Buttermilk Pound Cake
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This easy pound cake recipe is just a dream!! It’s super soft and only requieres a handful of ingredients. The simplicity of butter, sugar, eggs, buttermilk and flour shine in this recipe that I’m sure you’re going to cherish for a long time. Top it with a sweet cream cheese glaze and sugared cranberries for a simple cake that will be the center of attention at any Christmas table!
Nothing beats a good pound cake, don’t you think?! It’ll warm your heart when you need it the most. For me, having a slice with coffee its one of the best simple pleasures in life! That’s why I needed a Christmas version before the holiday season ends this year.
I happened to loved store bought pound cake when I was little. Well younger, because little I still am : ) I would toast it and smear some butter on top or just warm it up and serve a good spoonful of jam on top, like I did here with a delicious homemade cranberry jam. But you know, after I became a responsible adult who started reading the ingredients label I stopped buying it, so it’s kind of nostalgic everytime I put on my apron and bake one.
This pound cake is rich, buttery and super velvety. I’m using the recipe of my Insta friend Heather (Brown Butter Blondie) as the base because it's truly an amazing recipe. It uses a lot of extra egg yolks for extra richness! I just added a bit more vanilla and swap the regular milk with buttermilk. You know by now I love using buttermilk in most of my cakes, but the notes it brings to this easy pound cake are so on point! Given that its flavor is a very simple and rich, the tangy notes of the buttermilk create a very nice contrast that make forget you said you are gonna eat just one slice!
As you can see, I also made a very good use of my sugared cranberries. Not only they make this cake look ultra festive, but every time you bite one they pop in your mouth giving you that sweet and soury punch. It’s one of the best parts of eating this cake!
Now let me give you the deets for making this easy buttermilk pound cake recipe.
Making Buttermilk Pound Cake:
Start by taking out the butter because for this recipe you’ll need it just soft enough. Don’t let it become too warm.
You need to sift together the flours, baking powder and salt. I always prefer using some cake flour for a more tender crumb, but if you don’t have any just use regular all-purpose flour instead.
This recipe calls for a lot of egg yolks, I know! But this is what brings so much richness to every bite. You can freeze the egg whites in a plastic freezer bag to make a Pavlova. Just submerge the bags in hot tap water to thaw.
Have everything prepared around you because it’s pretty important to follow the times here, especially when beating the butter, to prevent the cake for falling after baked.
I used an angel food cake pan but you can use a 9” x 5” loaf pan for a more traditional cake. Either way it's gonna look incredible!
While the cake is baking you can whip up my simple cream cheese glaze or you can make a simple vanilla glaze.
This cake will be good for a couple of days at room temperature or store it airtight in the fridge.
Shop the post:
My Mason Cash white hearts mixing bowl.
Angel food cake pan or a ceramic 9” x 5” loaf cake pan.
Sifter and hand whisk.
3 recipes I think you’ll love if you’re loving this one:
Pavlova with sugared cranberries
Pink grapefruit cream cheese pound cake
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Cant’ wait for you to make this one dear friends!!
Don’t forget to share and tag me in Instagram (@devamadeo), Facebook (@DevAmadeo) when you make it. Love to see my recipes in your kitchens!
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Buttermilk Pound Cake
Ingredients
Buttermilk Pound Cake
◯ Cake flour (preferably unbleached) - 1 cup, 140 g
◯ All-purpose (preferably unbleached) - 1 cup, 126g
◯ Baking powder - 1 Tsp, 5g
◯ Fine sea salt - ½ Tsp, 3g
◯ Butter, softened - 1 cup (2 sticks), 226g
◯ Sugar - 1 cup, 200g
◯ Whole eggs - 2
◯ Egg yolks - 4
◯ Vanilla extract - 1 TBSP, 12g
◯ Buttermilk, at room temperature - ½ cup, 133g
◯ Finely chopped and sugared cranberries to decorate if desired
Cream Cheese Icing
◯ Cream cheese, softened - 4 oz, 133g
◯ Confectioner’s sugar, sifted - 2 cups, 400g
◯ Butter, softened - 4 TBSP, 57g
Details
Yield:
A 9” to 10” angel food cake pan or a 9” x 5” loaf cake pan
Total time:
1.5 hours
Active time:
20 minutes to make the batter
Baking time:
45 to 50 minutes
Equipment:
9” to 10” angel food cake pan or a 9” x 5” loaf cake pan
Steps:
Making the pound cake:
Preheat oven to 325°.
Grease with plenty of butter a tube cake pan like an angel food cake pan or a 9” x 5” loaf pan.
In a medium bowl mix thoroughly the 1 cup/140g of all-purpose flour, the 1 cup/126g of cake flour, the 1 Tsp/5g of baking powder and the ½ Tsp/3g of fine sea salt with a hand whisk.
In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the 1 cup (2 sticks)/226g of butter until light and fluffy in medium speed (#4 in the Kitchen Aid) for 5 minutes. Decrease speed one level and slowly add in the 1 cup/200g of sugar.
Adding one at a time, mix in the 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks, waiting until one is incorporated to add the next. Add the vanilla and mix until incorporated. Increase speed again one level (#4) and beat for 2 minutes to incorporate air to the batter.
Decrease speed to the lowest (#1) and incorporate about ⅓ of the flour mixture. Add half of the ½ cup/133g of the buttermilk. Repeat with more flour and the remaining buttermilk and finishing up with the flour mixture. Stop mixing as soon as most of the flour has incorporated. Mix gently by hand any remaining streak.
Transfer to prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, depending on what cake pan you are using (cake will bake a bit faster in the tube cake pan), or until a toothpick comes out clean after inserted through the center.
Let it cool down completely before removing. This cake is very delicate and can easily crumble if you try to handle it too hot.
After cooled down, pour cream cheese icing. Decorate with chopped pistachios and sugared cranberries if desired.
Making the cream cheese glaze:
You may do this by hand with a hand whisk.
Place cream cheese in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer and using the whisk attachment or the beaters if using an electric hand mixer, beat it in medium-slow speed, just until light and airy with no large lumps.
Start adding the confectioner’s sugar, waiting until an addition is incorporated before adding more. Scrape down the bowl to make sure all the cream cheese is incorporating well.
Add the softened butter, about a tablespoon at a time.
As always, if glaze is too runny add a bit more of sugar; if it’s too stiff add a bit of liquid like drops of lemon juice or a milk. You can always check my guide on how to make a simple glaze.
