Brown Sugar Buttermilk Pound Cake
Happy Friday, my friends. Got an hour or so to spare this weekend? I think you should use it to whip up this simple but oh, so lovely, Brown Sugar Buttermilk Pound Cake. I promise you, it’s everything you want it to be!
If you’ve spent any time here on the site, you will know that I have a “thing” for Everyday cakes—you know, the kind you make for absolutely no particular reason at all, other than the fact that cake sounds like a good idea and you’ve got the ingredients in the house. You know what I mean, right? These are the cakes you leave on the kitchen counter that everyone cuts a “sliver” of, every time they pass by!😘
Sure, I love a big fancy party cake, but not the way I ❤️ these simple treats!
And this little brown sugar buttermilk loaf is right at the top of that list. Guys, it has so much depth of flavor and such an amazing mouth feel!
It’s buttery and caramelly and sweet but not overly so.
And the crumb is both tender and satisfyingly dense at the same time. So, so good!!
It’s perfect with an afternoon cup of tea, after dinner or even as an after-breakfast dessert (tell me that’s a thing in your house too!) No matter when you make it, it will be received with love and joy and how many things can you say that about?!!
Have a wonderful, safe and delicious weekend (hopefully with a piece or two of this yummy poundcake) and I’ll see you next week as we head into March and fingers crossed, the return of more springy weather!!! Finally!!!
P.S. Don’t stress out if you don’t have buttermilk in the house—I give directions for making your own in this recipe for cornmeal buttermilk pancakes and it’s super easy.
And if you don’t have cake flour, here’s how to make a homemade substitution. The general rule is that you measure out 1 cup of flour, remove 2 tablespoons of it and add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to that. Then you sift the mixture TWICE to aerate it and remeasure. For this recipe you need 1 ½ cups cake flour so do the 1 cup and remove 2 tablespoons replacing it with the 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and then measure out a half cup of flour, remove 1 tablespoon and replace it with 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Then sift all that together (2x), and remeasure so that you get 1 ½ cups. Happy baking!!
Brown Sugar Buttermilk Pound Cake
Makes one 9x5-inch loaf
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Bake Time: 60-75 minutes
Ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 4-5 pieces, plus a little extra for greasing the pan
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 ½ cups cake flour
⅓ cup buttermilk, well-shaken
The Recipe
1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Butter a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Line just the bottom with a piece of parchment (I like to flip the pan over and use the bottom as a guide to trace a piece that I can then cut out) and butter the parchment. Set aside.
2. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to cream the butter until it’s very soft and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat in the sugar and vanilla until well blended. Add the eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl between additions as needed. The mixture should look light and fluffy.
3. Remove the bowl from the mixer and sift the flour directly over the batter. Use the spatula to start to fold it in a few times, then sprinkle over the buttermilk and fold the whole thing together gently. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
4. Bake the cake for 1 hour and use a tester to test the center of the cake. If it comes out entirely clean, the cake is done. If it’s at all gummy or little crumbs stick to it, bake for another 10 minutes and check again. If it still seems slightly underbaked, continue baking and checking in 5 minute increments.
5. When cake is done, transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto the rack to finish cooling completely. Slice thinly and serve. Cake keeps well wrapped at room temperature for up to one week.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from Desserts from the Famous Loveless Cafe by Alisa Huntsman
