This classic vanilla bundt cake is based on my moist butter pound cake recipe. Soft, buttery and moist that's perfect on its own or dusted with powdered sugar. You can bake it in a bundt pan, or a loaf pan. For a bit of extra, try serving it with a vanilla glaze, fresh fruits, or whipped cream. It's a simple and easy recipe that takes 10 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to bake.
The pound cake has often received a bad rep with people calling it bread, not a cake. That is we usually give it a different name like butter pound cake, vanilla bundt cake, and vanilla loaf cake. The truth is if baked well, the pound cake is the most delicious cake you will make. And the possibilities with this cake are endless. Since you can customize it when baking or after it's baked.
If you ever make a trifle the pound cake is the best candidate. It can absorb lots of flavors and still keep its shape. I love using a pound cake for cake pops too. They never break and they are always moist.
Why it's called a pound cake?
Back in the old days, in the 18th century, these cakes were made by the pound. It was a simple formula: 1 pound butter, 1 pound sugar, 1 pound flour, and 1 pound eggs. And the resulting cake was a four-pound cake. In addition, a classic pound cake often didn't use any leavening agent, like baking powder or baking soda. That is why a pound cake is denser than most other sponge or butter cakes.
While a pound cake looks like a straightforward recipe, you must bake it correctly, or it can become dry, especially when overbaked. And because it's a dense cake with a lot of flour, it tends to dry out very quickly.
I grew up with a pound cake as my basic recipe for cake baking. I learned that from my mom. She'd measure everything by the kg and then make changes to that recipe from there. Now that I look back at how she trained me, it all makes sense. She'd always say - when in doubt go back to the basic formula. Also, she once told me - if you want to be a great baker you got to master the pound cake.
Having baked many cakes over the years, including many variations of a pound cake, I have had my share of successes and failures.
What is the difference between a sponge cake and a pound cake?
They both have similar ingredients with different results. Unlike a pound cake, a sponge cake usually has some liquid added to it. And often you will whip the egg until light and fluffy to incorporate more air into the batter. While a pound cake is denser in texture.
Is a pound cake the same as an angel food cake?
No, a pound is denser while the angel food is light and airy. Also, an angel food cake has more eggs and less flour. And the eggs are whipped to stiff peaks to add air and lightness. In contrast, the pound cake uses more flour and fewer eggs. So, as a result, the final texture is not as light and airy.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Butter - I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can control the quantity of salt in my recipe. And yet, if salted butter is all you have, go ahead and use it. Just omit salt in the recipe.
- White sugar - White sugar contributes to a nice soft tender crumb and gives a nice color. You can add brown sugar it will contribute to taste and color differently.
- Eggs - Always use large size eggs when baking unless specified. The size of the eggs varies these days significantly. So as a guide one large egg weighs between 50 to 60 grams.
- Vanilla - A good quality vanilla will make a huge difference in anything you make. Premium vanilla can be expensive, which is why I make my homemade vanilla extract, bean paste or sugar.
- All-purpose flour - Yes, regular plain flour (maida) is all you need for this cake. And, since self-raising flours contain leavening they must be used with caution.
Step by step instructions
- Preheat oven to 170 C / 340 F.
- Butter and flour a 6-cup Bundt Pan. You can also use 2 x 6-inch round cake pans
- In a bowl, combine sift together the flour with baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time. Followed by the flour and vanilla extract.
- Pour into prepared bundt pan.
- Bake for 40 to 45 mins until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.
Storage
- This cake will stay at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Wrap well and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Also, you can wrap it well and freeze it for up to a month.
Frequently asked questions
I use all-purpose flour. And yet, you can also use cake flour. Cake flour is manufactured for cakes and has a finer texture than all-purpose flour. Also, the protein content in cake flour is higher than AP flour.
Using unsalted butter means you can control the amount of salt in the recipe. Having said that, you can use salted butter in most cakes and omit the salt in the recipe.
