Last December, one of my best friends from high school drove down to visit on a Sunday afternoon. Since she worked in a professional bakery for quite a few years and loves baking as much as I do, we decided to take Amanda Rettke’s fun online cake decorating class. (Amanda is the supremely talented and hilarious blogger behind I Am Baker!)
My friend showed up at my door with nearly everything we needed: a huge bucket of homemade buttercream frosting, two rotating cake stands, a big package of piping bags, and more frosting tips than I could count! As for the rest of our supplies, I baked plenty of plain cupcakes and cake layers the night before for us to practice on.
After arranging everything on the kitchen counter, I opened my laptop to start playing the class videos. When we finished watching the first few sets, we each filled a piping bag and began squeezing buttercream out of the fancy tips, slowly creating rosettes, ruffles, and shells on pieces of wax paper and the cupcakes.
With my friend’s bakery background, she quickly caught on and filled a full-sized cake with a beautiful pushed-petal design, but I needed the rest of the afternoon to finally pipe a few acceptable-looking rosettes… Still, we both really enjoyed Amanda’s class, and we planned on getting together to practice again!
Although perfect piping skills remains on my bucket list (have you seen some of Amanda’s gorgeous cakes? like this one or this one?), I always seem to forget to plan far enough in advance to allow myself enough time to decorate cakes. When I get a cake craving, I want to bake and eat it ASAP… Without putting in the extra time to make it look pretty!
Which is why I absolutely love simple cakes, like this Greek Yogurt Cranberry Orange Pound Cake! It’s meant to be served exactly as it looks when it comes out of the oven, and it’s already full of sweet, fresh fruity flavors (no decorative icing or frosting required!). Even better, it contains no refined flour or sugar and only 131 calories!
And without any frosting, I feel absolutely no guilt sneaking a second slice! 😉
Traditional pound cakes earned their name because they contained a pound each of four main ingredients: all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Umm… That doesn’t exactly sound very healthy to me! What about you?
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY CRANBERRY ORANGE POUND CAKE
So let’s talk about how to make this healthy cranberry orange pound cake!
To start, you’ll use white whole wheat flour. I know—it sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? Usually white flour and whole wheat flour are two completely different things! However, white whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of white wheat, whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. This special wheat gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, very similar to that of all-purpose flour, which really allows this cake’s tender texture and fruity flavors to shine. (Bonus: It still has the same health benefits as regular whole wheat flour, too!)
Instead of a pound of butter and eggs (that’s nearly 4,000 calories!), you’ll use merely 1 tablespoon of butter (or coconut oil!) and 3 egg whites. Whew… That sounds much more manageable to my waistline! The rest of this cake’s extremely tender texture comes from one of my favorite ingredients in healthier baking…
Greek yogurt! …although I’m sure you already guessed that from the title of this recipe. Greek yogurt provides the same moisture as extra butter or oil for a fraction of the calories, and it gives your pound cake a big protein boost, too!
To sweeten this healthy cake, you’ll use another one of my favorite ingredients: liquid stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that’s clean eating friendly, and it’s highly concentrated. You just need 1 tablespoon for this entire recipe, instead of a pound of sugar! This is the kind that I buy because I love its sweet flavor and don’t notice any strange aftertastes like with some other stevia products. You can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, but I always buy mine here because that’s the best price I’ve found. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
And finally, for the most important ingredients… You’ll use a combination of freshly squeezed orange juice and orange zest for the citrus flavor. The zest actually provides the majority of the bright sunshiny taste, so don’t skip it! You’ll need about 2 large oranges to yield the right amount of zest.
Just before spreading the batter into your loaf pan, you’ll fold in fresh cranberries. I highly recommend fresh (or frozen and thawed), rather than dried! Dried cranberries generally contain extra added sugar, and the fresh ones have a much better flavor. I prefer to dice the cranberries to ensure you taste them in every bite, and I use a food processor to quickly chop them. It’s such a great secret time-saving trick!
Who’s ready for healthy cake?? 😉 And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy cranberry orange pound cake!
| Greek Yogurt Cranberry Orange Pound Cake | | Print |
- 2 ¾ cups (330g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp (15g) freshly grated orange zest (about 2 extra large)
- 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 tbsp (15mL) vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp (15mL) liquid stevia
- ¾ cup (180g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup (120mL) freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1 extra large)
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp (150mL) nonfat milk
- 1 ½ cups (165g) fresh whole cranberries, diced
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a 9x5” loaf pan with foil. Lightly coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the cake, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, vanilla extract, and stevia. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Stir in the orange juice and 2 tablespoons of milk. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and remaining milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.) Gently fold in the cranberries.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes or until the top feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before lifting out the cake by the foil and transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the white whole wheat flour. Regular whole wheat flour may be substituted in a pinch, although the cake will be less tender and have a distinct wheat-y flavor.
The cake requires 3 full egg whites. The whites contain the majority of the protein in eggs, and that protein is required to ensure the cake maintains its shape and texture while cooling. Without all 3 egg whites, the cake will collapse while cooling and turn out much denser.
