I was going to call this the evil pound cake. It’s almost impossible to stop eating once you take a bite. I mean, you just can’t stop. In fact, when I make this cake, I immediately give it away. I can’t have it here. Around me. Ever. It’s that good.
I’m sure some of you are thinking, “then why even make it,” right? It’s hard to explain, unless you are a baker yourself. Baking is relaxing and a definite feel good activity. It satisfies the need for not only the act of baking, but being creative. While the payoff for mixing flour, sugar and eggs together is often just the deliciousness itself, for me its more. It’s therapeutic almost; especially helpful on cold, ill-weather days, when I can direct my untapped energy into something constructive. And you always get something at the end. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way.
Baking also allows you to get lost in something, leaving you to focus on measuring and mixing, while forgetting about everything else. It’s cathartic, brings joy to others…it’s a good thing that challenges you. And practice makes perfect…most of the time.
I got to use my amazing new tube cake pan. I love it and bought it specifically for testing out this recipe.
I tried baking this cake in a two-piece angel food pan and everything oozed out of the bottom. A total mess. Since this cake is baked in an oven that is not pre-heated, I’m thinking that was the problem. It didn’t set quickly enough and went out the sides…eeks.
This cake is dense, rich, buttery, moist…it’s everything you want in a pound cake and more. It will be hard for you to make another kind of cake again. And there won’t be a reason too.
Buttery Almond Pound Cake with Almond Glaze
Ingredients
Cake:
- 3 cups (12 oz) cake flour, more for dusting (do not substitute)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon pure almond extract
- 1 cup whole milk (do not substitute), room temperature
Almond Glaze:
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 Tablespoon almond extract
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds for garnish
Directions
- In a large bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Add butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time and almond extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for 30 seconds. Add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with milk and ending with flour. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Add batter to a one-piece tube pan (16-18 cup capacity) that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray and dusted with cake flour. Bake in a 325 degree F oven that has NOT been pre-heated. This will give you a loftier cake and a nicer crust. (Do not open the oven door). Bake for 70-80 minutes or until a toothpick comes out the center clean.
- Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes and then turn out on the rack and turn right side up. Let cool for three hours.
- Mix together all ingredients for the glaze and pour over the top. Sprinkle with almonds before glaze is dry.
- I wish I could tell you how long this cake would hold up, however, it has never lasted more than a day around here..it's that good.
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Tucsonbabe says
Cathy,
Can this cake be baked in a loaf pan ?
Cathy says
You would have to use several. Since I’ve never tested, I couldn’t tell you which ones would be the perfect size. Cooking times will change too.
Tucsonbabe says
Thanks Kathy.
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
I could drink that glaze with a straw. I am so addicted to pound cake!
Esz says
Oh this looks amazing! What if you dont have a one piece pan? I have a regular two piece. Or a bundt pan.
Cathy says
The two piece is where I ran into problems and the regular Bundt might not be too small.
Esz says
Awesome thanks for the reply! I shall see if I can find one piece tube pan 🙂
Lane says
I used a two-piece tube pan without any issues. I heavily buttered the tube pan and generously coated it with flour.
Thanks for the recipe Cathy. It was a success with our guests and it did not last even a day as you predicted.
I never buy whole milk (yuck) and I only had 1% on hand. The only other changes I made were as follows: 1) to reduce the almond extract / add rum extract to the icing 2) omit the almonds as I don’t like that crunch 3) halved the icing which was ample.
Thanks again. I discovered the recipe last night and made it last night.
Karen Terry says
HI Cathy – My tube pan is 2 pieces but I do have a one piece stoneware bundt pan from Pampered Chef. Think that would work? This looks so good. We are finally going to get some cool weather and rain here in San Clemente so I am thinking a long baking cake will make the house warm and smell great!
Cathy says
It’s going to depend on its capacity. Bundt pans are often only 10-12 cups.
Kim Falsetti says
Good morning Cathy,
This picture and recipe have greeted me on facebook for the past few days, and was delighted this morning to see it’s been cut, so today is the day I will make this!!
thanks for sharing!
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says
This is such a gorgeous, light and lovely cake! I love how simple it is, too. I’d top mine with heaps of berries and almonds, I think!
James Umberger says
In looking at the galze recipe, are the 2 tbs of milk and 1 tbs of Almond extract really enough liquid to turn the 2 cups of powdered sugar into a glaze??
Cathy says
That is correct.