Often people think a pound cake can be kept for longer. True, it does have a longer shelf life than most other cakes. And yet, even a pound cake will stay at room temperature for only 2 to 3 days. You can keep it longer if you wrap well in plastic and keep it in the fridge.Â
A Pound cake can be eaten on its own, especially when it's fresh. It tastes absolutely delicious warm fresh out of the oven. But there is so much more you can serve it with. Try whipped cream and fresh fruits - an absolute classic are strawberries and cream. In addition, you can try fruit coulis or fruit fillings. My favorite is blueberry filling and cherry filling. Also, If you love curds try lemon curd or orange curd
This vanilla pound cake is so versatile and perfect with almost anything. Try - Whipped cream on its own or layer the whipped cream with
Fruit fillings like - Strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, Cherry
Curds - Lemon Curd, Orange Curd
Sauces -Â Â Caramel Sauce, Butterscotch Sauce
No, this recipe works best with eggs but I do have an eggless vanilla cake that is very popular with my visitors.
The best test for cake doneness is when you insert a skewer into the center of the cake and it comes out clean without any cake better. Additionally, you will also notice that the cake starts to pull away from the edges of the pan.
Troubleshooting - Pound Cakes
Why is my pound cake so dry?
Over-baking a cake can make it dry. You must test the cake a few minutes before the cooking time guide because all ovens work differently. You can also brush the bundt cake with simple syrup to keep it moist. Just as we do our layer cakes.
Why is my pound cake so dense?
Often this could be the reason of overmixing the cake. When you activate too much gluten in the cake, the cake rises when baking but sinks as soon as it comes out of the oven. The resulting sink causes the cake to be dense.
Why is my pound cake wet in the middle?
Cakes bake from outside in so often the cake may appear cooked while still not finished cooking on the inside. That is why we need to test for doneness by inserting a skewer in the center of the cake. If the skewer inserted in the center comes out clean without any batter it means the cake is done.
Why did my pound cake fall?
Usually, too much leavening agent such a baking powder or baking soda.
Can I put a pound cake back in the oven?
Yes, you can. It will continue to cook the cake but it may not continue to rise. The baked cake may be a bit denser than the expected outcome but still not raw.
My cake stuck to the bundt pan?
There are a few reasons why cakes get stuck in the bundt pan. Here's how you can ensure yours does not get stuck.
- Grease and flour the bundt - even if the bundt states non-stick you still need to grease and flour it.
- Make sure to get every single spot. Use a brush and give it a good smear all around. Do it twice and do it well.
- Make sure there are no patches of excess butter spots, you want an even layer of butter. These patches will cause the flour to clump up when dusted.
- Dust the pan with flour in all directions so you get every side. Swirl the pan well. Tap the pan over the sink to ensure you get all excess flour off.
- Do not remove the cake when it is too hot. Cooling releases the cake from the pan.
- But, do not let the cake cool in the bundt too long as it can get stuck again. You want it at least warm.
- Too many scratched surfaces in the pan can cause the cake to get stuck too. So take care of your pans. Buy good quality bundt pan and wash them with warm soapy water, do not scrub them unnecessarily.
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Description
Ingredients
- 8 oz (227 g) Unsalted butter (1 cup)
- 1 cup (200 g) White sugar
- 1 ½ cup (190 g) All-purpose flour
- 3 Eggs large
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170 C / 340 F.
- Butter and flour a 6-cup Bundt Pan. You can also use 2 x 6-inch round cake pans
- In a bowl, combine sift together the flour with baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time. Followed by the flour and vanilla extract.
- Pour into prepared bundt pan.
- Bake for 40 to 45 mins until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.
Storage
- This cake will stay at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Wrap well and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Can be frozen well wrapped for up to a month.
Recipe Notes
Vanilla GlazeÂ
You can use a simple vanilla glaze for this cake. Make sure to keep the glaze thick and pour it over the cooled, not warm cake. Combine together.....- 2 cup powdered sugar
- 5 to 6 tbsp milk or cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
NoteÂ
- Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature.
- Use fine-grain sugars when preparing cake batters so it dissolves easily.
- Grease and line bundt pan well. Nothing is worst than to have a delicious cake stuck in the bundt
- Cool the cakes for a few hours before glazing. Otherwise, the glaze will melt off the cake and you won't have a pretty thick coverage.Â
- Serve any leftover glaze alongside the cake. People do love extra glaze.
Other pans suggestions
If you don’t want to make a layer cake like this. you can- You can also bake this in a 7 x 7-inch square cake pan
- Double this recipe to make a 9 x 13 sheet pan – a pumpkin sheet Cake.
- This cake will make 2 x 6-inch layer cake
- And these can also be baked into 24 beautiful pumpkin cupcakes
Equipment
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
