Mile High Orange Cranberry Pound Cake

 Here's a highly requested cake! Tender, moist pound cake with a light orange flavor studded with tart cranberries and coated in an orange glaze topped with sugared cranberries.

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
Zest from two oranges, finely minced
1 teaspoon salt
8 large eggs, room temperature
4 1/2 cups cake flour or White Lily All Purpose Flour, divided
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained

Preheat oven to 300°F. Prepare Old Country Kitchenware square tube pan by fitting a parchment paper square between the two pieces and brushing with pan coat. Toss cranberries in 1/2 cup flour, set aside. Beat butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until pale, light and fluffy (about 6 minutes at medium speed). Add extracts, salt, baking powder, orange zest, and 1/2 cup flour, beat until combined. Add 1 egg and beat until fully incorporated. Repeat with each egg, beating well after each addition. Add half the rest of the flour, beating until it just disappears. Beat in sour cream. Beat in the remaining flour, then with the mixer running, drizzle in orange juice. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and beat for another 15 seconds. With a spatula, fold in floured cranberries and any remaining flour. Pour batter into prepared tube pan and gently shake to settle the batter. Place on middle rack of oven with a baking sheet on the rack below it to catch any drips. Bake 2 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Prepare Sugared Cranberries (recipe below). Let the cake cool until the pan is cool enough to handle. To unmold, place it over a metal can and push down to remove the outer piece. Once the tube is cool enough to touch for 4 seconds, lift or turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Sugared Cranberries

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup ice water
1 cup fresh cranberries (or the remainder of the bag)
1/3 cup sugar

Can be done ahead. Bring 2/3 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and add 1/4 cup ice water. Add cranberries and toss to coat. Spread cranberries on a cooling rack to drip dry. Toss cranberries in 1/3 cup sugar and set aside.

Orange Glaze

3 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon orange extract
1/4 cup orange juice, plus a little more

Beat sugar, extract and 1/4 cup orange juice with an electric mixer. Add more liquid a spoonful at a time until you reach the desired consistency. If a thicker icing is desired, add more powdered sugar. If a thinner icing is desired, add more liquid, one spoonful at a time. Slowly pour over cooled cake. Decorate with Sugared Cranberries.