Buttermilk Pound Cake
Featuring a tender crumb thanks to the buttermilk, this Buttermilk Pound Cake is an easy and delicious dessert that’s sure to please!
This post may contain paid links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.
I can’t ever seem to finish a container of buttermilk. I bake a lot (a lot!), and buttermilk is used in a lot of classic baking recipes. Buttermilk pancakes. Buttermilk waffles. Buttermilk biscuits. Fried chicken. Heck, there’s even a buttermilk pie (it’s delicious, by the way). Even then, I often find myself with leftover buttermilk.
Add this Buttermilk Pound Cake to the list of ways to use buttermilk. In fact, this cake rivals my all-time favorite Classic Pound Cake. There’s a reason why buttermilk shows up in so many baking recipes. Not only does it add a buttery flavor, but it affects the texture of baked goods, too. The acidity of buttermilk acts helps tenderize the gluten, which in turn leads to a softer and moister cake.
I hate wasting ingredients, so I always have a tough time with buttermilk. I usually can’t get through a full half-gallon of buttermilk unless I make a concerted effort. That’s where the homemade buttermilk tip comes in!
How do you make buttermilk?
To make buttermilk at home, just add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or fresh lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes at room temperature. That’s it. While this method doesn’t quite produce the same cultured buttermilk that you get from the store, it’s close enough for the purposes of a recipe. (Technically, this method produces an acidified “clabbered” or thickened milk as opposed to buttermilk.)
Another idea? Powdered buttermilk. I discovered this product years ago when I was taking professional baking classes. This stuff is amazing! You simply mix the powder with water and *boom* buttermilk. It’s similar to powdered milk…just with a buttermilk twist. I always keep a container of buttermilk powder in the back of my fridge. It lasts for quite a while once it’s opened (stored in the refrigerator), and it means I always have buttermilk on hand for various recipes. Easy peasy!
Buttermilk Pound Cake
As noted above, the use of buttermilk in this Buttermilk Pound Cake leads to a moist and tender cake. However, don’t ignore the crunchy topping! I personally love the crunchy topping of pound cakes, and my son Robbie has followed in my footsteps. I gave him a slice of this pound cake for dessert, and he immediately ate the crunchy topping first. I can’t blame him!
Aside from the taste, one of my favorite things about pound cakes is how versatile they are. I enjoy a slice by itself, but take a thin slice, warm it in the microwave and then top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and fresh berries? That. That right there is a thing of beauty! I promise your friends and family will be begging for more!
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover pound cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Let cake cool completely cool before putting into the container. Pound cakes can also be frozen. Just wrap the leftover portion (or individual slices) in plastic wrap and them put it into a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. (To thaw, just let cake sit at room temperature for an hour or two.)
If you’re looking for one heck of a tasty pound cake, put this Buttermilk Pound Cake on the list! Happy baking!
Did you bake this Buttermilk Pound Cake at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Buttermilk Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2½ cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- confectioner’s sugar for dusting
- fresh berries for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Using a large bowl, mix together flour, salt and baking powder; set mixture aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes on medium speed).
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add vanilla and almond extracts; mix until well combined.
- Add buttermilk alternately with flour mixture (from above); mix until well combined.
- Scrape bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure batter is well combined.
- Grease and flour a 10-12 cup Bundt cake pan (or generously spray with baking spray and then lightly dust with flour). Transfer batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for 80-90 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let cool in pan for 15 minutes and then invert cake onto a wire rack. Let cool completely before slicing.
- Dust top of cake with confectioner’s sugar before serving.
- Serve with a variety of fresh fruit and berries.
Looking for more tasty pound cake recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
cant wait to make this soon for me can i use vegan butter and buttermilk i never had buttermilk pound cake before perfect for my after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Hey Ramya! Yes, you can certainly use vegan substitutes here – I haven’t tried this recipe with vegan ingredients myself, though, so will you let me know how it turns out??
I am the exact same with having buttermilk go to waste in my fridge. I love that you’ve given solutions for this. Gosh, I haven’t made a pound cake in forever, so I’m very thankful for your post. I can already taste this pound cake with its crunchy top. And I totally agree about the crunchy top. This recipe is the perfect light Summer dessert with berries and a dollop of homemade whipped cream. Thanks for sharing!
Oh, you should make a pound cake soon then, Kristy! I often make a pound cake every year for Memorial Day. The holiday weekend just feels right for making a cake, and fresh berries are usually coming in about the same time…so it works well together. Cheers, my friend!
Always love a good pound cake but admittedly haven’t tried with buttermilk — that will have to change though! This looks so good, David!
A good pound cake is really hard to beat! The buttermilk in this one adds a fun layer of flavor – definitely put it on the list to try. Cheers, Michelle!
i rarely use buttermilk so i often make my own. and it’s getting harder to find in the shops these days! Love your cake david .