Larry bassey says
I luv ur recipe but where can i get the items
Cathy says
Which items?
linda draughn says
I loved this
Gary Peters says
I have scoured the city of Fort Lauderdale asking merchants if they sold 16-18 cup tube cake pans.
I get nothing……..even Bed, Bath and Beyond was of no help.
98% of sales persons had no idea what I was talking about………..baking is like a foreign language here.
Amazon.com was of no help………..
……..the only place I have found it is on Ebay……….and it’s pretty much and antique and very expensive………once postage is figured in.
Any help you could give me in locating this size of pan would be appreciated………I have all the ingredients……..now all I need is the tube pan of correct size.
Thank you for any help……..
Gary
Cathy says
Good grief. Is the link I posted for Amazon no longer good?
Gary Peters says
……..sorry, Cathy…….it is indeed working and I discovered it right after I sent you former problem.
Problem solved…………tube man is in the mail.
Thanks,
Gary
Cathy says
Awesome!!
lisa says
You should NEVER tap or try to settle dry ingredients into measuring cups! That is a big, huge no-no in baking. Don’t feel bad…many people do it, but it creates problems like the one you had. Treat dry ingredients carefully and lightly. Never try to settle them. Level them off CAREFULLY with a flat edge, but don’t press down while doing it. The best practice is weighing ALL ingredients…that way you get the same results every time. But many recipes don’t specify. That problem is solvable by the many ingredient conversion and measurement charts on the internet. Good luck.
Jennifer E says
Hi Cathy! LOVE this poundcake, i’ve made it three times so far. My problem is the glaze… The first time I made it, it was perfect. The second two, I measured exactly and the glaze turned into cement 🙁 I have no idea what I’m doing wrong. Should the sugar be measured very loosely? I’m scooping and tapping the side of the measuring cup to make it settle then levelling it off. I’m wondering if I’m packing too much sugar in that way. Would a scoop/shake off excess approach be better? Thank you!
Cathy says
Unless you are weighing ingredients measuring can be off. Correcting for glaze is very easy. Too thick, add extra milk until it’s thin enough in teaspoon increments. Too thin add more sugar.
Jennifer E says
Great thank you! I’ll try again 🙂
sheffie says
Can I use heavy whipping cream in the place of 1cup of milk and or either sour cream !!!
Brenda says
I was so excited to make this cake. I love almond flavor! It was my son’s birthday and I followed the directions as precisely as I could. Cake flour, alternating adding dry indredients, all ingredients at room temp, cooking rake, I did it all… But then when we cut into it the cake was SO dense… Almost like the texture of cheese! Ugh! I’d love to try to make this again, but I’m afraid I don’t know what went wrong?!? Any advice?
Cathy says
I wish I knew. I make this cake all the time so I know it works perfectly as written. Sounds like an ingredient was doubled inadvertently.
Karen Smallwood says
I just made this cake. Turned out beautifully. Now to taste it when it cools. Looks yummy
Deborah W. says
Question: Is it 3 cups of cake flour or 12 oz. ??? A cup is equal to 8 oz, so 3 cups would be 24 oz. Hope this isn’t a ‘repeat’ question. I just glanced through the questions above.
Cathy says
3 cups when measured or 12 oz when weighed by scale.
Danie says
I am not a fan of almond extract, may I sub vanilla, rum or coconut extracts instead?
Thank you for your time.
Cathy says
You sure can, your choice.
Jackie stratmann says
Awesome, awesome
Urvashi malik says
won’t the glaze be very very sweet due to 2 cups of sugar
Cathy says
It’s perfect.
Marie says
I made this cake the first time for thanksgiving. I followed the directions to the “t” as they say. It tastes good but is dry. Is it possible the cool for 3 hours dried it out? Would it be better to cover while cooking to keep it moist?
Cathy says
I’ve made this cake so many times and it has never been dry. Most likely causes are overmixing the batter and possibly flour measurement. Do you weigh your flour? That is so important with scratch cake baking.
Marie says
Sorry I meant “cover while cooling”. No. I did not weigh the flour. I just measured three cups…
Cathy says
Even one ounce of flour can change a recipe. I would weigh your flour next time. And mix batter only until incorporated.
Marie says
Ok. Weighing is a new technique for me I’ve never tried. I’ll do that next time. By the way, my family loved the cake. It has really good flavor. Just a little on the dry side.
Carrie says
Could you half the recipie and bake in a bundt pan?
Cathy says
No.