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Vanilla pound cake with caramel icing on a wooden cake stand with flowers in the background
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5 from 2 votes

Vanilla Pound Cake Recipe with Caramel Icing

Rich, decadent and moist, this old-fashioned Southern vanilla pound cake recipe with caramel icing is a simple and easy dessert that comes together with just a handful of basic pantry staples.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Southern
Keyword homemade, moist, old fashioned, simple, vanilla pound cake recipe
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Cooling Time 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours 50 minutes
Servings 16 slices
Calories 510kcal
Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

FOR THE POUND CAKE:

FOR THE CARAMEL ICING:

Instructions

BAKE THE CAKE:

  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and lightly flour a tube pan or Bundt pan; set aside.
  • Sift the flour three times.
  • In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 5-6 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl periodically.
  • With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour and the cream, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until combined. Stir in the vanilla.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Tap it a couple of times on the counter to release any big air bubbles.
  • Bake the cake in the center of the oven for about 75 minutes, or until the top is browned and the sides begin to pull away from the pan.
  • Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert on a serving plate to cool completely.

MAKE THE ICING:

  • Once the cake is cool, prepare the icing. Place the butter, brown sugar, cream and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; let cool for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently as it cools slightly. Gradually whisk in the confectioners' sugar until smooth and thick; drizzle over cake.

Notes

  • Properly measure the flour. Weigh the flour on a kitchen scale or spoon the flour into the cup and lightly level with the straight edge of a knife. Packing the measuring cup too tightly and using too much flour will result in a dry cake.
  • Sift the flour three times for the best texture. I know this sounds like a lot, but it only takes a few minutes and it's well worth the effort. Sifting multiple times gives the flour a light, airy quality, prevents any dry lumps in the batter, and makes it easier to mix the flour into the other ingredients.
  • Make sure that all of your ingredients are at room temperature so that they blend together smoothly.
  • Cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes. Whipping this air into the batter will help the cake rise during baking.
  • Don't leave the cake in the pan for too long after baking -- about 10-15 minutes is plenty. After that, condensation will start to form and the moisture will negatively impact the crust.
  • Make the cake about 1 day ahead of when you plan to serve it. The cake just gets better as it sits!

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 510kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 161mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 824IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg