A cranberry pomegranate cake is a perfect fall time dessert. Fresh cranberries and pomegranate are a great addition to this spiced cake.
I can not find enough ways to to eat cranberries once fall rolls around. They are one of my favorite fruits during that time of year. So when all else fails I will put them in a cake. This super moist cake is perfect for your holiday gatherings and practically screams fall. It is great with a cup of warm mulled cider or wine. With just a little tartness from the orange glaze this cake makes for the perfect end to a meal and it is sure to be gone in a flash.
In this recipe
For me easy to access and simple ingredients make for the best recipes and this one is no different. When fall rolls in cranberries and pomegranates are all over the place and make for the best ingredients. For the whole recipe you will only need one orange for both the juice and the zest. Cardamom is a spice that pairs well with all three fruits without overpowering each so you can taste them all. The buttermilk and oil make sure that this cake stays soft and moist.
Removing pomegranate seeds like a pro
One of the things that makes eating pomegranates a nuisance to a lot of people is removing the arils from the rind. First you want to cut a ring around the top of the pomegranate. Then remove the top. There will a white pith and several veins that branch out from the middle to the rind. Make a slice through the rind from the top to the bottom at the end of that white line. Then pull the separate slices down and away from the center of the fruit. You can easily knock out the arils with a spoon or use your hands.
No need to thaw
When using the fresh cranberries you will want to add them right into the batter. However if you are using frozen cranberries or frozen pomegranate arils you don’t want to thaw them first. The reason for this is as the the cranberries or pomegranate arils have been frozen they become softer when they thaw. If you thaw them in the sink then a lot of the delicious cranberry and pomegranate juice will be lost. This would make it less flavorful than the non-frozen version.
Baking a cranberry pomegranate cake
When making this cake you will not have to spend a lot of time beating the batter. This is mainly because this cake uses oil instead of butter so there will not be a lot of air to beat into this batter. Also make sure that you gently fold in the cranberries and pomegranates to prevent them from bursting before cooking. Since this cake has brown sugar in it the batter will be darker so make sure the toothpick or knife comes out clean before removing if from the oven.
Looking for other cranberry recipes?
Cranberry and Pomegranate Cake
Equipment
- Bundt pan
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Mixing Bowl
- Spatula
- Whisk
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
Cranberry pomegranate cake:
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour spoon and leveled
- 2 cups cranberries fresh or frozen, don't thaw if frozen
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- ¾ cup canola oil
- ¾ cup buttermilk room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tablespoons orange zest about 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- ½ teaspoon salt
Orange glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
Making the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 F, 177 C, or gas mark 4. Grease and flour bundt cake pan and set aside. In a mixing bowl combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and cardamom and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed, mix the oil and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time waiting at least 1 minute between each egg scraping the bowl as needed.
- Reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla and orange zest. Mix until completely combined.
- Starting with the dry ingredients add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and mix until just combined. Add half of the buttermilk and continue alternating the wet and dry ingredients mixing until just combined.
- Carefully fold in cranberries and pomegranate seeds.
- Transfer to bundt cake pan and bake for 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let it cool inside the pan for 10 minutes on a cooling rack then flip onto the cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the glaze:
- In a mixing bowl gently whisk the powdered sugar and orange juice together. Thin the glaze with milk if needed.
- Pour on top of the cake. Top with pomegranate seeds.
Nutrition
This Bundt cake recipe of yours is so pretty and looks delicious. Saving this for my sister’s birthday! Thanks!
I have not had a cake like this before. The colors would it great for a holiday cake! Thanks for the recipe share.
Wow! This Cranberry cake looks so delicious and very yummy! The texture and presentation make it so enticing and very tempting! I love it already!
This looks so yummy! I’m such a huge fan of bundt cakes so this recipe is a must-make for me. Will save it for later!
What a fabulous cake recipe! And your tips were for easily removing the pomegranate seeds worked perfectly.
Your Cranberry Pomegranate Cake recipe is an absolute delight! The festive flavors and moist texture make it a perfect treat for any occasion
The cranberry pomegranate cake recipe here is a wonderful. It’s both beautiful and tasty. Love the orange notes. Yum!
Mmmm I love a tasty bundt and this one baked up perfectly. As someone who loves both cranberry and pomegranate, I will be baking this cake year round. Why save it for the holidays?
This cake was so moist, easy to make and full of cranberry and pomegranate flavors. I’ll definitely be making this again.
Bundt cakes this time of the year are my favorite thing to make. I have never tired the combination of cranberry with pomegranate. Sounds fun. Can’t wait to try. Thanks
I love bundt cakes. With fall just around the corner, this is a great recipe. Perfect for all the fall celebrations.
My nephew loves both cranberries and pomegranate. I made your delicious cake this past weekend at his going away party and it was a huge hit. He was so happy and is actually going to pack a few slices for his trip!