This is a recipe for a classic pound cake, using its namesake 1:1:1:1 ratio. Its flavour comes from the abundance of butter and real vanilla bean. This recipe makes a lot of batters, so you’ll be able to make two loaves, or perhaps, 1 loaf and 1 bundt cake. Use one now, and wrap the other one tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for later use.

Very few modern recipes follow these exact proportions anymore, but the name stuck. Despite the richness of all that creamy butter and eggs, the cake is actually quite delicate. Turn your mixer on and add eggs one after the other. Once your eggs are incorporated, add your dry ingredients to the butter mixture and let it mix on medium speed.

Take the mixed ingredients off the mixture then put it in a baking pan and bake until the cake is brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the cake. The subtle perfume of vanilla is so often paired with other flavours and so rarely given the spotlight. In this tender pound cake, vanilla bean seeds fleck the cake for a simple dessert that’s good any time of day.

Ingredients;

  • ¾ cup salted butter softened
  • 1 & ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
  • 1 & ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
  • Fresh whipped cream or whipped topping and berries for serving, optional but recommended

Instructions;

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Spray a rectangular loaf pan with cooking spray lightly. Place a piece of parchment in the pan up the sides and spray again. This will make the cake much easier to lift out.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy and pale in colour, about 3 minutes.
  3. Gradually add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla bean seeds to combine, followed by half of the flour.
  4. Mix together the vanilla extract and the heavy cream and pour half into the mixer, beating on low speed until incorporated.
  5. Follow with the remaining flour and lastly, the remaining heavy cream mixture until a soft batter has come together. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
  6. Bake for approx. 1 hour to 1 hr 15 mins or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the centre comes out clean or with moist – not wet – crumbs.
  7. Cool completely before slicing.