Buttermilk Pound cake-the perfect accompaniment to fresh fruit, a light syrup or all on it’s own!
There are some things that just stick in your mind form your childhood. That special friend you always played with. Summers spent all day at the local swimming pool. (And I mean ALL day. We would go when it opened and not come home until it closed at dusk.) Family traditions-for us it was going to my grandparents every Sunday for dinner, and by dinner, I mean a late lunch.
I have so many great memories of my grandparents and their home. My Grandpa was what they used to call a gentleman farmer. He worked full time for duPont but decided he wanted to farm as well. They bought a 14 acre farm in the 1960’s.
The house alone always amazed me. The original part of the home was built in the early 1700’s (1726 I believe) consisting of basically a large family area downstairs and then 2 rooms above, an attic and a root cellar with a dirt floor. The fireplace was huge. Keep in mind, it was used not just for heat but also for cooking. The home was added onto over the years, I even did a school report on it as a kid. So much history in that home.
I could go on and on about that property, but one of the things that always stuck with me was the milk. Back in those days, dairies delivered milk to your door, however often you wanted it. Once a week, twice a week, every other day. And it didn’t seem to matter how far out you were from the rest of the world. We used to get our milk delivered from Silverside Dairy (part of Sealtest Dairies.) We always got our milk in the gallon plastic jugs but my grandparents got theirs in one quart glass bottles. with a paper/foil cap. Four quarts at a time. They’d put out the empty bottles the night before and then they’d be exchanged out for fresh milk the next morning. That milk always tasted better to me.
I love buying fresh whenever I can. Getting fresh vegetables from our local farmer’s market. Picking up a dozen brown eggs gathered the day before. I still end up going to the grocery store 2-3 times a week for other things (milk!)
Wandering through the isles, you never know what might be on sale, I get to the dairy section. All set to grab my 3 gallons of milk, I see glass bottles. Half gallons and quarts of milk, cream and buttermilk. From Homestead Creamery in Virginia. I had to try it. A quart of buttermilk and a quart of cream in my cart, I couldn’t wait to get home and bake!
Buttermilk always makes a better flavor in baking, IMO. This Buttermilk Pound cake is moist, full of flavor and has the perfect crumb. Eat it alone with your morning coffee, as an afternoon snack or dress it up with some fresh berries and whipped cream for an elegant dessert.
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Buttermilk Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar, using mixer, until light and fluffy.
- Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in vanilla and mix again.
- Combine flour and baking soda. Alternating, add flour mixture and buttermilk, until all blended.
- Spoon into a well greased bundt pan. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 60-70 minutes, testing for doneness using a toothpick.
- Let cool in pan for 20 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
this can also be made in 2 loaf pans, bake for 45-50 minutes
recipe source ChocolateChocolateandmore.com
Want more delicious cake?
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sue/the view from great island says
I completely agree about buttermilk, it makes everything better, and I always keep it around. I find that it stays good past its expiration date, too, it just gets tangier 😉 This pound cake looks luscious, I’d love it toasted for breakfast!
anna says
hy,i’m an italian girl and i’d like to try to make this beautiful cake 🙂 but i’ve a doubt…in the receipe you have written 2 cups of sugar and 1/2 …is it the true quantity? thanks for your answers 🙂
Joan Hayes says
Yes, the correct amount is 2 and 1/2 cups of sugar.
Julie @White Lights on Wednesday says
Pound cake is one of my all time faves Joan. I love the idea of using buttermilk. I cannot wait to try this recipe! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Stephanie @ Back For Seconds says
Yes, I love baking with buttermilk too! This cake looks divine! Wish I could grab a slice through the screen 😉 Pinned!
Cate @ Chez CateyLou says
Your grandparents house sounds wonderful! What a great memory! And this pound cake looks so moist! What a perfect classic recipe! Hope you had a great weekend, Joan!
Laura @ Raise Your Garden says
I have always settled for store-bought pound cake that looks NOTHING compared to yours! How do you do it? And like you mentioned, adding some fresh fruit to this, wow, you have won my heart. I just see myself eating this on the back porch with a cup of tea in hand. yay!
