Strawberry Pound Cake Recipe
Description
A moist Strawberry Pound Cake featuring three layers of fresh strawberry jam, buttery vanilla pound cake, and a vibrant strawberry glaze.
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Ingredients
Strawberry Layer
- 1 pound (450g) fresh strawberries, finely chopped (~2 ½ cups)
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste, optional
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
Pound Cake
- 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour*
- ¾ teaspoon (4g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 16 tablespoons (226g; 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (123g) sour cream
- 4 large eggs (200g), at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Strawberry Glaze
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground freeze dried strawberries **
- 5 teaspoons half-and-half
- Pinch salt
Instructions
Strawberry Layer
- Cook 1 pound chopped strawberries, ½ cup (100g) sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste, if using, in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring and mashing frequently, until thickened and mixture measures about 1 cup, about 20–22 minutes.
- In a separate small bowl, stir together 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch and 1 ½ teaspoons water.
- Stir cornstarch slurry into strawberry mixture. Cook until thickened, 30 seconds–1 minute (mixture should measure ~1 cup).
- Transfer filling to bowl and refrigerate until no longer warm, about 1 hour. (Filling can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
Pound Cake
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325ºF (163ºF). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan*. Line pan with a 12-inch x 8-inch piece of parchment paper, making a sling in pan. Fold and crease parchment over edges.
- Whisk 2 cups (260g) flour, ¾ teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt together; set aside.
- Using stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat 16 tablespoons butter and 1 cup (200g) sugar on medium to combine. Increase speed to high and cream until pale and fluffy, 5–7 minutes, scraping down bowl twice throughout process.
- Beat in ½ cup (123g) sour cream.
- Scrape down bowl and mix in one egg at a time (4 eggs total), followed by 1 tablespoon vanilla.
- Scrape down bowl and mix again for about 30 seconds to ensure the eggs are fully incorporated, mixture will look slightly curdled, that’s OK.
- With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture just until incorporated. Use a spatula to give it one final stir.
- Spread ⅓ of batter (1 ½ cups; ~338g) into prepared pan, dollop ⅓ of jam (~¼ cup; ~75g) over top and spread into an even layer as best you can, leaving a ½-inch border around pan. Repeat layering with another ⅓ batter and ⅓ jam.
- Spread remaining batter over top and remaining jam over top, use a spoon to swirl jam into batter slightly.
- Bake until edges are golden brown, cake is tall, and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour 15 minutes–1 hour 20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
- Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Using parchment overhang, lift cake from pan and let cool completely on rack, about 1 hour.
Strawberry Glaze
- In a small mixing bowl, combine ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, 2 teaspoons ground freeze dried strawberries and a pinch of salt. Add 5 teaspoons half-and-half and whisk until smooth. Adjust with additional half-and-half or confectioners’ sugar as needed to reach desired consistency.
- Drizzle glaze over cake. Optional, but I like to also dust with additional strawberry powder.
Notes
Storage: Cooled cake can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. I do not recommend refrigerating pound cake—it will make for a very dry and dense cake.
*Measuring Flour: measure the flour by weight or the spoon and level method. Don't scoop the flour with the cup—this will result in too much flour.
**Freeze Dried Strawberries: find freeze dried strawberries in the dried fruit or health food section of your grocery store. You can also buy them online. To make a powder, add the strawberries to a coffee or spice grinder or mini food processor and process until a fine powder is formed.
Pan Size: a 9×5-inch loaf pan is best (and traditional) for a pound cake. If you're using a 8.5x4.5 pan then you'll need to hold back some of the plain batter. Use the batter to make mini pound cake cupcakes or pancakes (yum!).
Bundt Pan: I've not tested this recipe in a bundt pan, so I can't guarantee it'll work. That being said, I think it would work. I recommend making one and a half times the recipe. Bake at 325ºF (163ºC) for about 90 minutes (check the cake at 75 minutes and adjust timing as needed since this is an educated guess).
Kosher Salt: I develop recipes using Morton kosher salt. If you’re using Diamond Crystal, use a heaping ½ teaspoon for both the strawberry layer and the batter.
Eggs: use room temperature large eggs. Cold eggs will cause air pockets in the cake.
Store Bought Jam Shortcut: I tested this and it *works* to use store bought jam in place of the homemade jam, but it’s not as good. The layers of strawberry will be a bit softer and slightly drippy/wet in the cake.
Frozen strawberries: you can use frozen strawberries to make the jam. If you do, increase the cornstarch to 2 teaspoons. Frozen berries release a lot more moisture than fresh and will need more cornstarch to thicken the juices.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 450kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 8gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 120mgSodium: 265mgFiber: 1gSugar: 35g
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