This pound cake is pretty special. Not only does it call for two full sticks of butter and three cups of sugar (yowza!), but it’s kept extra moist from both buttermilk and sour cream - and then lightened of its weight with fluffy egg whites that are gently folded into the batter.
Add to this a glaze akin to the coating on an old-fashioned donut, and you can call this cake a win!
As one favorite taste tester noted:
This is the most perfect cake. The perfect texture. The perfect icing. The perfect amount of icing!"
Perfect!
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Vanilla-Glazed Pound Cake
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: Serves 8-12
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (360 g)
- 1 tsp fine-grain salt (like table or sea salt)
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 3 cups granulated sugar (600 g)
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature (1 cup, 8 oz)
- 6 eggs, separated
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup sour cream (120 g)
- 1 TB pure vanilla extract
For the Glaze:
- 3 TB unsalted butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted (120 g)
- 3 TB milk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously butter and flour a tube pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, until fully incorporated, periodically scraping down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add ⅓ of the flour mixture, then ½ of the buttermilk mixture. Continue to alternate the additions just until everything is combined. Set aside.
- In a clean, separate bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form (they should curl over slightly when you lift the beaters). Gently fold ⅓ of the whites into the batter to loosen. Slowly fold in the remaining whites, being sure to reach the bottom of the bowl, just until everything is combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tube pan, then lift a few inches and drop onto the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake on the middle rack 55 - 60 minutes, or until golden, the sides are starting to release from the pan, and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and place on a serving platter. Glaze the cake while still warm.
For the Glaze:
- Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Then, off heat, whisk in the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth.
- Use a pastry brush to completely glaze the still-warm cake - don't forget the hole in the center! Continue to brush over repeat areas until all the glaze is used up and most of the glaze has been absorbed into the cake, with slight pooling along the base of the platter. Let the cake cool completely, then enjoy and share!
Notes
- For less breakage, it's best to separate eggs while still cold from the refrigerator. But for optimal volume, beat the egg whites at room temperature.
- Sifting the powdered sugar ensures a smooth glaze with no white clumps. Powdered sugar can be stubborn sometimes in its clumpiness.
- For the glaze, I use whole milk for its extra richness and flavor.
- I use this 10" aluminum tube pan.
- Recipe adapted from Kathy Sandoz' recipe on Just a Pinch.
Keywords: pound cake, buttermilk pound cake, sour cream pound cake, bundt cake, donut cake