Librarian Lavender says
This looks really delicious! I can’t wait to give it a try!
Zainab says
You are so right!! Buttermilk makes everything better!! Love love this pound cake 🙂
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
i can never go past a good pound cake.. love it!
Heather @ French Press says
I could live on pound cake alone, well with some coffee; this looks SO moist and delicious Joan
Liz says
Has anyone baked using powdered buttermilk?
I did not know this actually existed until yesterday when I was gettng flour. I almost picked it up for the pantry as I have several recipes that I make that use buttermilk. Unless I really plan ahead and purposely purchase buttermilk, I will pass on it and make something else.
https://www.amazon.com/Saco-Powdered-Buttermilk-12-ounce-Can/dp/B004AXZEW2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1405813398&sr=8-2&keywords=powder+buttermilk
Joan Hayes says
I’ve used it before and it works well. No one will know the difference.
Liz says
Thanks! I’ll pick some up.
Jean says
This pound cake looks exactly what I want to use for a wedding cake. Does anyone know if it’s possible to bake the batter in 6″, 8″ or 10″ cake pans?? My bride wants a white cake and to keep it for their 1 year Anniversary! This cake appears to fit both those requirements, but…. I need help from other bakers!
Thanks,
Jean
Joan Hayes says
Yes, you can bake this in regular cake pans. You will need to reduce the baking time. I’d start checking the cakes at about 20 minutes, then adjusting accordingly, depending on the depth of the cake. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Jenny says
This cake came out perfectly! I’m always looking for a new cake recipe, especially bundt cake. I’ve baked this two times already and it was a hit both times. The first one I topped with powdered sugar and the second I topped with homemade whipped frosting. I love that its a simple recipe with only a few ingredients. This will be a part of my favorite recipe collection. Thanks for sharing.
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Your grandfather’s farm sounds amazing. . love the idea of fresh milk in one quart glass bottles, delivered to your door. Amazing! and this buttermilk pound cake?! Oh my goodness. . this looks so good!! I would love to devour a slice right now!
Nena Lynn says
Oh my….I just made this cake for the first time and I couldn’t WAIT for it to cool to sneak a bite. WOW…it is totally fabulous! And so easy too! This will become a staple in my holiday baking!
Joan Hayes says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Majda says
Hi, I just want to know how many grams a cup of butter is please?
Lin says
8 oz is 225 grams. Here is a convenient website to help with conversions. https://calculator-converter.com/ Hope that helps!
Martha Thompson says
Couldn’t wait to do this cake but wish I had not used the loaf pans because it ran out the pans and now to clean up my new oven…. Should have used the bundt pan! Also taking longer than 45-50 minutes to cook in the loaf pans too!
Chrissy says
A lot of people never know what to do with leftover buttermilk, but I have found that I can freeze it and it still works great in baked or cooked foods. I freeze it in a 1 cup container, defrost in the refrigerator and then put it in my Bullet(or a blender) for a minute to remix it(it separates a bit when defrosted) and then right into my recipe. Great for Buttermilk Pancakes!
Alex says
This cake is great! Do it, do it, do it!!! I baked it two weeks ago and it was delicious. I used one cup of sugar and like 2/3 of the second one, and at list for me, it was perfect! But i do that with almost every recipe, they’re a bit too sweet for me.
I have two questions: with what kind of heat did you bake the cake? I live in Germany and i baked it with up and down heat, but i think it needed a bit longer than stated in your recipe… or did you used fan heat?
And second: i want to bake the batter in smaller ring forms, they’re 12cm, that is… 4.7244in.
How long do you think they need in the oven?
Thanks for the recipe, it is really delicious!
Lin says
I just popped this into the oven. I cannot wait for it to come out! Did I mention the batter is delicious? I just love your recipes. 🙂 {{hugs}}
Barbara Ballard says
I just pulled it out of the oven and it smells wonderful. I used 2 loaf pans, and they needed 52 Min. in my electric oven. I had trouble getting all that sugar into the butter. It wasn’t until I added the eggs that it started blending in. But I am so ready for it to cool so I can try it.