Golden Vanilla Pound Cake
This pound cake is a rich, dark brown outside, with an ultra-fine, golden crumb. If you like a dense, firm, loaf-shaped classic pound cake, then this one's for you. One non-traditional touch: the vanilla-sugar glaze drizzled on top before baking, which gives the cake a crackly-crunchy top crust. Read our blog about this cake, with additional photos, at Bakers' Banter.
Cake
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
Topping
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon water
Directions
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1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 5" x 2 3/4" loaf pan, or a 12" x 4" x 4" tea loaf pan. To avoid overflow, be SURE to use the correct size pan! |
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5) To make the topping, combine the sugar, vanilla, and water. Stir till the mixture is syrupy. At first it'll seem very stiff, but will become "drizzlable" as you stir. |
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8) Remove the cake from the oven, and after 15 minutes loosen the edges, and turn it out of the pan to cool on a rack. |
Recipe summary
- Hands-on time:
- 10 mins. to 15 mins.
- Baking time:
- 60 mins. to 1 hrs 15 mins.
- Total time:
- Yield:
- 9" loaf cake, 18 servings.
- Recipe comments (24) »
Tips from our bakers
- If desired, substitute 1 tablespoon lemon zest + 1/4 teaspoon lemon oil, OR 1/8 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia flavoring, for the vanilla and almond extracts.
- If desired, bake the cake in a 9-cup tube or Bundt® pan. You'll need to bake it a shorter amount of time than in the loaf pan, so start checking at 55 minutes.
- Since this cake is so dense, the baking time can be tricky,. You want it thoroughly baked, but not dried out. When the cake is done, a cake tester inserted into the center will come out clean, and the internal temperature at the center will be at least 200°F. The top 1/4" or so of the top crust may still be moist and sticky; but it shouldn't be batter-like. The finished cake may have some moist streaks near the top crust; that's OK.
- You'll find bringing the butter and cream cheese to room temperature makes them easier to beat without lumps forming. And room-temperature eggs help keep the batter lump-free, too. It takes about 2 to 3 hours to bring these ingredients to room temperature, so plan ahead.
Reviews
10/06/2009
This is the best pound cake I have ever had. This is my first time using a recipe from King Arthur's website. It will not be my last. I have tried other pound cake recipes but they never quite worked. The cakes were always gummy. This cake came out moist and a beautiful golden yellow. Very easy to make. I let the eggs, creamed cheese and butter get room temperature while I went to the gym.
09/18/2009
08/23/2009
This is the best pound cake I have made in years. My family want more. The first loaft I made was gone in 20 minutes. The second one was put in the freezer for my son to take home to Florida with him. I recommend this recipe to everyone. Thanks KA!
07/19/2009
Yes, I should have rated this pound cake 5 yrs. ago when I made it in San Bernaardino Ca. as my company went wild ! I lost the receipe and thanks to KAF it was recovered. My version was grilled before serving and that's what I did. This time, a different set of company in a different state went wild too and said this is truly a 5 star dessert. I also baked the pound cake at 325 degrees (without tenting) for 80 minutes. So... fire up the grill on med-hot as my husband Ron did and you too will have raves and don't forget the vanilla ice cream and toppings !!
07/09/2009
This is an excellent pound cake. The batter is just luscious. I didn't have any almond flavoring, so I increased the vanilla a bit. It was terrific. Best of all, it's a one-loaf pan recipe and not the big ole' bundt cake pan. Great for a smaller family. I'll definitely be making this one again.
05/30/2009
This recipte came out perfectly. This is by far the best pound cake I have ever made, and absolutely the best I have ever tasted. Easy to make, looks great and taste is excellent. Loved the crunch on top and the moistness was exactly right!
05/09/2009
Fabulous recipe with an interesting mixing technique. The topping is crunchy and the crumb is light but very dense. It really needs to be eaten with a dollop of strawberry jam and whipped cream.
03/01/2009
WOW. I love pound cake. My one and only attempt at making one was a total failure. Dry, dense, and not a whole lot of flavor. A good friend of mine makes great pound cakes so fortunately I haven't had to go without. However, with my first attempt with your recipe I think I'm going to make him jealous. I used a Corning Ware, 9" x 5" x 4" (2 quart) loaf pan that I got from my mother a few years ago. I used a lightly buttered piece of parchment paper in the bottom, set the oven temperature at 325, and covered it with foil after 50 minutes. I tested it after 60 minutes and it wasn't close. I tested it again after 70 minutes and it still wasn't ready but I took the foil tent off. It was done to perfection after 80 minutes. Cake tester came out clean and temperture was exactly 200 deg. Of course by this time I had 7 holes in the top from the cake tester and the temperature probes but you couldn't tell after it cooled and hey, now I know. I did substitute 1/4 tsp of the Fiori di Sicillia for the vanilla and almond extracts. I know the bakers tip said 1/8 tsp but that just didn't seem like enough. The flavor is outstanding, unlike any pound cake I've ever had. It is very moist, excellent crumb and density, and the slightly crispy topping really sets it off. I'm going to have to make another one tomorrow so I can give a big slice to my buddy because between my wife, daughter and I this one's history.
02/03/2009
The cake was the best testing pound cake! It tasted better than the bakery. I prepared it according to the directions. I substituted the vanilla extract with vanilla bean extract crush and the almond extract with almond bakery emulsion. Also, I recommend using a oven thermometer to make sure you are baking at the right temperature. I usually have to adjust by 25 degrees. So, I baked my cake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes. I will never use any other flour beside King Arthur. I immediately saw the difference in the mixing of the ingrediates. I am King Arthur number one fan!
Thank you for sharing all those great tips. And thank you for trying our flour! Elisabeth @ KAF
12/17/2008
Excellent choice if you like vanilla. I prefer the lemon pound cake, but this is equally delicious. Easy to make.
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