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!

Easy Pomegranate Cake with text overlay.


 

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.

Pomegranate Cake in dish with pomegranate on plate.

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.

Labeled ingredients to make Pomegranate Cake.
  • 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.
Pomegranate Cake slice with missing bite.

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.)

  1. Spread out the pomegranate arils on a few layers of paper towels and allow to drain and dry.
Pomegranate arils draining on paper towels.
  1. Preheat the oven and generously butter a deep pie plate
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Flour in bowl.
Dry ingredients whisked together.
  1. Blend butter until creamy, then add sugar and beat on medium-high speed for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy.
Creaming butter in bowl.
Adding sugar to butter.
Butter and sugar beaten together for Pomegranate Cake recipe.
  1. With the mixer on low, slowly blend in the egg, buttermilk, and extracts.
Adding eggs, milk, and vanilla extract.
Wet ingredients blended into butter.
  1. Gradually mix in the flour mixture until just combined.
Mixing flour into wet ingredients.
Cake batter in bowl for Pomegranate Cake recipe.
  1. Scrape the batter into the prepared pie plate and smooth the top.
Transferring batter to pie plate.
Spreading batter in dish for Pomegranate Cake.
  1. Sprinkle the pomegranate arils on top of the batter, lightly pressing, and then sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
Sprinkling Pomegranate Cake with pomegranate seeds.
  1. 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.
Freshly baked Pomegranate Cake.
  1. 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!
Easy Pomegranate Cake slice on plate.

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!)

Pomegranate seeds sprinkled over cake batter.

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. 😉

Pomegranate Cake recipe with missing slice.

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.☺️

Aerial view of Pomegranate Cake in dish and on plate.

 More Fruity Cakes

Pomegranate Cake with arils on plate.

Pomegranate Cake (Easy, Simple, Delicious!)

This easy and delicious Pomegranate Cake features a simple golden batter topped with juicy pomegranate arils and baked to sweet, tender perfection!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 238kcal
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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.

Video

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

Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 143mg | Potassium: 148mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 239IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1mg
Made this recipe? I'd love to see on IG!Mention @FiveHeartHome or tag #FiveHeartHome!

Post originally published on February 21, 2019, and updated on January 12, 2021, and December 8, 2023.

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Recipe Rating




24 Comments

  1. 4 stars
    The cake was light and tasty. I mixed the seeds into the batter for a more uniform distribution. Next time I will use a 9.5 in deep dish plate since the cake overflowed the 9 inch. Luckily the family did not mind the appearance.

  2. 5 stars
    Pomegranates are my favorite so I couldn't wait to try this cake. It was super moist and tender and the pomegranate seeds on top totally elevated it! I can't wait to try this recipe with other fruit toppings as well.

  3. 5 stars
    Thanks so much for this recipe. I like the fact that you can go in different directions with it. Out of personal preference, I usually cut the sugar by about a third in dessert recipes; but other than that, followed the recipe pretty closely. I thought I'd messed it up by using a cake dish that was too big; but reducing the cooking time a bit solved the issue. The almond extract really adds a nice flavor. Thanks again.

  4. I'm excited to use more of my pomegranates! 2 questions - Can these be made into muffins? And can this recipe be frozen?
    Thanks so much

    1. Hi! I imagine this recipe would work as muffins, but you will just have to watch the baking time. And yes, it can be frozen, although the pomegranates may be a bit mushy upon thawing. Hope that helps!

  5. 1 star
    Prepared it yesterday, it's way too sweet. You only post super positive comments and throw negative ones and that's sooo UNFAIR.

    1. Hi Alex. I'm sorry you found this cake too sweet. This cake has only received positive comments and questions thus far, but you are certainly entitled to your negative opinion. All comments are moderated to make sure that hateful comments and curse words don't get through, but you can find plenty of negative comments on my recipes. The fact that the positive comments outweigh them does not mean that I discard the negative comments...yours is simply the first negative comment that this particular recipe has received. I usually try to help troubleshoot the negative comments, but your issue sounds like it's just a matter of personal taste (as my family and other commenters don't find this cake to be overly sweet at all). Hope that helps! 🙂

  6. 5 stars
    This cake is so good, smelled delicious baking. The almond flavor to the cake is awesome. Was still warm but had to cut into it and was even good warm. Will make again.

  7. 5 stars
    I made this for our work Christmas party, everyone loved it and asked for the recipe!! Thank you for making me look good, haha!

  8. 5 stars
    I was little worried about the long baking time but it worked out perfectly. I used more pomegranate and put half in the middle and half on top. So delicious and easy to make. Definitely can see myself reusing the batter for other fruit cakes too. Thank you! Xxx

  9. 5 stars
    Sorry , I forgot to mention I made this cake with gluten free flour and also used Swerve for the sugar.. Did I mention this is the best cake ever.. just made another one to take to a pot luck, perfect dessert…

    1. I’d love more information on what type of gluten free flour you used and how much. I would like to make this recipe for my book club, but one member has celiac.

  10. 5 stars
    Made this last weekend and it was a resounding success. I would agree witha fellow commenter that including the pomegranates in the cake would be a lovely addition. Cakes comes out tasting like pound cake. Delicious and 10/10 would make again.

  11. 4 stars
    Thanks for this recipe. We enjoyed it. My only regret is that I didn’t put more pomegranate. I think it could have been inside the cake, top to bottom not only on the surface. I'd suggest a bit more than 1 cup pomegranate.

    1. 5 stars
      Turned out awesome, used 2 c arils and mixed them into batter.. also sprinkled some on top .. Topped it off with turbinado sugar.. Best cake ever 😋