Totally Festive Homemade Pomegranate Cake

If you are looking for the perfect pomegranate dessert look no further! This pomegranate cake is made with fresh pomegranate arils and a light cream cheese frosting and is perfect for this winter season! Keep reading to see how fast and easy it is to put together this showstopping dessert!

Winter Time Desserts

One thing that I have constantly been buying this season is fresh pomegranates. They are usually on sale at my local grocery store so it is the perfect time to pick them up! I have been making and learning so many recipes to use with pomegranates; they are so universal and can be used in a multitude of different recipes.

I am always looking for new holiday recipes to spice things up a bit. Don’t get me wrong — I love the classics. But it is always great to try something new. That’s why I came up with this delicious yet super festive pomegranate cake recipe. This is one of those recipes that you will make for your friends and family and they will be begging for the recipe!

Sweet Homemade Vanilla Cake Batter

Now for this recipe, I will be making my very own vanilla cake mix. You can use a box cake mix but I prefer making it myself! It is so easy, is a “one bowl” recipe (so cleanup is a breeze), and it just makes such a better tasting cake mix versus the box mix. Another perk about making your own cake mix is the fact that you can also control the sugar levels in your mix! You can also use stevia or a sugar substitute of your choice if you’re trying to make a lower-calorie dessert.

How To Make A Pomegranate Cake – Step By Step

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Since we will be using pomegranate arils (arils are just the fancy name for the pomegranate seeds and the flesh that surrounds the seed), we need to open our pomegranate! Now there are many ways to open and get those delicious arils out of the pomegranate. Click here for a quick read on how to effectively cut open your pomegranate.
• Once you have all the arils out of your freshly cut pomegranate, put them in a small bowl and set them to the side.

• Time Saver Tip: Now of course buying a fresh pomegranate, cutting it open, and deseeding take a bit of time,. If you are looking to cut this step out completely, you can always opt to buy the arils already out of the pomegranate. They will usually be located by the fresh produce and will be in a plastic cup with a sealed top. This way you can avoid the added stress and mess!
• Next, take out a large mixing bowl to make the cake batter.
• Add in all-purpose flour, baking powder, and sugar to the large mixing bowl, and using a whisk mix all the ingredients until they are well combined.

• Now that the dry ingredients are combined, add in eggs, milk (regular, oat, almond, or soy — all work great), melted butter, olive oil, and vanilla extract. Using the whisk again, mix well until all the ingredients are well combined. Just make sure not to over mix or the cake will become too tough and dense.

• Pour in your pomegranate arils and use a silicone spatula to fold in the arils, make sure you do not mix, or else the pomegranate color will bleed too much into the cake mix, by folding you don’t have so much color bleeding into your cake batter. Pro Tip: If you do not already use silicone tools while you are baking you are surly missing out, they make a world of difference in my baking, plus they are all dishwasher safe for easy clean up! Check out this set from Amazon, they have amazing reviews!

• Use butter or non-stick baking spray to grease an 8-inch round baking dish (be sure to grease well so that your cake does not stick).
• Pour your cake batter into the prepared baking dish.

• Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes. Check the middle with a toothpick to check for doneness.
• Make sure once your cake is finished that you let it completely cool. If you try to frost a cake that is still warm it will turn into a mess and the frosting will just melt all over the place.

• Once your cake has completely cooled, cut it in half so that we can frost the inside, and place the second half of the cake on another plate.

• Frost the interior layer of the cake. I used a store-bought cream cheese frosting but you can absolutely make your own! (Here’s a link to an article about a great homemade cream cheese frosting you can make.)

• Place the top back on and frost the rest of your cake using as much or as little frosting as you prefer (the choice is up to you!).

• I then added on some fresh pomegranates on top to make a little design and that was it. Pomegranate cake is done!
• Now sit back and enjoy a slice — you deserve it!

Pomegranate Seeds Texture

Now you may be thinking, “Pomegranate seeds have a tough texture” and this is true. But it works so well with this cake for that exact reason! You get the softness from the cake, the creaminess from the cream cheese frosting, and then a nice bite from the pomegranates. It gives this cake a very interesting texture but also a tart bite when you get the fresh pomegranate arils. You will get a pop of freshness with each bite of this pomegranate cake, which is one of the many reasons I love this delicious cake.

You Are Going To Want To Make a Pomegranate Cake This Holiday Season

I honestly love how this cake ended up turning out. It has the brightness from the pomegranate arils as well as that warm vanilla taste. Plus, this is just something new to bring to the table this holiday season. Trust me, everyone is going to devour this pomegranate cake!

Excited to learn more about pomegranates? Then check out our pomegranate trees page for information on pomegranate planting, growing, harvesting, cooking, and more!

Still hungry for more? Then discover our other fruit recipes to stock up your kitchen with nature’s healthy and tasty goodies!