I’ve got something extra special for all my pound cake lovers out there. We’re taking the classic and flippin’ it, literally! These Pound Cake Beignets are the crispy-on-the-outside, soft-and-tender-on-the-inside bites you didn’t know you needed. It’s basically all the rich, buttery goodness of a pound cake, fried to golden perfection and dusted with powdered sugar. TOTALLY addictive!
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Word on the street is my NOLA beignets are legendary, but if yeast dough sounds like a headache you ain’t tryna deal with, these lil’ pound cake versions are your new best friend. It’s like we took my OG sour cream pound cake recipe (y’all know the one) and gave it a twist. Same rich flavors, just in a different ratio and fried up until crispy and golden. So start with learning how to make these beignets, and once you’ve mastered them, you can try the classic NOLA ones. But for now? Grab some oil and get to fryin’, boo!
The Lowdown on These Pound Cake Beignets
Cuisine Inspiration: Southern soul and NOLA flair
Primary Cooking Method: Deep fryin’, baby!
Dietary Info: Can be made gluten-free and vegan with ingredients swaps
Key Flavor: Buttery, vanilla goodness wrapped up in a sweet, crispy exterior
Skill Level: Easy peasy!
Ingredients you’ll need to make Pound Cake Beignets
- Cake Flour: This makes your beignets light and tender.
- Granulated Sugar: To sweeten things up. You know it’s essential for that rich, slightly crispy outside.
- Baking Soda: Helps these babies puff up. Don’t skip it!
- Kosher Salt: Just a pinch to balance the sweetness.
- Eggs: These hold everything together and give them a smooth texture.
- Unsalted Butter: Melted and ready to give these beignets their buttery goodness.
- Sour Cream: Now this is the secret weapon, y’all. It keeps your beignets moist and adds a little tang that makes ’em irresistible.
- Vanilla Extract: Brings out a warm, cozy flavor.
- Canola Oil: Perfect for frying these bad boys.
- Powdered Sugar: For dusting these easy beignets like they just walked through a sugar snowstorm (yum!).
How to make Pound Cake Beignets
What to serve with homemade
beignets
- Dips & Drizzles: These beignets are already bomb on their own, but add some dips and you’ll be on a whole nother level. Try ’em with a silky caramel sauce, rich chocolate ganache, or bright and fruity strawberry preserves.
- Breakfast Spread: These pound cake beignets fit right into a brunch lineup. Serve them with a homemade apple butter, a side of sweet potato grits, or go all out with a Southwestern chicken casserole.
- Warm Drinks: Whip up a creamy French hot chocolate, a warm white chocolate hot cocoa, or keep it classic with a rich cup of coffee.
- Ice Cream: Yep, you heard me! Scoop up some mocha ice cream or maybe even a cookies and cream to go with these beignets.
Recipe Substitutions
- Cake Flour: If you don’t have cake flour, use all-purpose flour. Sift it a couple of times to get a light texture.
- Butter: You can use salted butter but cut the added salt in half.
- Sour Cream: Greek yogurt is a great stand-in for sour cream. It gives that same tangy, creamy vibe.
- Gluten-Free: Swap the cake flour for a gluten-free all-purpose blend.
- Vegan Option: Replace the butter with a good plant-based butter, use a vegan yogurt in place of sour cream, and swap out the eggs with a flaxseed egg mixture.
Recipe Variations and Additions
- Go Chocolate: Mix a handful of mini chocolate chips into the batter. They’ll melt into the beignets as they fry!
- Make It Spiced: Add a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg into the batter for some warm, cozy fall vibes.
- Citrus Pop: Zest a lemon or orange into the batter for a bright, fresh flavor. It’s my favorite variation during summer y’all!
- Banana Beignets: Mash up half a ripe banana and mix it into the batter for yummy banana homemade beignets.
Expert Tips and Tricks for making the best easy beignets recipe
- Don’t Overmix: When combining your wet and dry ingredients, be gentle boo! Overmixing will make your pound cake beignets dense and chewy instead of light and tender.
- Scrape for the Perfect Scoop: Make sure to scrape the spoon or scoop against the side of the bowl when you’re scooping the batter to get a clean, round scoop. This helps make your beignets into perfect little spheres when they fry up!
- Flip Tip: These lil’ guys usually flip themselves in the oil, but if one’s being stubborn, give it a gentle flip and hold it down with a spoon for a few seconds. That’ll keep it in place so it cooks evenly.
- Watch Your Oil Temp: Keep an eye on that oil! Too hot, and your beignets will burn on the outside and stay raw inside. Too cool, and they’ll get greasy. Keep it steady at 350°F.
How to store Pound Cake Beignets
You can keep these pound cake beignets at room temp in an airtight container for about a day or two, but if you’re planning on keepin’ ’em around any longer, pop them in the fridge.
How long will Pound Cake Beignets last in the fridge?
These beignets are best enjoyed fresh (obviously, because who waits to eat beignets?), but they’ll stay good for up to 3 days in the fridge. If you want them warm and cozy again, just give them a quick 10-second zap in the microwave.
Can I freeze these easy beignets?
Yep, you can freeze them! Once they’re completely cooled, stash them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They’ll stay fresh for up to 2 months in the freezer. When you wanna enjoy them, just thaw them at room temp and give them a quick warm-up in the microwave. Bam, fresh beignets again!
Frequently asked questions
Yep! You can make the batter a day ahead and store it in the fridge. Just make sure to cover it tightly with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out. When you’re ready to fry, let the batter come back to room temp before scooping and frying.
If your beignets are coming out flat, double-check that your baking soda is fresh. Also, make sure your oil is at the right temp (350°F).
You can! Canola oil works best for that neutral flavor, but vegetable oil or peanut oil will also get the job done.
These Pound Cake Beignets are proof that you can have the best of both worlds: crispy, tender, and oh-so-buttery! You don’t need yeast, you don’t need kneading, and let’s be real, you don’t need an excuse to fry up a batch. Your sweet tooth will thank ya!
More Fried Dough, Fritter and Donut Recipes
- The BEST New Orleans Beignets Recipe
- Apple Fritters Recipe
- Pumpkin Fritters
- Banana Fritters
- Pumpkin Cider Donuts
- Peach Fritters Recipe
Pound Cake Beignets
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I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups cake flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 stick unsalted butter completely melted
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- canola oil for deep frying
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- In a medium bowl combine cake flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl combine eggs, melted butter, sour cream and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Pour the wet batter into the dry until the mixture is smooth. Careful not to over mix.
- Fill a medium pot (at least 3 or 4 quart) or Dutch oven about ¾ full with oil. Heat the oil to 350°F, use a cookie scoop or 2 tablespoons to scoop the batter, be sure to scrape against the bowl for a clean scoop. This will make the beignet the perfect sphere.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. They will automatically flip over as they cook. If they don’t, once you flip it, hold it for a few seconds until it stays flipped on its own.
- Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels and liberally dust with cooled beignets with powdered sugar.
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