I agree, Sherry – it seems like a lot of things are getting harder and harder to find these days. Good thing we have the make-your-own trick, right? 🙂 Cheers!!
I know that buttermilk helps to achieve a nice, moist and fluffy texture, but I don’t think I’ve ever baked with buttermilk…Oh well, I am embarrassed to admit I’ve never had buttermilk pancakes, either. But this cake looks and sounds terrific!
And if you ever have an issue with leftover buttermilk, you can definitely ship it to Canada. But since we won’t want it going bad while being shipped, shipping it in form of cake would be make more sense, right? (I don’t mind if you have a slice for yourself, too) 🙂
You’ve never had buttermilk pancakes!? Ben. Stop everything right now and go make pancakes. That’s an order! 🙂 Seriously, though, buttermilk pancakes are amazing. This pound cake is pretty darned amazing, too. Maybe buttermilk pancakes for breakfast with a slice of this pound cake for dessert??
Great ideas through and thorough, David. I’ve never had a buttermilk pound cake, but I bet it’s delicious.
You should make a buttermilk pound cake, Jeff. And then eat it. Deal?
Your pound cake has the perfect texture, David! Love the idea of using buttermilk for added depth of flavor. I’m imagining a big slice of this piled high with fresh strawberries and whipped cream!
I like where you’re going with that big pile of strawberries and whipped cream on top of pound cake, Marissa – that’s basically my favorite summer dessert!!
Can I make this recipe with the same measurements in a loaf pan?
Hey Samiah! This recipe can be baked in a loaf pan for sure. However, you’ll need to make some changes. A bundt pan holds 10-12 cups, and a loaf pan holds 4-8 cups (depending on the size of the loaf pan). So you’ll need at least 2 loaf pans (3 if your loaf pans are smaller – like 8″x4″). But it can be done! This cake won’t rise too much while baking, so you can fill your loaf pans at least 3/4 or more full of batter.
Since the loaf pans are smaller, you’ll also want to pay attention to time. I haven’t baked this cake in a loaf pan myself, but I would guess start checking the cake at about 40 minutes. It’ll probably take closer to 50-60, but it’s better to check often than overbake the cake, right? 🙂 Good luck and let me know how it turns out!
I’d love to make this sounds yummy. I do not have a stand mixer. Can I use a regular hand mixer?
Hey Robin! Yes, I think you can definitely make this cake using a regular hand mixer. The key is making sure to cream the butter and sugar together for 3-4 minutes, or until the mixture is light and fluffy. I hope you enjoy this cake – it’s delicious, and it’s great with fresh strawberries that should be coming in soon!
This is absolutely delicious. But I have a question. I’ve made this about 4 times now with one variation. My family is not a fan of almond flavoring so I omitted that, just using 1 and a half tsp of vanilla. Well last night I made this again and tried using 2 tsp of vanilla. My buttermilk was also slightly “expired”. I did everything else the same as always… but the cake came out denser and drier. Same flavor but totally different texture. Was it the vanilla?
Also, to be clear I absolutely love this recipe and will make it again and again. It normally comes out so wonderfully light and fluffy with the perfect texture. Def will not use the 2 tsp of vanilla again though.
Hey Michelle! I’m so glad you enjoy this pound cake – it’s one of my all-time favorites, too. As far as the change in texture, I don’t believe the extra 1/2 tsp of vanilla would have caused that. Did anything else change? Brand of butter? Oven temperature (or even a different oven)?
Was your butter at room temperature? I had something similar happen one time when I forgot to let the butter come to room temp first. I cheated and tried to microwave the butter for a few seconds, but in the end the texture of the cake just wasn’t right. That room temperature butter should get creamed together with the sugar until it’s a nice and fluffy mixture – it’ll take 3-4 minutes on medium speed. Other than that, I’m just not sure. The buttermilk shouldn’t have been an issue. (On a side note, I use powdered buttermilk so I don’t have to worry about dates and whether I actually have any buttermilk on hand: https://amzn.to/3LWLkPZ)
It was the butter! I did the same thing as you, tried to cheat. Previous times I had made it, I set it out way in advance so it had time to get soft. Yesterday I was rushing and tried to cheat. Thanks so much for your reply! I was beating myself up wondering what I did wrong because the other times I made it, it came out just perfect. Next time I make it, I will definitely not cheat on the butter.
So where is that crunchie topping you raved about on the buttermilk pound cake? I’d like to make it and give accurate stars so please update. Thank you. Colleen
Hey Colleen! The crunchy topping on this pound cake is not a separate addition – the top gets nice and crunchy while it bakes. Give it a try and let me know what you think – I love this recipe!! 🙂