I do not recommend substituting for the liquid stevia, if at all possible. (It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too! I buy it online here because that's the best price I've found.) However, if you really prefer to omit the liquid stevia from the cake, substitute 1 ¼ cups (240g) granulated sugar and omit the milk, but the cake will no longer be clean-eating friendly. You may substitute 1 ¼ cups (240g) coconut sugar and omit the milk to keep the cake clean eating friendly, but it will be much darker in color and the orange flavor will be somewhat muted. The baking time may vary with either of those substitutions as well.
To quickly dice the cranberries, add them to a food processor, and pulse until they’re no larger than ¼ of their original size.
Frozen and thawed cranberries that have been patted dry to remove any excess moisture may be substituted for the fresh. In a pinch, 1 cup of diced dried cranberries that have been hydrated may be substituted for the fresh cranberries. To hydrate the dried cranberries, add them to a microwave-safe bowl, add water until it rises ½” above the cranberries, and cover the top with a lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Let the cranberries sit while preparing the cake batter. Just before mixing them in, drain and pat dry.
Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
Do not use a hand-held mixer or stand mixer to mix up the batter. This will result in a dense, gummy, or tough cake. Use a whisk where instructed, and use a fork for everything else.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, lower sugar}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Greek Yogurt Lemon Pound Cake
♡ Greek Yogurt Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
♡ Greek Yogurt Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake
♡ Greek Yogurt Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pound Cake
♡ Cranberry Orange Scones
♡ Cranberry Orange Mini Muffins
♡ Simple Orange Poppy Seed Cake
I had to use dried cranberries that was the only modification. but I have used dried cranberries in your other recipes but did not have this problem.
Okay! Did you hydrate them according to the method I outlined in the Notes section? 🙂
yes exactly and i have been hydrating them for your other recipes with no problem and no after taste.
Okay! Can you describe the aftertaste a bit more? I’m still trying to figure it out… Bitter? Alcohol-ish? Something else?
The vanilla extract I used had no alcohol so i was not that type of after taste , it was bitter and tangy and lasted for 5 to 10 min even my friend noticed it. When you first take a bite it is not there in comes after you swallow the bite. It just tastes like something is off. I thought it was the orange so I tried again and I used the same orange for the cranberry muffin and no aftertaste there it was just in the poundcake. I do not know if it is the vanilla stevia should i reduce the amount if I do reduce how much should I reduce it by? I love your recipes there are now a must have in my home. One item is there every day.
Oh my goodness, one of my recipes in your home every day?? WOW!! My heart is about to burst — that means SO much to me Alaa! Thank you! 🙂 This is so weird… Bitter and tangy really does make it sound like the orange. So you used the exact same orange when you made the cranberry orange muffins (the recipe with dried cranberries, not fresh cranberries and vanilla stevia, correct)? Or did you use a different orange from the same tree/grocery store bin? Was your orange pure orange in color, or did it have any green/off-colored spots? Those non-orange spots can taste more bitter than the pure orange skin! We’ll figure this out — I promise!
Your recipes are a big hit in my family. Let me ask you a question the vanilla stevia after you open it do you keep it outside or in the fridge and how long does it last?
Once you let me know , I will try it again maybe the orange caused the problem and I will make sure that it is sweet not tangy before I use it and I will let you know what is the outcome. But let me know about the vanilla stevia.
Thanks a bunch for trying to help me you are truly amazing i even bought one of your cookbooks.
I leave the vanilla stevia in my pantry — I don’t refrigerate it! I go through it really quickly since I use it in so many recipes, but I’m guessing it should last about as long as vanilla extract. The manufacturer’s website should have more info, if you’re concerned! 🙂 I really appreciate you being so willing to try this recipe again! I hope it turns out much better the next time!
Hi Amy!
This cake looks so good and I really want to try it – however, I can’t get the kind of stevia that you recommend.
Instead, I have stevia powder where 1 tbsp sugar = 1 tbsp stevia.
Should I try this cake with the stevia powder (and if yes, how much stevia should i use?), or should I rather just use sugar (I could go for brown sugar, to make it a bit more healthy)?
I’d appreciate any help you could give me!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Rike! You can use your stevia than measures cup-for-cup like sugar. Simply use that in place of the granulated sugar substitute I offer in the Notes section of the recipe! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this pound cake!
I really love you blog, and have made many of your recipes. However, I am always bothered when you say “However, if you really prefer to omit the vanilla crème stevia from the cake, substitute 1 ¼ cups (240g) granulated sugar and omit the milk, but the cake will no longer be clean-eating friendly”. The notion of something being “clean eating friendly” is so individualized – I happen to like the taste of stevia so I use it when I’m baking for myself. But I also think that a cake made from whole grains and fresh fruits that has a small amount of sugar is also pretty healthy – both nutritionally and for a balanced lifestyle. The word “clean” introduces an element of judgement that I believe should be devoid from our language surrounding food.
Thanks! I really love your content, this just happens to rub me the wrong way!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipes, Shani! I understand where you’re coming from. I try to use the most common definition of “clean eating,” which means ingredients have been completely stripped of their micronutrients, since that’s the definition many of readers who adhere to a strict clean eating diet use. However, I agree that this cake would still be fairly healthy, even when made with granulated sugar, because of the whole grains and fresh fruit — so that’s why I just mention it isn’t clean, not that it isn’t healthy! Does that make sense? 🙂