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Lisa Steele of the Fresh Eggs Daily Blog traded a Wall Street life for a small Maine farm, where she’s been raising chickens and cooking up feasts with their eggs.
She’s compiled her recipes in The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook: Over 100 Fabulous Recipes to Use Eggs in Unexpected Ways.
A pound cake recipe may not be unexpected, but this Cranberry Pound Cake is a memorable addition to holiday fare.
It has cream cheese frosting, a white chocolate glaze, and a garnish of sugared whole cranberries and fresh rosemary sprigs.
The book is all about the magic of eggs, and it begs the question:
Are fresh eggs really better? Is it worth getting up at the crack of dawn to brave the elements and collect eggs from broody chickens, for example?
Says Lisa:
“I can verify firsthand that it’s all worth it, and I highly recommend always cooking with and eating the freshest eggs possible. It does make a difference.
“After your first bite of egg from a happy, healthy backyard chicken who fills up on weeds and grasses, bugs, and edible flowers and herbs, you’ll immediately understand the difference.”
But that doesn’t mean you need chickens of your own. The book gives you tips to finding the freshest eggs, wherever you are.
WHAT IS A HALF POUND CAKE?
Lisa calls her recipe a half-pound cake, not a pound cake.
The original pound cake recipe required a pound of flour, a pound of sugar, a pound of butter, and a pound of eggs. It weighed four pounds and was baked in a much larger loaf pan than the 6 cups of batter held in the 8-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ loaf pan used here.
The 6 cups of batter will create a cake that weighs just under two pounds*. Thus, it’s a tongue-in-cheek “half pound” cake.
Here’s an original pound cake recipe from 1700s England.
“If you want to make a full pound cake, double the ingredients and bake it in a Bundt or tube pan,” says Lisa.
“This festive half-pound loaf cake is one of my standard holiday recipes. It’s quick and easy to make, and the presentation enhances any holiday dessert table.”
Follow Lisa on Instagram @fresheggsdaily.
> The history of pound cake.
> The history of cake.
> The different types of cake: a photo glossary.
> The history of cranberries.
RECIPE: HOLIDAY CRANBERRY HALF-POUND LOAF CAKE
This recipe is made in a 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 inch loaf pan.
If you like over-the-top desserts, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Check the footnote† for tips on keeping leftover pound cake.
Ingredients For 1 Loaf
Butter and flour for prepping the pan
1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 tablespoon plus 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 eggs, room temperature, cracked
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
For The Cream Cheese Frosting
1/4 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
For The Sugared Cranberries
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
Fresh cranberries
Granulated sugar
Parchment paper
For The White Chocolate Glaze
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 teaspoon coconut oil (substitute grapeseed, safflower)
Additional Garnishes
Fresh rosemary sprigs
Confectioners’ sugar
Preparation
1. BAKE the cake. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 inch loaf pan with butter, then dust with flour.
2. TOSS the cranberries with the tablespoon of flour in a small bowl.
3. BEAT the butter and sugar using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium, about 2 minutes, until light lemon-yellow and fluffy.
4. ADD 1 egg at a time to the mixture and beat until incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5. ADD the vanilla bean paste and scrape down the sides of the bowl one last time.
6. WHISK to combine the 1-3/4 cups of flour and the salt. With the mixer set to low, gradually add the flour mixture to the batter. Beat until blended, then use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to fold in the cranberries.
7. USE a rubber spatula to scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.
8. BAKE for 55 to 60 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool the loaf in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert the pan and remove the loaf.
9. SET the loaf on the rack to cool, about 1 hour, while you make the frosting and glaze. If you want to break the recipe into two parts, wrap the cake and refrigerate it overnight; then make the frosting the following day.
10. MAKE the frosting. Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla bean paste on medium about 2 minutes, until smooth. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the confectioners’ sugar. Beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
11. SPREAD the frosting on the cooled loaf, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set the frosting.
12. MAKE the sugared cranberries. In a small bowl whisk 1 egg white with 1 tablespoon of water. Sprinkle a small plate with sugar. For as many sugared cranberries as desired, dip the cranberries in the egg wash, roll them in the sugar, and dry them on parchment paper.
13. MAKE the glaze. Melt the chocolate with the oil in a small saucepan over a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Add more oil if necessary until the glaze is a drizzling consistency.
14. SLICE the cake and arrange on individual plates. Use a pastry bag or spoon to drizzle the glaze over the slices.
15. GARNISH with the sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs, and dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired.
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