A moist buttermilk pound cake made with light brown sugar, baked in a loaf pan. Serve it warm with ice cream, whipped cream, or fresh fruit.
Can I use Brown Sugar in Pound Cake?
You can use brown sugar to make a pound cake however it is always best to use a recipe that calls for brown sugar rather than replace white sugar with brown.
What does brown sugar do to a cake?
Due to the molasses in brown sugar it contains more moisture, it is acidic, and is a different flavor than white sugar and will therefore yield a cake that may be moister, denser, has a caramel flavor, softer and less crisp on the outside.
If you’re unsure about using brown sugar in a pound cake recipe, this is a great place to start! My recipe calls for light brown sugar, it is easy to make from scratch (even if you are a beginner-baker), only one bowl is required, and the instructions are very simple and straightforward.
The light brown sugar makes this cake a rich golden brown color, with notes of caramel-molasses flavor, and pleasantly soft.
Brown Sugar Pound Cake Loaf
This recipe is essentially a small brown sugar pound cake so you don’t have to worry about buying large quantities of ingredients because this fits perfectly in a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
It’s quicker to bake and easier to make than a full-sized pound cake.
Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Buttermilk
The buttermilk plays an important role in this brown sugar cake so don’t substitute it with regular milk! Because it is a liquid it stretches the batter so that the cake doesn’t turn out to be overly dense and because of its acidic nature it helps to moisten, tenderize, and soften the cake.
It also compliments the molasses flavor.
Pound Cake with Vanilla & Almond Extract
I chose to use both vanilla extract and almond extract in this pound cake recipe because I knew that these would not only complement the molasses flavor from the brown sugar, but each other as well. I only used a small amount of each so that they didn’t overpower any of the other ingredients, especially the brown sugar.
I do have to say that the almond extract really takes this cake to another level! So please don’t leave it out.
If you love to bake with almond extract try my almond flavored pound cake. It’s baked in a loaf pan just like this one.
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Light Brown Sugar Buttermilk Pound Cake Loaf
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Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk (I used 1%)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- To a large bowl add the butter, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
- Using a whisk or electric mixer, beat until fluffy and doubled in size, about 3 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs - make sure they are fully incorporated.
- Stir in the buttermilk, vanilla, and almond extract. (The butter will curdle. This is completely normal.)
- Add the flour and mix until fully incorporated, but do not overmix.
- Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Transfer the batter to the pan and smooth the top into an even layer.
- Bake for 58 – 60 minutes until the edges are dark or golden brown, the top is set, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with very few crumbs.
- Cool in pan 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.
- Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Best served warm.
Notes
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