Pound Cake Recipe

This Pound Cake has a moist and tender texture and the flavor is off the charts thanks to brown butter and vanilla. We dressed it up by grilling it, adding lemon curd and a topping of fresh whipped cream and berries.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 35

Servings servings

Calories 487kcal

Author Leigh Anne Wilkes

Ingredients

1 cup butter 2 sticks
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsps vanilla extract*
1 cup whipping cream additional needed for topping
3 cups berries
lemon curd
butter to spread on cake prior to grilling

Instructions

Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it foams and turns golden brown (5 to 10 minutes). Set aside and cool. Don't let it solidify.
Add butter and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat 3 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.
With mixer set at low speed, alternately add flour mixture and cream to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour.
Stir in vanilla.
Pour batter into a tube or Bundt pan coated with non-stick vegetable spray and dusted with flour.
Place in a cold oven and set the temperature to 325°F; bake for 65-75 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes; remove cake from pan to wire rack and cool completely.
Cut slices of cake and spread both sides with butter.
Grill until golden grill marks appear
Cover with a thin layer of lemon curd
Top with whipped cream, berries and a drizzle of lemon curd

Notes

Don't skip browning the butter. Brown butter is what gives this pound cake its rich, nutty, caramel-like flavor. Watch it
Start with room-temperature ingredients. Eggs and dairy blend more easily into the batter and help create a smooth, even texture.
Trust the cold oven method. Resist the urge to preheat the oven. Starting the cake in a cold oven is key to achieving the moist, tender crumb that makes this pound cake so special.
Grease the pan thoroughly. Pound cakes can stick easily. Be sure to generously grease and flour your Bundt or tube pan, paying special attention to all the crevices. I like to use Baker's Joy.
Avoid over mixing. Once the flour is added, mix only until combined. Over mixing can develop too much gluten and result in a tougher cake.
Test for doneness carefully. Insert a wooden skewer or toothpick into the center of the cake. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
Let the cake cool before removing it from the pan. Allow the cake to cool for 10-15 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack. This helps prevent it from breaking apart.
Dress it up for entertaining. While delicious on its own, this pound cake is especially wonderful topped with lemon curd, fresh whipped cream, and seasonal berries. For an extra-special treat, lightly grill slices before serving. If you don't have a grill but want to try grilled pound cake, you can use your oven broiler to get the same crispy topping.
Make it ahead. Pound cake actually improves after a day as the flavors have time to develop. It keeps well covered at room temperature for several days and freezes beautifully for longer storage.

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