Vanilla Pound Cake
A moist loaf cake enhanced with vanilla bean paste for an extra rich vanilla cake flavor
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Servings: 8
Calories: 398kcal
Equipment
- 1 8 x 4 inch loaf pan
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 226 grams 1 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temp- about 65 degrees)
- 200 grams 1 cup sugar
- 225 grams 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
For the Vanilla Bean Glaze
- 65 grams confectioner’s sugar 10X sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 tsp milk or heavy cream add more milk if needed
Instructions
For the Cake
- Butter and flour the baking pan and line with a parchment paper sling to help lift the cake while cooling. If desired, Hold the parchment paper in place with metal binder clips.
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Cream butter and sugar. Cut the butter into large chunks and place in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed to soften, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add sugar. Beat the sugar and butter on medium-low speed until the sugar is fully combined with the butter. Increase speed to medium and continue creaming for 5-7 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl and the paddle 2-3 times. The butter and sugar will be fluffy and have a light texture.
- Add eggs and vanilla. Add in the eggs ONE AT A TIME and beat for at least 60 seconds before adding the next egg. Finally, add vanilla paste. If the batter is looking curdled- no worries- this is normal.
- Add flour and dry ingredients. Turn the stand mixture to low and add half the dry ingredients. Mix just until fully combined, then stop and scrape the bowl down. Use a silicone or rubber scraper to mix in any final bits of dry ingredients from the sides of the bowl or beater. Do not over mix! You will have a dry and dense cake.
- Bake. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Smooth with an offset spatula. Pro tip: Cut a stick of butter into a long, thin slice and place it down the center of the cake before baking. Bake on the middle rack in a 325°F oven for 65-75 minutes until a cake tester or bamboo skewer (do not test with a toothpick- it is too short) inserted in the center comes out nearly clean.
- Cool. Set the cake pan on a wire rack to cool 15-20 minutes, then use the parchment sling to lift the cake out of the pan to finish cooling. Let cool completely before adding icing.
For the Vanilla Bean Glaze
- Sift confectioner’s sugar into a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla paste and 1 teaspoon of milk or cream and whisk together until smooth. You may need to add more powdered sugar or milk to reach the slightly thick consistency. Do not skip sifting the sugar- once lumps are in the confectioner's sugar, they are impossible to remove even with a whisk.
- Use an offset spatula or silicone spatula to gently spread the glaze over the top of the loaf cake. Let the cake and glaze rest to form a crust, or serve it immediately.
Notes
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The number one tip I’d offer is to buy a digital scale to weigh your dry ingredients. I almost never just measure flour by volume anymore, but rather by weight. Humidity, altitude, and so many factors can affect how much goes into your measuring cup. I find weighing provides more consistent results. Whenever I get a “ bad” review for a recipe and I ask how they measured the flour, I always get the same answer-
“I just scooped and dumped.” This is a sure-fire way to ruin a cake. The other tip I have is to scrape down your mixing bowl and paddle attachment or whisks often. This keeps your cake light and fluffy and prevents over-mixing, which can lead to a dry cake with a dense texture.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 398kcal