Try this Cranberry Loaf recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 43.6212716666811 g
- Cholesterol 155.019375051617 mg
- Fat 58.1297921028062 g
- Fiber 1.15110414282481 g
- Protein 2.72898500020407 g
- Saturated Fat 36.7905365956657 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (223g)
- Sodium 10777.8292384134 mg
- Sugar 42.4701675238563 g
- Trans Fat 4.0686025846965 g
- Calories 692 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with butter or non-stick spray.Gently
- Cream together butter, cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl or mixer, then, one at a time, beat in eggs and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt until combined. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring until just incorporated.
- Gently fold in cranberries, then pour mixture into greased baking dish. (Could use 2 loaf pans in desired.)
- Place in oven and bake for 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Standard pound cakes rely exclusively on butter and eggs for structure, but adding cream cheese to quick bread batters introduces a distinct density and moisture retention not found in traditional butter cakes. Quick breads emerged in American domestic cooking during the nineteenth century when chemical leaveners like baking soda first became commercially available. Instead of waiting hours for yeast doughs to rise, bakers utilized alkaline sodium bicarbonate combined with acidic ingredients to produce immediate carbon dioxide gas. Fresh cranberries provide that necessary acidity naturally, creating a chemical reaction that helps tenderize the crumb while offering a sharp, tart contrast to the rich fat content of the dairy. Incorporating room temperature ingredients at seventy degrees Fahrenheit ensures proper emulsification during the creaming stage, trapping air bubbles that expand in the oven. Creaming butter and sugar together incorporates mechanical leavening, which works alongside the baking soda to lift the heavy batter during baking. Overmixing the flour after the wet and dry components combine develops excessive gluten strands, yielding a tough, rubbery texture instead of a tender loaf. Fold the fruit in gently at the final stage using a rubber spatula to avoid crushing the berries and staining the surrounding crumb prematurely. Bake the loaf in a greased nine by five inch pan at three hundred fifty degrees Fahrenheit for sixty to seventy minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a wooden toothpick into the center; it should emerge clean without wet batter clinging to the wood. Let the baked loaf rest inside the pan for at least fifteen minutes before attempting to slice it, allowing the internal starches to set fully as the temperature drops.
