Description

This buttermilk pound cake is soft, moist, and simultaneously light and dense. Sweet and simple, this is a classic done right!

Ingredients

Scale

For the pound cake:

301 gm (1 1/3 cups) unsalted butter, softened*
500 gm (2 1/2 cups) granulated sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
375 gm (3 cups, spoon and leveled) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
240 gm (1 cup) whole buttermilk, at room temperature

For the vanilla glaze:

180 gm (1 1/2 cups) powdered sugar, sifted
2–4 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Instructions

To make the pound cake:

Preheat the oven to 325°F.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing on medium speed for 20 seconds after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, kosher salt, and baking soda.
Beginning and ending with the flour mixture, alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the batter, mixing on low speed until the ingredients are just incorporated after each addition. Be careful not to overmix. Once you’ve incorporated the last bit of the flour mixture, gently fold the batter a few times with a rubber spatula to ensure all the ingredients have been evenly incorporated.
Generously grease a 10 to 12- cup Bundt pan (**TIP: see my notes below on my favorite way to grease a Bundt pan!). Pour the batter into the pan and gently spread to even out the top. Bang the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles.
Bake for 60-65 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then gently run a blunt knife around the edge of the cake. Then, without removing the Bundt pan, invert the cake onto a wire rack and allow it to cool upside down in the pan for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the pan and allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.

To make the vanilla glaze:

Add the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of whole milk, and the vanilla extract to a medium sized bowl, and whisk to combine. Add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you’ve reached the desired consistency.
Pour the glaze over the completely cooled cake.

Notes

*Softened butter: The right consistency for softened butter is soft, but still firm. When you press your finger into the butter, it should leave an indentation, but shouldn’t be shiny or greasy. If you really want to get technical, use an instant read thermometer: your butter should be between 65-67°F.

**My favorite way to grease a Bundt pan: I get great results by using my own homemade cake release. It’s so easy to make and I get great results every time. You can find the instructions here on how to make and use it. You can also use liberal amounts of shortening and dust with flour or use a quality non-stick baking spray like Baker’s Joy with good results.

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.