Pomegranate Cake (Easy, Simple, Delicious!)
Pomegranate Cake is an easy and delicious recipe featuring a simple golden batter topped with juicy pomegranate arils and baked to sweet, tender perfection!
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This simple, effortless, delectable Pomegranate Cake is the perfect holiday dessert. It's the farthest thing from fancy but it's deceptively delicious. And it's ridiculously quick and easy to throw together!
The cake is sweet and moist with a tender vanilla crumb and a crisp golden top. And adding a crown of ruby red pomegranate arils not only adds beautiful color, but also sweet little pops of juicy goodness.
Ingredients
This Pomegranate Cake actually uses the same base recipe that I've previously shared topped with sweet summer peaches and cinnamon-kissed apples. But in case you missed those, I couldn't help but share it just one more time showcasing the jewel fruit of winter...gorgeous pomegranate arils!
The cake itself is a very simple, standard recipe that yields scrumptious results.
- Pomegranate arils (AKA, pomegranate seeds). Obviously! You can either seed your own pomegranate or a buy a tub of arils in the produce section of most grocery stores. That's right...you can totally pay to have someone do the dirty work for you! But if you're up to seeding your own pom, my favorite (AKA, least messy) way is to do so under water. Scroll down for more details...
- Flour, baking powder, + salt. The dry ingredients.
- Butter. Unsalted.
- Sugar. Granulated.
- Egg. At room temperature.
- Buttermilk. If you don't have any on hand, simply measure 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar into the bottom of a measuring cup, and then fill up to the ½-cup line with milk. Stir and allow to sit for 10 minutes, during which time the milk will magically thicken and curdle into buttermilk!
- Pure vanilla extract + pure almond extract. For delicate and delicious flavor.
- Sparkling sugar. Optional but recommended for added crunch and sparkle.
How to Make Pomegranate Cake
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
- Spread out the pomegranate arils on a few layers of paper towels and allow to drain and dry.
- Preheat the oven and generously butter a deep pie plate
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Blend butter until creamy, then add sugar and beat on medium-high speed for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy.
- With the mixer on low, slowly blend in the egg, buttermilk, and extracts.
- Gradually mix in the flour mixture until just combined.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pie plate and smooth the top.
- Sprinkle the pomegranate arils on top of the batter, lightly pressing, and then sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
- Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and continue baking for 50 to 60 more minutes, or until the cake tests done with a toothpick.
- Place the pie plate on a rack and allow to cool. Slice into wedges and serve with optional fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
How to Seed a Pomegranate
For the least messy experience, I prefer to seed a pomegranate underwater. Fill a large bowl with cool water and slice the pomegranate in half. Take one half of the pomegranate and, holding it underwater, break it into large pieces and pop out the seeds, allowing them to fall to the bottom of the bowl.
When you are done extracting all of the seeds and discarding the pomegranate peel, most of the pieces of membrane will be floating in the water as the seeds will have sunk. Pour as much water and membrane out of the bowl as possible, without losing any seeds. Pour the seeds and remaining water into a colander and pick out any remaining membrane. Repeat with the other half of the pomegranate. (And if this explanation didn't make sense, there are plenty of YouTube videos demonstrating this technique...it's much easier than it sounds!)
Variations
This Pomegranate Cake is one of those desserts where basic, common ingredients transform into something magical. It's a cake that's a hit every single time I make it in all of its incarnations...and I make it a lot.
Aside from topping it with seasonal fruit (such as the aforementioned sliced peaches or apples, or today's pomegranate seeds), I have even topped it with red sprinkles in the shape of a heart for Jesus' birthday cake on Christmas! Mind you, none of my kids seemed to mind the sprinkles in place of the fruit one bit. 😉
And that's it! Quicker than a flash, you can be on your way to a yummy, lovely, and pretty much effortless Pomegranate Cake!
I think you'll agree that this recipe is surprisingly delicious for being so simple.☺️
More Fruity Cakes
Pomegranate Cake (Easy, Simple, Delicious!)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh pomegranate arils
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (plus additional for pan)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup buttermilk, (OR milk)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 tablespoons sparkling sugar, for topping
Instructions
- Place the pomegranate arils on a paper towel-lined plate to remove some of the moisture and set aside.
- Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 9" deep-dish pie plate.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to blend the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat on medium-high speed for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy. Turn down the mixer and slowly blend in the egg, buttermilk, and extracts. With the mixer on low, gradually mix in the flour mixture until just combined.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pie plate and smooth the top. Sprinkle the pomegranate arils on top of the batter, lightly pressing them down. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 350°F. Then reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and continue baking for 50 to 60 minutes, or until cake tests done with a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake.
- Place the pie plate on a rack and allow to cool. Slice into wedges and serve with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream or perfectly plain.
Notes
- TO MAKE BUTTERMILK: Measure 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar into the bottom of a measuring cup. Fill up to the ½-cup line with milk. Stir and allow to sit for 10 minutes until thickened.
- TO SEED A POMEGRANATE UNDERWATER (recommended for the least mess): Fill a large bowl with cool water and slice the pomegranate in half. Take one half of the pomegranate and, holding it underwater, break it into large pieces and pop out the seeds, allowing them to fall to the bottom of the bowl. After extracting all of the seeds and discarding the pomegranate peel, most of the pieces of membrane will be floating in the water as the seeds will have sunk. Pour as much water and membrane out of the bowl as possible, without losing any seeds. Pour the seeds and remaining water into a colander and pick out any remaining membrane. Repeat with the other half of the pomegranate.
Nutrition
Post originally published on February 21, 2019, and updated on January 12, 2021, and December 8, 2023.
Delicious! This a must a keeper. I add vanilla yogurt instead of buttermilk and add 2-3 tablespoons of oil…why? Not sure, but the result is really yummy. Thanks for sharing.