Essential Butter Pound Cake
This is a foundational bake that rewards patience and precise temperature control. It is a sturdy cake that stands up to heavy glazes or a simple dusting of sugar.
Temperature is your primary ingredient.
If your butter is too cold, it will not aerate; if your eggs are cold, they will shatter the emulsion. Set everything on the counter two hours before you begin.
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
- 9x5-inch loaf pan
- Rubber spatula
- Wire cooling rack
What goes in.
- 1 lbunsalted butter, softened
- 2 cupsgranulated sugar
- 5large eggs, room temperature
- 3 cupscake flour, sifted
- 1/2 tspfine sea salt
- 1/2 cupwhole milk, room temperature
- 1 tbspvanilla extract
Building the structure
Beat the butter and sugar on medium-high for at least five minutes until the mixture turns pale white and feels like whipped clouds. This trapped air is the only leavening agent you have.
The method.
Prep the oven and pan
Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease the loaf pan with butter and line the bottom with parchment paper for a clean release.
Cream butter and sugar
Use the paddle attachment to cream the butter and sugar until the volume increases and the color lightens significantly.
Add the eggs
Add eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each. Stop and scrape the bowl halfway through to ensure no butter clings to the sides.
Incorporate dry and wet
Add flour and salt in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla, beginning and ending with flour. Mix only until the streaks of flour vanish.
Bake
Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake for 65-75 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is a deep golden brown.
Other turns to take.
Lemon Zest
Rub two tablespoons of fresh lemon zest into the sugar before creaming to release the essential oils.
Almond
Replace one teaspoon of vanilla extract with a quarter-teaspoon of pure almond extract.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Sift the flour twice before measuring to ensure a lighter crumb.
If the batter looks curdled when adding eggs, add a tablespoon of your flour measurement to force the emulsion back together.
Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto the rack to prevent cracking.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my cake sink in the middle?
It was likely pulled from the oven before the center was fully set, or the oven temperature was too low.
Can I use cold butter?
No. Cold butter will not hold air, resulting in a dense, greasy brick rather than a pound cake.
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