Strawberry Pound Cake

This fresh and buttery strawberry pound cake loaf is made better with the addition of sour cream to the batter, which makes it moist and incredibly flavorful. Serve it up for dessert or lightly toasted for breakfast… I won’t judge!

Strawberries? In October? Well, yes! Didn’t you know they are an annual crop in sunny California, from where more than 80% of the country’s strawberries come from? Well, I didn’t, until I did some research. And now I know exactly how and why V-Day is based around these little jewels! So, let’s celebrate October (too) with strawberries.

2016 is on the fast-track to officially being THE shortest year on record. Seriously. Someone at church told me that if it seems so, it’s because we’re having too much fun. Now, there’s a nice thought.

But first, let’s talk cake. More specifically, pound cake. The history of pound cake is so fascinating. We have all heard how the earliest recipes called for a pound each of flour, sugar, butter and eggs to make a heavy and rich cake. Did you know that in the 17th, 18th or even as recently as the early 19th century, there were no artificial/chemical leaveners used? Imagine the muscle power it took to make a light and airy batter which would in turn ensure a nice rise in the oven! I can just imagine a Downtown Abbey-esque kitchen where a young maid sat in a  corner whisking away the butter and eggs, maybe for hours at a stretch. Thank heavens for my electric mixer!

History lesson aside, a pound cake is one of the richest yet most comforting desserts ever. Everyone can relate to a slice of good pound cake. Maybe it reminds them of childhood or a loved one baking it for them.

We’ve deviated slightly from the 1:1:1:1 ratio of the ancient pound cake. However, the fact that this is a rich pound cake still remains. We all need a spot of indulgence in our lives, don’t we?

This pound cake recipe needs only 3 eggs. A part of the butter has been replaced with sour cream to make the cake more flavorful and keep it moist longer. And then there are the sweet berries. Chop them small enough so that they disperse throughout the batter and you get a piece in every bite.

This cake is fresh, buttery and rich all at the same time.

A good pound cake will keep for several days, becoming better in flavor as the days go by. And that golden crumb is to die for! Just try not to cut yourself a slice of this berry loaf cake every time to walk by the kitchen, okay? Or maybe you should!

So, get yourself some strawberries and make this delicious strawberry pound cake. You can bake this in a large loaf pan, bundt pan or even a regular 9″ pan with tall edges. But I like to bake this as a strawberry loaf cake because it is so easy to portion!

This recipe has been adapted from my Sunny Orange Pound Cake recipe.

3.0 from 1 reviews

Strawberry Pound Cake

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

 

This fresh and buttery strawberry pound cake loaf is made better with the addition of sour cream to the batter, which makes it moist and incredibly flavorful. Serve it up for dessert or lightly toasted for breakfast... I won't judge!

Author: Anjana Devasahayam

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Serves: 12-15

You will need:

• All purpose flour - 2 cups
• Baking soda - ¼ tsp
• Baking powder - ¼ tsp
• Salt - ½ tsp
• Butter - 1 cup, softened at room temperature
• Sugar - 1½ cups
• Eggs - 3, large
• Lemon zest - 2 tsp
• Vanilla extract - ½ tsp
• Sour cream - ½ cup
• Fresh strawberries - 1½ cups, hulled and finely chopped
• Powdered sugar - 1-2 tbsp, for dusting

How to:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 deg.F. Dust a large loaf pan with flour, line the bottom with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Sift the dry ingredients together into a bowl, at least twice. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together till nice and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the eggs, one by one, beating to incorporate with each addition. Add lemon zest and vanilla extract and beat on high for 2 minutes. The mixture may look slightly curdled, but that's okay.
5. Add sour cream and sifted dry ingredients alternately, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Keep mixing on medium-low speed till just combined. Then use a spatula to fold the batter so that all the flour is incorporated.
6. Tip in the chopped berries and fold into the batter gently with the spatula. Batter will be very thick.
7. Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Tap the pan on the countertop several times to settle air bubbles, if any.
8. Bake for 55-65 minutes or till the cake passes the toothpick test. If it seems to be browning rapidly, tent with foil and continue to bake till done.
9. Remove the cake from oven and rest in pan for 10 minutes. Gently remove it to a wire rack and cool completely.
10. Dust the cake lightly with powdered sugar, cut and serve. Store the leftover loaf wrapped in cling wrap in an airtight container. You can leave it on the countertop for about a day, but I recommend the fridge for longer durations.

Notes:

1. This recipe works great with any of the other berries like raspberries, blueberries and blackberries. I think it would be superb with sugared cranberries for the Holidays.

3.5.3217

Do you like pound cake? Have you tried switching it up by using sour cream or add-ins like berries? Do try this easy but oh-so-delicious recipe for strawberry pound cake loaf and let me know how you like it.

Check out my other recipe for a simple strawberry cake as well.

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I am sharing this over at Fiesta Friday, FoodieFriDIY & Saucy Saturday.