Small Pound Cake

Small pound cake with a soft, moist crumb that's dense the way pound cake should be. Sour cream keeps it tender and a splash of almond extract enhances the vanilla flavor. The easy hand-mixer batter bakes in about 30 minutes in a mini loaf pan, is portioned for a small batch, and perfect with berry compote and whipped cream.

Prep Time15

Cook Time29

Total Time44

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: Servings

Calories: 165kcal

Author: Erin Cernich

Equipment

Ingredients

½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup, plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 tablespoons full-fat sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon almond extract optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Grease a mini 3x5.75-inch loaf pan with butter, then lightly coat in flour. This keeps the loaf from sticking to the pan.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt
In a medium mixing bowl, add the butter and sugar. Use a hand mixer with beater attachments and beat on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed, until creamy and fluffy.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, 1/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Add the egg, and beat on low for at least 15 seconds to fully incorporate it. Scrape down the bowl here as well to make sure the butter isn't sticking to the bottom.
1 large egg, room temperature
Mix the sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract in a small mixing bowl. I use a "pinch bowl", and this just ensures all the ingredients are well combined before adding to the batter.
2 tablespoons full-fat sour cream, room temperature, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon almond extract

Vanilla bean paste adds rich, deep vanilla flavor and almond extract also layers in flavor, without making the cake taste like almond. I highly recommend both.

In two increments, add the flour mix to the butter mix and beat on low for at least 10 seconds after each addition, to combine. The incremental addition ensures the flour is fully moistened and mixed into the batter.
Finally, add the sour cream mixture and beat on low for 10 to 15 seconds until the batter is smooth. If there are any flour streaks, finish mixing with a spatula so the batter doesn't get overmixed.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out with a spatula. Bake for 29 to 34 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean - a few small crumbs are ok. Note - Pound cake can go from moist to dry in a matter of minutes. Start checking yours at 29 minutes. The sweet spot in my oven is 31 minutes.
Cool the pound cake in the pan set on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes. If needed, run a knife or offset spatula around the cake to release it from the pan. Cool completely on the wire rack.
The pound cake is best enjoyed the day it is baked with a dollop of stable whipped cream and berry compote. Leftovers can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. After that, it will start to dry out.

Notes

Serving Size - This is a small batch recipe that is easily doubled and made in 2 mini 3x5.75-inch loaf pans.
Portion Note - Doubling the recipe will not yield enough batter for a 9x5-inch loaf pan. For that size pan, you would need to quadruple the recipe. The larger single loaf may take 50 to 60 minutes ot bake.
Vanilla - If possible, I highly recommend vanilla bean paste for deep flavor. I found mine at Sam's Club for a great value.
Almond - A lovely flavor addition that enhances the vanilla and simply deepens the flavor. The small amount will not make the pound cake taste like almond.
Freezing - Wrap the completely cool cake tightly in plastic wrap, then wrap in a layer of foil, and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature to slice and serve.

Nutrition