Buttermilk Pound Cake

Pound cake was my very first large cake baked as part of group baking assignment. It was my first bake in a silicone pan and I had some challenges with the mixing. I did not own an electric mixer then. And still it turned out pretty good. I was mighty proud of the attempt. 

After that I baked a condensed milk pound cake that I was not very happy about. I never got around to baking another pound cake again. 

So when I came across this recipe I was intrigued. This was a bundt cake and I loved the texture. But the size of the cake and the mixing was daunting. My daughter saw my bookmarked recipe on my phone one day and said "Ma! bake this today" and off she trotted away. I did not have a chance to respond at all. 

It is amazing how these little ones have us wrapped around their little fingers and before we know it, we are dancing away to their tunes. So yes that Saturday turned into a Mamma's baking day. 

Recipe (Makes one large bundt cake)

Ingredients

Unsalted butter at room temperature - 1 1/2 cups (340g)

Sugar - 1 3/4 cups 

Eggs, at room temperature- 6

Vanilla extract - 1 tbsp

Butter milk (at room temperature) - 1/2 cup 

Baking powder - 1tsp

Salt - 1/4 tsp

All purpose flour - 2 3/4 cups 

Powdered sugar - for dusting

Method

Preheat the oven to 350degrees F (180 degrees C)

Generously grease and dust a large (10 inch) bundt pan. Dust off the excess flour and keep the pan aside.

Cream the butter and sugar for about 5-7 minutes until light and fluffy. 

Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition. After all the eggs are added, beat again for about 2-3 minutes.

With the mixer on low, add the vanilla extract, baking powder and salt. 

Now alternately add the buttermilk mixture and flour, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until no dry flour remains. Do not over beat. 

Spoon the batter into the prepared bundt pan.

Bake at 180 degrees C for 20 minutes. Without opening the oven door, turn the temperature down to 160 degrees C and bake for another 25-30 minutes. Insert a toothpick diagonally into the cake and pull it out. The toothpick should not have wet batter on it. 

If you find the top browning too quickly in the second half of the baking time, then cover with a foil and continue baking. 

Allow the cake to cool off in the pan. Run a flexible knife around the edges and then invert the cake onto a wire rack. 

Dust with icing sugar or fine powdered sugar. Slice only when the cake feels completely cool to touch.  

The cake keeps well at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-4 days, if it lasts that long that is. My kids did not wait to for the cake to completely cool down. And they had it for breakfast and evening snack for the next couple of days. I do not have to think twice about using my large bundt pan anymore 😊

Verdict The texture was just perfect in this cake. I guess the beating with the electric mixer did matter. I felt it was a bit too sweet. I will try cutting down the sugar a bit the next time.