I really love this buttermilk pound cake recipe. This cake is very tender, moist, delicate, and has a buttery flavor with a lovely hint of lemon.
I like to cool it enough to be able to glaze it and have the glaze adhere then serve it slightly warm. I swear it’s like eating a slice of heaven with a fork. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill cake, it’s really outstanding!
If you love pound cakes as much as I do, I hope you’ll try our classic pound cake, million dollar pound cake, brown sugar pound cake, and peach cobbler pound cake, next!
Buttermilk Pound Cake Ingredients
- Flour: All-purpose flour. I like Gold Medal for making pound cakes.
- Baking Soda: This helps the cake and helps create a tender texture.
- Salt: Regular table salt.
- Butter: I use unsalted
- Sugar: Granulated white sugar.
- Eggs: Large. Make sure to have them at room temperature!
- Lemon Extract: I think that sometimes lemon extract can make baked goods have a chemical taste. NOT in this recipe. The small amount of lemon extract is absolutely perfect so please don’t skip it!
- Vanilla Extract: I use pure vanilla extract.
- Buttermilk: Regular, not fat-reduced. Before to shake it well before measuring.
Tips
- Checking For Doneness: I like to pull my pound cakes out of the oven a little earlier than most cakes. I test for doneness with a wooden skewer and like it to have just a few moist crumbs on it.
- Sticking: This buttermilk pound cake can stick to the pan. I make a lot of pound cakes and I have always had great, if not perfect, results using Baker’s non-stick spray. That stuff is magical. For reasons I can’t explain, it has not worked when I use it for this one pound cake. Weird, right?!
- So I make a “homemade cake release,” aka, Cake Goop, and apply it very generously to a nonstick 12-cup bundt pan with a silicone pastry brush. I’m very careful to get it into all the intricate details of the pan. It literally takes only a couple of minutes to make! The recipe is at the top of our recipe card.
- Remember, if you happen to have any flaws, the glaze will help cover them up.
- Make My Glaze Lemon: For an added lemony taste, you can use lemon juice instead of milk.
Storing + Freezing + Make-ahead
- How To Store? Once prepared, your buttermilk bundt cake will last two days on the countertop, and then up to five days in the fridge, tightly wrapped.
- Can You Freeze This? Yes, in fact, many say it’s even better after freezing. Cool the cake completely before freezing. I prefer to store it in a resealable plastic bag with as much air removed as possible. Thaw in the fridge overnight and you’re ready to serve.
- Make-Ahead Tips: You can prepare this dessert ahead of time, one day in advance, for best results.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.
How to Make Grandma’s Buttermilk Pound Cake
- Mix the homemade cake release ingredients. Set aside.
- Make the cake: Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand-up mixer, beat the butter and mix in the sugar. Beat until blended.
- Add eggs one at a time.
- Alternatingly add flour mixture and buttermilk. Mix in lemon and vanilla extract.
- Brush the homemade cake release to the bundt pan.
- Pour the batter into the pan.
- Bake and cover will foil and continue to bake.
- Make the glaze and pour it over the completely cooled cake.
***See the full instructions below.
Serving Recommendations
I love to serve this buttermilk pound cake with a cup of tea or coffee. It also works really well as a base for strawberry shortcake or a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with fresh berries.
More Amazing Pound Cake Recipes
- Peach Pound Cake
- Blueberry Pound Cake
- Coconut Pound Cake
- Strawberry Pound Cake
- Orange Pound Cake
- Bourbon Pecan Pound Cake
- Pineapple Pound Cake
- Eggnog Pound Cake
- Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Buttermilk Pound Cake
This buttermilk pound cake is very tender, moist, delicate, and has a buttery flavor with a lovely hint of lemon.
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
Homemade Cake Release:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup shortening
Buttermilk Pound Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3 cups white sugar
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
Glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1-3 tablespoons milk or cream
Instructions
Homemade Cake Release:
- Place all 3 ingredient in a small bowl and whisk until smooth; set aside.
Make The Buttermilk Pound Cake:
- Preheat oven to 325ºF (163ºC) Adjust an oven rack to the middle position.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour (3 cups), baking soda (1/2 teaspoon), and salt (1/2 teaspoon); set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, beat butter (1 cup) on medium speed, until light and fluff, 6 minutes. Gradually mix in sugar (3 cups) until blended. Beat on medium for 1 additional minute.
- Add eggs (6), one at a time, mixing after each addition just until the yolk disappears.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. Add flour mixture and buttermilk (1 cup), beginning and ending with flour mixture, on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Mix in lemon (1/2 teaspoon) and vanilla extracts (3 teaspoons).
- Using a silicone pastry brush apply "homemade cake release" to every nook and cranny of a 12-inch nonstick bundt pan. Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan. Tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Cover with foil and continue to bake, about 32-35 minutes longer, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs, NOT completely clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
Make The Glaze:
- Meanwhile, make the glaze: add powdered sugar (1 1/2 cups) to a medium bowl. Add milk or cream to powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time as needed, mixing well after each addition, until you reach the desired, thick but pourable consistency. Pour over completely cooled cake. Let the cake sit for the glaze to set, then serve.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Checking For Doneness: I like to pull my pound cakes out of the oven a little earlier than most cakes. I test for doneness with a wooden skewer and like it to have just a few moist crumbs on it.
- Sticking: This cake can stick to the pan. I make a lot of pound cakes and I have always had great, if not perfect, results using Baker’s non-stick spray. That stuff is magical. For reasons I can't explain, it has not worked when I use it for this one pound cake. Weird, right?!
- So I make a "homemade cake release," aka, Cake Goop, and apply it very generously to a nonstick 12-cup bundt pan with a silicone pastry brush. I'm very careful to get it into all the intricate details of the pan. It literally takes only a couple of minutes to make! The recipe is at the top of our recipe card.
- Remember, if you happen to have any flaws, the glaze will help cover them up.
- Make My Glaze Lemon: For an added lemony taste, you can use lemon juice instead of milk.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 663kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 318mg | Potassium: 103mg | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 625IU | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 2mg
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Hi Kathleen! Does the Cake Goop need to be refrigerated, or is it okay in the pantry, in a glass jar? Thanks, from Alberta, Canada 🇨🇦
Hey Terry, when I make the goop I use it the day I make it. It should last in the pantry for a few weeks.
This is so good!!!
Hey Nicole! So happy you enjoyed this cake. Thanks so much for the 5 star rating!