speed to medium and gradually add egg mixture in slow, steady stream. Scrape down bowl and continue to mix on medium speed until uniform, about one minute (batter may look slightly curdled). Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with sour cream mixture in two additions, scraping down bowl as needed. Give batter final stir by hand. Toss cranberries with confectioners’ sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt in bowl until evenly coated, then gently but thoroughly fold into batter.
Transfer batter to prepared pan and gently tap pan on counter to release air bubbles. Bake until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean, 1¾ hours to 1 hour and 55 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan and let cool completely on rack, about two hours. Serve. (Cake can be stored at room temperature for up to three days or frozen for up to one month; defrost cake at room temperature.)
Per serving: 450 calories (221 calories or 49 per cent from fat); 25 grams fat (15 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 192 milligrams cholesterol; 117 mg sodium; 51 g carbohydrate; 1 g fibre; 33 g sugar; 6 g protein.