Orange Craisin Chip Pound Cake with Cinnamon Chocolate Ganache is your go-to cake this holiday season. It’s the perfect quick-fix dessert for hungry, happy guests who may be dropping by.
Why is Orange Craisin Chip Pound Cake with Cinnamon Chocolate Ganache the book-inspired recipe for Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year?
Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year is all about finding ways to make the holiday season less stressful and more meaningful. Author Beth Kempton encourages you to simplify your Christmas in order to find more joy.
And, nothing brings me more joy than holiday baking.
While I love spending hours in the kitchen this time of year, I don’t necessarily like all those hours to be spent on one dessert.
This Orange Craisin Chip Pound Cake with Cinnamon Chocolate Ganache is a perfect book-inspired recipe for Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year because it embraces simple, easy baking without sacrificing all those delicious holiday flavors.
What I love about Orange Craisin Chip Pound Cake
Orange, cranberry, cinnamon, vanilla, and chocolate. I don’t think it gets more Christmassy than that, folks.
Those are all the flavors you’ll find in and on top of this Orange Craisin Chip Pound Cake.
I used my favorite Man Catcher Cake as the basis of this pound cake, then tossed in loads of orange zest and vanilla extract.
Honestly, it would be a good cake with just those flavors. But, it’s Christmas. Let’s amp it up a bit, shall we?
Craisins are one of my fave ingredients to throw in holiday desserts and Christmas cookies; the dried, sweetened cranberries remind me of little jewels. And, chocolate chips are always a good thing to add to any treat.
A few stirs, and my whole kitchen suddenly was fragrant with Christmas. My mouth watered the entire time this loaf was baking in the oven.
About that Cinnamon Chocolate Ganache….
Then, we have the ganache. The Cinnamon Chocolate Ganache. *fluttery sigh**
I love this warming flavor combo – you’ll find it in my Cinnamon Hot Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream and my signature Christmas Spice Brownies – and it pairs perfectly with the bright orange and craisins in the pound cake.
Ganache is also a deceptively easy cake topping. It sounds fancy. It looks incredibly glossy and decadent. And it tastes rich and indulgent.
But it’s stupid-easy to make. Which is perfect for a cake that you don’t want to spend a lot of time making. Simple, remember? Less stress. I think enrobing something in ganache is one of the least stressful decorating tips out there.
Why is Orange Craisin Chip Pound Cake with Cinnamon Chocolate Ganache a great holiday dessert?
A pound cake is a decidedly simple dessert, but always a welcome one, especially at functions where lots of people will be in attendance. Because they’re so naturally dense, pound cakes should be sliced thinly – which is helpful when you’re feeding a crowd.
A little goes a long way with this Orange Craisin Chip Pound Cake. One 9×5 loaf yields about 10 satisfying slices, and it’s easy to double the recipe and make two loaves (or one large Bundt cake).
Orange Craisin Chip Pound Cake with Cinnamon Chocolate Ganache cake is a dessert you can bake and decorate in the morning for guests arriving in the evening – no muss and very little fuss.
The pound cake itself freezes really well, so you can also bake it ahead of time. Then, you just defrost and decorate it the day-of. Or, make this holiday dessert even easier on yourself by forgoing the ganache and dusting it with a snowfall of powdered sugar.
What do you serve with Orange Craisin Chip Pound Cake with Cinnamon Chocolate Ganache
Serve up a slice of this delicious pound cake after a holiday dinner of Baked Flounder with Shrimp Stuffing, Herbed Couscous, Broiled Broccolini, and Thyme Caraway Dinner Biscuits. Other great meal ideas are Raspberry Thyme Chicken with Lemon Spinach Basmati Rice, or Roasted Acorn Squash stuffed with Rice, Craisins, and Turkey Sausage.
Other desserts with the same flavors as Orange Craisin Chip Pound Cake with Cinnamon Chocolate Ganache are Bara Brith, Dundee Cake, Spiced Walnut Cookies, Chocolate Red Wine Cake, and the aforementioned Christmas Spice Brownies.
For an English-inspired Christmas dessert spread, serve this cake alongside Parkin Cake, Sticky Toffee Pudding, and Millionaire Shortbread.
Orange Craisin Chip Pound Cake with Cinnamon Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
ORANGE CRAISIN CHIP POUND CAKE INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- scant 1/4 cup orange zest (from about 3 oranges)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup craisins
- 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
CINNAMON GANACHE INGREDIENTS
- 1/3 +1/8 cups heavy cream
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (regular size)
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (or more to taste!)
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with baking spray and set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 325F.
ORANGE CRAISIN CHIP POUND CAKE BAKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Use a hand-mixer to cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
- Zest the oranges into the batter and beat with a mixer until incorporated.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated.
- Beat in the vanilla extract.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Alternate adding the yogurt and the dry ingredients, beating between each addition, until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Use a spatula to fold the craisins and the mini chocolate chips into the batter until thoroughly mixed in.
- Pour the orange craisin chip pound cake batter into the prepared loaf pan, making sure the batter is distributed evenly.
- Thump loaf pan on counter to get air bubbles out, then bake the orange craisin chip pound cake at 325F for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let cool in pan for 10-15 minutes, then turn out cake onto wire rack. Let cake cool completely before decorating.
CINNAMON CHOCOLATE GANACHE INSTRUCTIONS
- While the cake cools, make your Cinnamon Chocolate Ganache. Pour the regular-sized chocolate chips into a small bowl.
- Heat the cream and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until boiling.
- Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate chips. Use a spoon or spatula to ensure all chips are completely covered by the cream, then let mixture sit undisturbed for one minute.
- Use a rubber spatula to slowly stir the cream and chocolate chips together into a smooth, shiny ganache. This will take a few minutes.
- Once smooth, stir in the vanilla extract and ground cinnamon. Cover ganache with plastic wrap and let cool for about an hour. Ganache should be thick, shiny, and pourable.
- To decorate: Pour Cinnamon Chocolate Ganache over Orange Craisin Chip Pound Cake in desired amount. You can slice the cake right away (it will be messy), or you can let the ganache set for about an hour inside the fridge.
