Eggnog Pound Cake

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries, chopped
• 1 Tbsp orange zest
• 4 Tbsp brandy
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups white granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup eggnog
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 to 4 Tbsp brandy for drizzling on the cake, optional
• 1 to 2 Tbsp orange juice
• 1 Tbsp brandy or dark rum
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1. Combine the chopped dried cranberries, orange zest, and brandy in a small bowl, and set them aside to soak for 15 minutes.
2. Move an oven rack to the lower third of the oven, then heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter the inside of a 9 to 10 inch bundt pan generously.
3. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice until evenly combined.
4. With an electric mixer set to medium speed, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, 30-45 seconds. Add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing for 1 minute after each egg goes in. Mix in the vanilla extract.
5. Take the mixing bowl off the mixer. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the dry mixture in 4 additions, alternating with the eggnog and starting and finishing with the dry ingredients. Fold in the soaked cranberries, orange zest, and any brandy left in the bowl.
6. Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt pan and smooth it into an even layer. Bake at 325 degrees F for 55-60 minutes, until the center bounces back when lightly touched and the cake has begun to pull from the pan edges. To check another way, slide a bamboo skewer into the thickest section of the cake; it should come out clean.
7. Take the cake out of the oven and let it stand upright in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn the warm cake out onto a rack, then leave it to cool completely.
8. After the cake is fully cooled, whisk together the powdered sugar, orange juice, and brandy for the glaze. If you prefer, replace the brandy with additional orange juice or water. Make the glaze thicker for a more defined drizzle, or thin it for a more translucent finish.
9. Set the cake on a serving platter. If using the optional brandy, poke a few holes in the top and drizzle it over the cake. Spoon the glaze back and forth over the cake to make stripes, or, if the glaze is thin enough, brush it on with a pastry brush.