Bake up this classic cake that’s as Southern as it gets.
Buttermilk Pound Cake
This simple cake is a dream to eat on its own, but it also makes a great base for other toppings like fresh fruit, whipped cream, or your favorite preserves.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups unsalted butter, softened
- 2¾ cups sugar
- 7 large eggs, room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup whole buttermilk, room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy, 6 to 7 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition, stopping to scrape sides of bowl as needed.
- Spray a 15-cup Bundt pan with baking spray with flour. Spoon batter into prepared pan. On counter lined with a kitchen towel, gently tap pan a few times to release air bubbles and then smooth top.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
Flavor fun: This cake is the perfect canvas for adding your favorite baking spices, different extracts, or even a fun surprise like rainbow sprinkles.
HOW-TO
SOFTENED BUTTER
Softened butter (left) should leave an indentation when pressed but still feel somewhat firm and cool. Room temperature butter (right) is very soft and oily in appearance; it won’t hold air properly when beating it.
CREAM BUTTER AND SUGAR
Creaming, or beating, butter and sugar incorporates air which helps the cake rise. It should appear fluffy with a little bit of texture left from the sugar granules.
MIX WET AND DRY
Eggs, flour, and buttermilk are added to the creamed butter mixture to create the finished batter. It should hold traces of the beater when finished and have no visible dry or wet spots.
