Homemade Poundcake with Cranberries

A loaf of cranberry-topped lemon cake on a wooden board, with one slice cut and a halved lemon.

Homemade Poundcake with Cranberries

This cranberry pound cake has a dense, moist crumb made with almond flour, cream cheese, and fresh lemon juice. A cranberry topping bakes underneath the cake and flips onto the surface as it cools, creating a glossy finish without extra decorating.

Course Cake, Dessert, Desserts

Cuisine American, International

Keyword baking powder, best pound cake, best pound cake recipe, bundt cake, cake batter, cake flour, cake recipes, classic pound cake, cream cheese pound cake, dense cake, homemade whipped cream, lemon pound cake, light and fluffy, make pound cake, moist, pound cake batter, pound cake recipe, pound cakes, scrape down the sides, simple ingredients, traditional pound cake, vanilla extract, whipped cream

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 15

Chill Time 1

Total Time 2 35

Servings Slices

Calories 213kcal

Author Zuzana Paar

Equipment

Ingredients

Cranberry Topping

1½ Cups Cranberries fresh or frozen
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1½ Cups Water
½ teaspoon Stevia Powder
½ teaspoon Xanthan Gum

Cake

½ Cup Unsalted Butter room temperature
1 cup Erythritol
½ teaspoon Stevia Powder
6 Ounces Cream Cheese softened
1 teaspoon Zest from 1 Lemon
3 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
5 Eggs
2½ Cups Almond Flour
1½ teaspoons Baking Powder

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°Fahrenheit (180°Celsius), line two loaf pans, and bring the butter and cream cheese to room temperature.
Cook the cranberries, lemon juice, water, and stevia until reduced, then stir in xanthan gum until thick.
Beat the butter, sweeteners, and cream cheese, then mix in the lemon, eggs, almond flour, and baking powder.
Divide the cranberry mixture between the pans, top with the batter, and bake for about 1 hour.
Cool completely in the pans, then invert onto serving plates and remove the parchment.

Notes

Do not flip the cakes while they are still warm. The cranberry layer needs to be fully set before it releases cleanly from the pan. Patience here saves the presentation.
Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl after each addition so that every part of the batter is evenly combined, and no pockets of unmixed flour remain at the bottom.
If you like vanilla in a pound cake, add a teaspoon to the batter alongside the lemon juice for a warmer, more rounded flavor without overpowering the citrus.
Use fresh cranberries when they are in season for a sharper, more vibrant topping. Frozen cranberries work just as well out of season; just don't thaw them before adding them to the pan.

Nutrition