LEMON CRANBERRY BREAD

LEMON CRANBERRY BREAD image

Categories Dessert

Yield 12-14 people

Number Of Ingredients 17

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Ingredients

Cranberries:
1/3 cup lemon juice (about 2-3 large lemons)
2 tablespoons brandy
4 ounces dried cranberries or dried cherries
Pound Cake:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups granulated white sugar
6 large eggs
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
Lemon Frosting:
1 cup confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Steps:

For Cranberries: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring the lemon juice, brandy, and dried cranberries to a boil. Cover and remove from heat. Let cool completely and then drain, reserving the cranberries and the juice separately. For Pound Cake: Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a 10 inch bundt pan. If using a dark colored pan, reduce the oven temperature to 325. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add lemon zest, vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With mixer on low, add 1/3 of flour mixture, alternating with the sour cream, about 1/2 cup at a time, beating just until batter is smooth. (You will have three additions of flour and two of the sour cream.) Stir in the drained cranberries. Pour batter into bundt pan and smooth the top. Bake for approximately 60 - 75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Let cool 5 minutes and then lightly brush the top of the cake with half of the reserved cranberry liquid. After 10 more minutes loosen sides of pan with a sharp knife and invert onto a wire rack. Immediately brush the top and sides of the cake with the remaining cranberry liquid. Cool the cake completely before frosting. Lemon Frosting: In a bowl, combine the sifted confectioners sugar with the 2 tablespoons lemon juice. (You want the icing to be thicker than a glaze but still thin enough that it will just run over the sides of the cake. If not the right consistency add more lemon juice or powdered sugar, accordingly.) Pour the frosting over the top of the cake, allowing the icing to drip down the sides. Let the icing dry before covering and storing.