This Brown Sugar Pound Cake Recipe is a luscious and tender pound cake made deliciously sweet with the depth of flavor from the molasses of brown sugar and taken over the top with a incredibly nutty brown butter glaze. With a texture similar to my Sour Cream Pound Cake or even my Cream Cheese Pound Cake, this pound cake is a keeper especially when fall rolls around. If you love cakes like my Caramel Cake and and the brown butter flavor in my Apple Cake and Kentucky Butter Cake, you will adore this!!!!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- The brown butter glaze is just out of this world y’all! I thought nothing could be better than the cake itself but that’s before the glaze dressed it up. Let’s just say brown sugar and brown butter are meant to be together.
- The perfect flavors for the holidays and cool weather!
- An easy recipe to follow.
If you love the brown butter glaze on this cake you definitely need to check out these Blondies.
What is a Brown Sugar Pound Cake?
This pound cake recipe is partially sweetened using brown sugar. It is the perfect holiday cake or cake to bake anytime its a special occasion. It is absolute perfection and the brown sugar really takes it up a notch.
The molasses adds a depth of flavor to the sweetness that cannot be described with flavors that are perfect for the fall. This cake is also incredibly tender and dense with the most wonderful texture.
Ingredients
There are two main components to this recipe. First the brown sugar pound sour cream pound cake and then the delicious brown butter glaze that drips and covers the top of the cake. Here’s an overview of the main ingredients you need.
- Butter: I always prefer baking with unsalted butter. Make sure it’s at room temperature before mixing. It makes the base of the cake giving it a truly decadent flavor while browned butter is used to make the brown butter glaze that’s poured over the top of the cake.
- Brown sugar: We will be using light brown sugar. Buy it at the store or make brown sugar at home.
- Granulated sugar: The cake also uses regular sugar for additional sweetness with less moisture.
- Eggs: Add color, flavor, and structure to the cake.
- All-purpose flour: For best results use a quality brand of flour and be sure to sift it before mixing.
- Sour cream: Pound cake is always better with sour cream added. It makes it richer and gives the cake an excellent moist crumb.
- Vanilla extract: Make sure to use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Confectioner’s sugar: Works best for making a creamy, smooth glaze for the cake.
- Milk: Any milk will work to dissolve the confectioner’s sugar transforming it into a glaze.
How to Make Brown Sugar Cake
Making this cake is pretty much a breeze! Be sure to read through all the directions in the recipe card before getting started.
- Cream together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt on high speed until light and fluffy. This will likely take about five minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each one until well mixed.
- Slow the mixer down to the lowest speed and carefully add in the flour and then mix it in.
- Add the sour cream and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl. Cream just until combined.
- Pour the cake batter into bundt pan and bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out moist but mostly clean.
- Cool the cake for ten minutes then invert cake onto a cooling rack and cool until the cake is at room temperature.
- Mix together the browned butter, confectioner’s sugar, and milk until smooth and creamy. Pour it over the top of the cooled cake.
How to Serve
Caramel
How to Store
- Leftovers: Refrigerate your leftover pound cakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freeze Yes, store it in an airtight container It’ll last up to 6 months in the freezer.
- Make-Ahead Tips: The whole brown sugar caramel pound cake can be made up to a week ahead of time.
Expert Tips
- Watch your brown butter closely as you make it so it browns slowly rather than burning.
- Prep your pan with shortening and flour or a non-stick baking spray so the cake easily comes out of the pan.
- Use a 10 cup bundt pan to make your pound cake. I love this one from Nordic Ware! It’s stunning on a holiday dessert table.
- Make sure to start with room temperature butter so that it will easily cream together with the sugar.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the glaze. This keeps the glaze on the cake rather than it melting off.
FAQs
Cook the butter in a saucepan over low heat until you start to see specs of brown appearing and the butter starts to foam. Make sure that you watch your brown butter closely as you make it. Allow it to slowly brown and not end up burning.
No, you must use the brown sugar as directed in this recipe in order for the cake to have the rich, caramel flavor of molasses.
More Cake Recipes You’ll Love
Looking for more pound cakes? Try out all the best pound cakes on Grandbaby Cakes.
*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!* Post a photo of how your version of the recipe came out on Instagram (using #grandbabycakes)!!
Brown Sugar Pound Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 cups light brown sugar packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
For the Glaze:
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and browned until specs appear
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and prepare your 10 cup bundt pan with shortening and flour or non-stick baking spray.
- In your mixer bowl, cream together butter, both sugars and salt on high speed until light and fluffy for 5 minutes.
- Next add in eggs, one at a time, and mix until well incorporated.
- Slow mixer to lowest speed and carefully add in flour then add in sour cream and extract and cream until just combined.
- Pour cake batter into bundt pan and bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out moist but mostly clean.
- Cool cake for 10 minutes then invert cake onto cooling rack and cool until room temperature.
For the Glaze:
- Whisk together brown butter, confectioner’s sugar and milk.
- Drizzle glaze over cooled cake and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in October 2016. It has been updated with new images and content.
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This looks amazing. What do you think about using it as a base for strawberry shortcake? My partner grew up eating shortcake with pound cake (while I grew up with biscuits). My only worry is if the nutty flavors might be too strong for shortcake, but my hope is they will complement the berries and whipped cream nicely
That sounds so good! I have not tried it as a base for strawberry shortcake, but I would love to know how it turns out if you try it!
Do you need to add baking powder if not what makes it rise I’m a baker myself. This looks good
No one never answered this?
Hi Crystal, this is a classic pound cake recipe so it does not use any leavening agents.
This was such a sweet and savory recipe that does not disappoint! Light, fluffy and delicious; exactly what I needed to cure my sweet tooth!
I never added sour cream to my pound cakes but this makes whole a lot difference in texture. I love it and will make again
Delicious, yet simple cake. The brown sugar glaze is insanely good.
Made it on Sunday for the family and it was amazing! Easy to follow the recipe too. Thank you for sharing!
Oh wow! This pound cake looks absolutely amazing with so many wonderful flavors. You had me at the incredibly nutty brown butter glaze.