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Buttermilk Pound Cake

This made from scratch Buttermilk Pound Cake is a sensational tried and true dessert. Serve it simply drizzled with buttermilk glaze or with fresh berries and whipped cream for a Southern style treat.

southern-pound-cake

Easy Glazed Buttermilk Pound Cake Recipe

Kitchen tools you’ll need to make this pound cake aren’t off the charts. You’ll need standard baking tools to make this delicious pound cake. I use a stand mixer but you may certainly use a hand mixer if that’s what you have handy. You’ll also need measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, a large 10-12 cup Bundt pan, or an angel food or tube pan. Silicone spatula or large spoon to spoon into the pan and a small bowl and spoon to make and drizzle the cake with glaze. How to make Southern Buttermilk Pound Cake from scratch:

  • Flour – All purpose flour, it’s not necessary to use cake flour. Sift the flour with baking powder and salt using a whisk.
  • Buttermilk – Use full fat buttermilk, well shaken. You can make your own using whole milk adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white distilled vinegar.
  • Fats – This recipe uses a combination of unsalted butter and solid vegetable shortening.
  • Sugar – Granulated sugar.
  • Eggs – 6 large eggs brought to room temperature.
  • Extracts – Vanilla extract, lemon extract and almond extract.
ingredients-to-make-buttermilk-pound-cake

How to Make the Best Southern Buttermilk Pound Cake

  • Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Buttermilk Pound Cake: All purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, salt, softened butter, buttermilk, vanilla extract, lemon extract, almond extract, large eggs and solid vegetable shortening.
  • For the glaze you’ll need: Powdered sugar, buttermilk or heavy cream and vanilla extract.
  • Kitchen tools you’ll need: A stand mixer or a hand mixer, measuring cups and spoons, rubber spatula, large Bundt pan or angel food cake pan.
  • Pound cakes earned their name as they were originally made using one pound of flour, one pound of white sugar, one pound of butter and eggs. Through the years, these amounts have been largely modified and can vary from recipe to recipe depending on the preference of the cook.
  • Please note, you’ll need at least a 12 cup Bundt pan to make this cake. Should you prefer, an angel food pan often called a tube pan can also be used.
  • How do you make your own buttermilk? To make homemade buttermilk: To every one cup of whole milk add one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or white distilled vinegar. Let stand for 5-10 minutes then stir and proceed with the recipe as written.
  • You may also opt to bake it in two standard 8 x 4 inch loaf pans. When doing so, the baking time will be shorter. Check the center with a cake tester or toothpick for doneness halfway through baking and adjust adding time as needed from that point.
  • You may choose to dust this cake with powdered sugar and serve it without the buttermilk glaze if that’s your preference. You could also do both.
  • You should store pound cake in an airtight container. If it’s not glazed, it can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, but I recommend storing it chilled to lengthen that time to 5-7 days. It’s perfectly fine to allow it to sit at room temperature for serving.
  • You can freeze Buttermilk Pound Cake for up to 2 months.
plated-pound-cake-recipe

More Southern Pound Cake Recipes to Make

You’re very likely to find a pound cake in my kitchen at any given moment and at any time of year. Just a few other pound cake recipes you can find in the recipe index you may like to try:

pound-cake-recipe

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Buttermilk Pound Cake

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Cooling time4 hours
Total Time5 hours 50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: buttermilk-pound-cake-recipe, southern-buttermilk-pound-cake
Servings: 16 servings (may vary)
Calories: 456kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 6 large eggs room temperature
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp lemon extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk (not fat free)
  • Buttermilk Glaze: (optional)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk additional as needed to thin
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan or spray with baking spray. Set aside. (Alternately, you may use an angel food tube pan.)
  • Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, shortening and sugar. Beat for 2 minutes or until fluffy. Add vanilla, lemon and almond extracts. Whip again until combined.
  • Lower the speed of the mixer and add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
  • In a separate bowl, use a whisk to sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Lower the speed of mixer, adding dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk beginning and ending with flour. Stop and scrap the sides of the bowl periodically.
  • Pour evenly into pan. Place into the oven and bake for 80-90 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes back clean.
  • Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then invert and remove from pan to a cooling rack to cool completely. Once cooled, dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with glaze.
  • Store in an airtight container chilled for 5-7 days or if unglazed, you can store it at room temperature for up to 3 days.
  • To make optional glaze: In a small bowl mix together powdered sugar, buttermilk and vanilla until sugar has dissolved. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 456kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 156mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 469IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!

6 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    My family loves the cake in a 2week period I have cooked it 3 times. My sister in law requested it for Thanksgiving dinner .

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