We are now in the age of dairy alternatives, where you can enjoy a dense,buttery pound cake without a pat of dairy. This dairy-free cranberry orange pound cake is infused with both flavor and richness, and topped with a sweet Ginger-Orange Glaze. It’s comforting, wonderfully tender, and indulgent to please every guest.
Cranberry Orange Pound Cake that’s Dairy-Free but Oh-So-Buttery
Pound cake is a weighty dessert that’s typically made with copious amounts of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. This recipe doesn’t deviate too far from traditional, but does have its own spin. The cranberries are soaked in orange juice for extra flavor and plumpness, and the flour is cut with almond flour to aid in tenderness and to compliment the fruit with a little nuttiness.
This recipe also uses dairy-free buttery sticks in place of the dairy butter. Just a few years ago, buttery sticks were hard to find in stores – buttery spreads ruled the dairy-free kingdom. But they are beginning to take over, and can now be found at most grocers in the butter or refrigerated alternatives section. They perform a wee bit better in baking, which is why we prefer them to the spreads for this decadent cake.
One ingredient that remains unchanged from classic pound cake is the eggs. Most egg substitutes will result in a lighter cake, or a cake that won’t bake through. The best substitute option would be aquafaba, but it still produces differing results. If you need an egg-free pound cake, I recommend making this Vegan Chocolate Marble Pound Cake instead – it’s delicious!
If you confuse eggs with dairy, you’re not alone! Read this post: Are Eggs Dairy?
This Cranberry Orange Pound Cake recipe was created by Antoni Porowski, food expert and Queer Eye star, and shared with us by Country Crock Plant Butter.
Special Diet Notes: Cranberry Orange Pound Cake
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, peanut-free, soy-free, and vegetarian. Please see my notes about on eggs and a vegan option if that is a concern for you.
- 2 cups dried cranberries
- 1 cup orange juice
- 3¼ cups sugar
- 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) dairy-free buttery sticks, softened (Antoni used Country Crock Plant Butter)
- 10 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pink sea salt (can sub regular salt)
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup almond flour
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup orange juice (reserved from the cake)
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- ½ cup sliced almonds (optional)
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease and flour two loaf pans.
- Place the dried cranberries in a medium bowl and cover with the orange juice. Let them soak while you prepare the batter.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and dairy-free buttery sticks until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs two at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the zest, vanilla, salt, cardamom, and cloves. Mix until incorporated. Add the almond flour and mix mostly smooth. Add the all-purpose flour and mix just until combined. Do not over-mix the batter.
- Drain the cranberries and reserve the liquid for the glaze.
- Spoon ¼ of the batter into each prepared loaf pan. Evenly sprinkle ½ cup cranberries over the batter in each pan. Divide the remaining batter between the two pans, and evenly sprinkle with the remaining cranberries.
- Place the pans in the center of the oven and bake for 65 to 85 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean.
- Let the pound cakes cool for about 20 minutes, or until the pans are cool enough to pick up with your bare hands. Remove the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice, zest, and ginger until smooth.
- When the cakes are cooled, drizzle the glaze liberally over the tops. You can build up the glaze by applying two thin layers. You can reserve some glaze for drizzling over slices in an airtight container.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup sliced almonds over each loaf, if desired. You can also top with additional orange zest, if desired.
