Mini Cranberry Pound Cakes

These delicious Mini Cranberry Pound Cakes are the perfect dessert (or breakfast!) for Thanksgiving or Christmas day. Garnished with sugared cranberries, these mini loaves literally burst with flavors of the season. Use the leftover cranberry syrup to make a holiday cocktail, or use the leftover cranberries to garnish a glass of sparkling wine, like Asti Spumante — which is a tasty pairing for this dessert!

Prep40 min
Total Time3 hr
Skill LevelBeginner

Amount16

Ingredients & Tools
Instructions

Instructions

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To make sugared cranberries: combine 1 cup granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour warm syrup over cranberries and refrigerate 1-1/2 hours or up to overnight.
Drain cranberries, reserving syrup for another use. Combine remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and sparkling sugar in a small bowl. Working with about 1/4 cup cranberries at a time, roll cranberries in sugar and spread out onto parchment paper to dry. If sugar becomes clumpy, add additional granulated sugar.
Preheat the oven to 325º. Spray mega mini fluted tube pan with vegetable pan spray.
In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Add sugar and beat 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat until well combined. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed for 1 minute, scraping bottom and sides of bowl as needed. Fold in chopped cranberries. Divide batter evenly among pan cavities, smoothing tops.
Bake for 19-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling grid 5 minutes before removing to cooling grid to cool completely.
In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar and cranberry juice. Dip tops of cakes in glaze and top with sugared cranberries, reserving remaining cranberries for another use.