Spiced Cranberry & Orange Cream Cheese Swirl Pound Cake
Soft, swirled, and quietly indulgent.
Some flavors quietly steal the spotlight. This pound cake is one of them. Warm spices drift through the batter, bright orange zest threads through the soft crumb, and a glossy cream cheese and cranberry swirl folds in like it’s always meant to be there.
It’s the kind of cake that fills the kitchen with scent before it’s even out of the pan. Golden, tender, and slightly dramatic in the best way, each slice holds pockets of tangy cranberry, soft cream cheese, and that hint of citrus that makes the batter feel alive.
It’s a dessert that doesn’t just taste like the holidays — it feels like them. And somehow, it’s effortless enough to make your table look intentional, even if the rest of your kitchen is chaos.
Below is the full recipe, simple enough to make any day feel a little special!
Spiced Cranberry & Orange Cream Cheese Swirl Pound Cake Recipe
Servings: 10–12
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 55–80 minutes
Total Time: 1 hr 15 min – 1 hr 40 min
Ingredients
Produce
Zest of 2 oranges
¼ cup fresh orange juice
Dairy
1½ cups unsalted butter (3 sticks), room temperature
6 large eggs, room temperature
4 oz cream cheese, softened (for swirl)
½ cup heavy cream (optional but adds richness)
Pantry / Baking
3 cups all-purpose flour
2½ cups granulated sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
¾ cup cranberry sauce or 1 cup fresh cranberries cooked down with 2 tbsp sugar
Cranberry Cream Cheese Swirl
4 oz cream cheese
¼ cup cranberry sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp orange zest
Mix until smooth and set aside.
Instructions
1. Prep
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Grease and flour one Bundt pan or two 9x5 loaf pans.
2. Cream Butter + Sugar
In a stand mixer, beat 1½ cups butter and 2½ cups sugar on medium-high for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
3. Add Eggs + Flavor
Add eggs one at a time, mixing fully after each.
Mix in orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla extract.
4. Combine Dry Ingredients
Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt.
5. Finish Batter
Add dry ingredients to wet in three additions, alternating with heavy cream.
Mix until just combined.
6. Assemble Swirl
Spread half the batter into prepared pan.
Spoon the cranberry cream cheese swirl over the top in dollops.
Add remaining batter.
Swirl gently with a butter knife in an S or figure-8 pattern.
7. Bake
Bundt pan: 70–80 min
Loaf pans: 55–65 min
Cake is done when a skewer comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Cool completely before glazing or slicing.
Optional Orange Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1–2 tbsp fresh orange juice
Pinch cinnamon
Mix and drizzle over cooled cake.
Notes
Thick cranberry sauce gives the best swirl definition.
Baking at 325°F keeps the crumb tight, moist, and silky.
For stronger citrus flavor, add ½ tsp orange extract.
For extra holiday warmth, add ¼ tsp allspice to the batter.