Vanilla Pound Cake
Have you ever tasted or smelled something that just took you back to a moment in your life? That is what this cake does for me. Every time I make it, I am instantly taken back to my childhood. I see myself sitting in my old home in Burnaby, B.C. I remember sitting on the plastic covered kitchen table and the glorious view of the backyard. Sitting with my sister and a plateful of this crumby delicious cake.
This recipe is my Mom’s and I have to admit it is one of my favorites of hers. Not only does it bring back memories of my childhood, it tastes amazing. Everything you want in a pound cake - a nice crumb, moist on the inside, and so versatile you can change it up to make it different! Call it what you want - pound cake, chai cake, khane cake or vanilla cake. It is GOOD.
I personally love it plain (with a scoop of vanilla ice cream) but you can dunk it, warm it up or eat it cold from the fridge.
Read on to see what variations of this recipe you can try!
Recipe for Vanilla Pound Cake:
Ingredients Needed:
1 cup butter softened (room temperature)
1 cup granulated sugar
6 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
Optional - powdered sugar for dusting, chopped nuts for topping, candied cherries for topping. See pro tips below for substitutions and variations to try.
Pro Tip - Substitutions
A lot of substitutions work well for this recipe.
You can use 1% or 2% dairy milk, almond milk, lactose free milk, soy milk and oat milk. All work well.
Gluten free flour works well.
Bonus Pro Tip - Variations
You can change/add a few ingredients to this and make a new cake each time! Try some of these:
add 1 teaspoon almond extract
add 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
Add 1-2 teaspoons fresh orange rind and 1/2 cup milk and 1/4 cup orange juice as your liquid
Top with chopped nuts or even candied cherries before baking
Servings Made: 1 bundt cake, 2 thin round cakes 8 or 9 inch, one thin 9x13 sheet, 18-24 cupcakes
Time to Prep: 10 minutes
Time to Cook: 35-45 minutes
How to Make:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer (about 3 minutes) until mixture looks lighter in color and creamy.
Add eggs in one at a time, mixing well in between. Add flour and baking powder, mix until combined then add vanilla and milk. Mix well but don’t over beat.
Pour batter into greased baking dish. I use a bundt cake pan usually and grease it with cooking spray. You can use butter, cooking spray or baking spray as well.
Pro tip - when using baking spray or butter, use a pastry brush if you have one to brush the entire pan, up the sides and in any corners or creases. This will help to release the cake.
Bake in oven for about 45 minutes. This time will vary (more or less) depending on your oven and what pan you decided to bake it in. Take it out when it is golden brown and when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out pretty clean with a few moist crumbs on it.
Pro tip - Be patient and don’t open the oven door until at least 3/4 of the baking time has passed. If you open the door of the oven, heat escapes leading to collapsed cakes, or uneven cooking.
Cool in cake pan for at least 15-20 minutes before trying to remove. Remove by placing wire rack on top of cake pan and slowly inverting. If you try to remove the cake before it has cooled, it may break when inverting. Cool completely on wire racks before serving.
Serve with tea, coffee, milk or ice cream! You can also dust some powdered sugar on top before serving.
Enjoy!
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Check my recipe posts to learn how to make a marble (vanilla/chocolate) or tri-color pound cake using the same recipe with a few changes!
