Vanilla Pound Cake

This is a plain pound cake recipe with an extra dose of vanilla. It sounds simple but the flavor has depth and is anything but. I use vanilla paste so the batter and glaze are speckled with those beautiful tiny dots from the vanilla bean.

Course Cakes

Cuisine American

Keyword vanilla pound cake

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 430kcal

Author Paula Montenegro

Ingredients

For the pound cake:

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 eggs at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla paste
¼ cup sour cream full fat, at room temperature

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180°C).
Butter or spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan. You can line it with a strip of parchment paper, covering the pan's bottom and two long sides. The two short sides will remain unlined but greased. This will help you remove the cake from the pan.
Cream 1 cup butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, gradually adding 1 cup sugar. Beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl a few times. Don't worry if the mixture looks separated or curdled; it will come together when you add the flour.
Beat in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
Sift 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt together and add them to the butter in three additions, alternating with ¼ cup sour cream in two additions, beginning and ending with flour.
Mix *just* until incorporated. Do not over mix. Use a spatula to give it a few stirs and check there’s no flour spots. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and even out the top.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. It should spring back if you lightly touch it.
Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes or so.
Run a smooth-bladed knife around the pan's edge to ensure the cake is not sticking. Remove the cake by lifting the ends of the parchment paper. Remove the strip of paper and let the cake cool completely on a cooling rack.
This cake lasts up to 3 days at room temperature, well covered in plastic wrap, foil, or in an airtight container.

For the glaze:

Put 1 cup powdered sugar in a medium bowl and add 1 tablespoon milk and ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract.
Mix well until completely smooth. Check the consistency, it should be like thick honey. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon milk, half teaspoon at a time, if needed to adjust the consistency.
Drizzle over the cool loaf and let drip down the sides. Let it dry before cutting and serving.

Notes

After incorporating flour in a cake batter, we don't want to develop gluten, as it will toughen the baked cake. So mix *just* until it's all well incorporated but don't overbeat. I like to end mixing with a silicon spatula to ensure the ingredients are fully integrated.

Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.

Nutrition