Using a handful of simple household ingredients, you can make this deliciously rich and tender pound cake recipe! Brown sugar really takes this cake over the edge in terms of moistness, flavor, and color. A sprinkling of granulated sugar on top adds extra crunch and sparkle!
Picture this: it’s fall, just slightly chilly outside. You’re in your favorite PJs sitting at the window. You have a coffee in your hand and a slice of pound cake in the other hand.
Now I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a pretty darn dreamy picture. And although I’m not currently sitting by the window in my favorite PJs, and it’s been a full 4 hours since my last coffee (yes, that is too long), this pound cake still manages to make me feel warm and happy inside.
I am willing to put on the extra pounds for this dreamboat of a dessert.
Enjoy this cake plain, or top with chocolate ganache or a simple powdered sugar icing!
Brown sugar pound cake ingredients:
Traditional pound cake can be a bit difficult to work with – but this recipe features several tweaks to make it fail-proof! Regular pound cake recipes really only use flour, butter, eggs, and sugar (a pound of each!)
This pound cake uses cake & pastry flour for extra softness – baking powder + baking soda for extra lift – brown sugar for flavor, moistness, and color – and a combination of milk and sour cream for extra richness, flavor, and moistness!
I’ve got to say, adding brown sugar to pound cake was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It seems like such a simple tweak, but ohmygosh does it make a woooorlllld of a difference! I really don’t think I will ever make pound cake without brown sugar again.
So all in all, to make this pound cake, you will need:
• cake & pastry flour
• baking powder + baking soda
• salt
• sugar
• butter
• eggs
• vanilla
• milk + sour cream
How to make brown sugar pound cake:
1. Grease your Bundt pan and dust with sugar. I like to dust my pan with sugar instead of the usual flour for this recipe because it yields a beautifully crispy, golden brown crust. It’s ah-MAY-zing and suits this cake so, so well!
2. Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together, and set aside.
3. Beat butter & brown sugar. The mixture should be light and fluffy, like so:
4. Whisk in eggs. Add the eggs to the butter mixture, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add vanilla in with the last egg.
5. Alternate adding in dry ingredients and milk & sour cream. Mix in about 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Add your milk, and whisk that in too. Add in another 1/3 of the dry ingredients, and mix to combine. Whisk in your sour cream. Then add the remaining 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Eggs and vanilla mixed in 
1/3 dry ingredients mixed in
Milk mixed in 
Second 1/3 of dry ingredients mixed in
Sour cream mixed in 
Remaining dry ingredients mixed in
6. Pour batter into your Bundt pan + bake. Cool the cake for about 15 minutes in the pan, then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely. I dusted the cake with more granulated sugar on the outside for extra crunch and sparkle!
Pound cake storage:
The sour cream and brown sugar help keep this cake moister for longer! Keep your cake stored in an airtight container, plastic bag, or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. It’s also best to avoid cutting the cake until the last possible minute to keep the inside protected from air and drying.
This cake will keep for about 5 days at room temperature, 1 week in the fridge, or 3 months frozen!
To serve after freezing, set the cake out at room temperature for a few hours or in the fridge overnight until completely defrosted. I find this cake’s texture is best when enjoyed at room temperature – so I usually set the cake out of the fridge to warm before serving.
Check out these other recipes!
• Sour Cream Pound Cake Recipe
• Chocolate Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache
• Classic Apple Pie Recipe
• Quick and Easy Carrot Muffins
Brown Sugar Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups cake & pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 & 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, plus more to grease your pan
- 1 & 1/2 cups packed brown sugar, either light or dark will work
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
- 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
- granulated sugar (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 inch Bundt pan and coat the inside with granulated sugar. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine butter and brown sugar. Using an electric mixer fitted with the beater attachment or a wooden spoon (if you want a workout!), beat together the butter and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is fluffy and lightened in color. This will take about 2 minutes with a mixer (on medium speed) or 5 minutes by hand.
- Add the eggs to the butter mixture, one at a time, beating well after each addition until combined. Add your vanilla extract in with the last egg, and whisk to combine.
- Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients. Mix about 1/3 of your dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Add your milk and whisk to combine. Add in another 1/3 of the dry ingredients, and mix to combine. Finally whisk in your sour cream, followed by the remaining dry ingredients. Take care not to over mix.
- Pour your cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan, and spread into an even layer. Bake in the center of your preheated 350°F oven for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. If you notice the top of the cake is browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with some aluminum foil to finish baking.
- Cool the cake for about 15 minutes in the pan, then turn onto a wire rack. Rub some more granulated sugar on the surface of the cake while it's still warm, then set aside to cool completely to room temperature before serving!
Video
Enjoy!
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