Buttery Vanilla Loaf Cake
In short: A pound cake style loaf with a fine, tender crumb, golden crust and plenty of vanilla. Sour cream keeps it soft for days. It takes about 1 h 30 min in total and makes 12 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 h 10 min
- Total
- 1 h 30 min
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 275 kcal
This loaf follows the pound cake idea: plenty of butter, sugar, eggs and flour creamed into a fine, even crumb. A little sour cream makes it softer than the old-style version, and a full tablespoon of vanilla gives it a bakery scent. It is good plain, with berries and cream, or toasted with butter the next morning. The recipe needs no frosting and keeps for days.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Grease a 23 x 13 cm (9 x 5 inch) loaf pan and line the bottom and long sides with parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
- Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer for 4 to 5 minutes, until very pale and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl halfway through.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each, then beat in the vanilla.
- Fold in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream and starting and ending with flour. Stop as soon as no streaks of flour remain.
- Scrape the batter into the pan and level the top. Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, until a skewer in the center comes out clean. Cover with foil after 45 minutes if the top is browning quickly.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift out and cool completely on a rack. Dust with icing sugar before slicing.
Tips
- If the batter looks curdled after the eggs go in, add a spoonful of the flour and keep beating. Cold eggs or cold butter are the usual cause.
- A lengthwise crack along the top is normal and a sign of good oven spring.
Questions and answers
Is this a pound cake?
It is close. Traditional pound cake uses equal weights of butter, sugar, eggs and flour, while this loaf uses a little less sugar and adds sour cream for a softer crumb.
Why did my loaf cake sink in the middle?
The oven door was probably opened too early, or the cake was underbaked. Wait until the last 15 minutes to check it and test the center with a skewer.
How long does vanilla loaf cake keep?
Wrapped well, it keeps for 4 days at room temperature. Freeze slices for up to 3 months and thaw them at room temperature.
How long does it take to make Buttery Vanilla Loaf Cake?
About 1 h 30 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 1 h 10 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Buttery Vanilla Loaf Cake?
About 275 kcal per serving, with 4 g of protein, 32 g of carbohydrates and 15 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 275 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 32 g |
| Fat | 15 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 17 g |
| Sodium | 160 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
