Buttermilk Pound Cake
A traditional southern-style buttermilk pound cake with a dense, moist crumb and a golden, slightly crunchy crust. Simple, scratch-made comfort food at its best!
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 2½ cups sugar
- 4 eggs large and room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk
- Confectioners’ sugar optional, for dusting
Instructions
Prepare the Pan & Oven
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C).
- Coat a 10-inch fluted tube pan (or Bundt pan) thoroughly with softened butter, ensuring you get into all the ridges. Lightly dust with flour, shake it around to coat, and tap out the extra over the sink. Set aside.
Cream the Butter & Sugar
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed. Mix for a full 5 to 7 minutes until the mixture turns pale, light, and incredibly fluffy. Don't skip this step—this is where the cake gets its lift!
Add the Wet Ingredients
- Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition so the batter stays smooth.
Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Alternate Dry & Liquid Ingredients
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and baking soda.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter alternating with the buttermilk. Start with a third of the flour, then half of the buttermilk, repeating the pattern and ending with the final portion of flour. Mix just until combined after each addition to keep the cake tender.
Bake to Perfection
- Pour the thick batter into your prepared fluted pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake for about 70 minutes. The pound cake is ready when a long toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the deepest part of the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Cool & Turn Out
- Place the pan on a wire cooling rack and let the cake cool in the pan for exactly 15 minutes.
- Gently tap the pan a few times, place your serving plate over the top, and carefully invert the cake. Let it cool completely before dusting with confectioners' sugar.
The absolute biggest mistake you can make with a scratch-made buttermilk pound cake is opening the oven door too early to check on it. Because this traditional recipe relies entirely on the air trapped during the creaming stage (and just a tiny 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda) for its lift, the cake's structure is incredibly fragile during the first 45 to 50 minutes of baking.Every time you open that oven door early, a rush of cool air enters, causing a sudden temperature drop that can make the fragile air pockets collapse. The result? A sad, dense sinkhole right in the center of your beautiful bundt cake.The Fix: Keep the door shut and rely on your oven light! Do not open the door until at least the 60-minute mark. When it is time to test for doneness, open the door quickly, insert your wooden skewer into the deepest part of the cake, and close it immediately. Keeping that ambient heat completely steady is the ultimate secret to getting that perfect, even, high-rising crown every single time.
Notes
- Room Temp Eggs: Cold eggs can curdle your creamed butter. If you forgot to take them out, submerge them in a bowl of warm water for 5–10 minutes before cracking.
- Flour Measurement: Always spoon your flour into the measuring cup and level it off. Scooping directly with the cup packs the flour down and makes the cake dry.
- Storage: Keep wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or under a cake dome at room temperature for up to 4 to 5 days. It actually tastes even better on day two!
Nutrition
Serving: 1g
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