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!!!!
What happened to this year? I can’t even tell you. Where did it go? As I type this, I am looking at the leaves change to beautiful warm tones that make my spirit dance inside. I’m also experiencing the first signs of winter. I walked outside this past weekend and could see my breath in the air.
I have mixed feelings about it all. Part of me cannot WAIT for the holiday season to officially begin because happiness enters my heart in a way I cannot describe.
Another part of me wants life to slow down because it is going way too dang fast! I’m on a roller coaster that I can’t stop. It is exhilarating and completely scary all at the same time.
Instead of staying all the way in my feelings, I bake. It is what I do when I can’t quite cope or really don’t know what to do. This brown sugar pound cake recipe was born out of those wishy washy feelings. I’m embracing the changes of the season and getting a little holiday baking started (P.S. this cake is perfection for Thanksgiving!). I can’t tell you how therapeutic baking this cake was, not to mention how delicious it was to eat.
What is a Brown Sugar Pound Cake?
This brown sugar pound cake recipe is the perfect holiday cake or cake to bake anytime its a special occasion this fall. It is absolute perfection. The brown sugar really takes this recipe up a notch. The molasses adds a depth of flavor to the sweetness that cannot be described. This cake is also incredibly tender and dense with the most wonderful texture.
How to Make Brown Butter Glaze
To take it over the top, I added a brown butter glaze. 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.
Tips for Brown Butter: Make sure that you watch your brown butter closely as you make it. You need to make sure that you are allowing it to slowly brown and not end up burning.
Specs of brown butter are a nice clue. Your butter will start to foam, and it is fantastic.
This cake is a holiday keeper and a must for your dessert table (especially if you use a gorgeous bundt pan like I did from Nordic Ware which is below. It is also a lovely cake to deal with the feelings that this time of year truly brings out. Baking it might just heal you a bit just like it did for me.
If you want more pound cake recipes like my lemon pound cake recipe or even my amazing chocolate pound cake or , or even 7 up pound cake recipe, click HERE
Looking for more cakes? Try my most popular cake, the real deal caramel cake?
Brown Sugar Pound Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 1/2 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.
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Char says
January 31, 2019 at 7:34 amWhat a delicious cake! Made it for Christmas and everyone loved it. It stays fresh for several days (if it doesn’t get eaten the first day). I didn’t make the glaze the first time and it was perfect without. Made it again today for a coworker who is leaving. Going to make the glaze as well to send it over the top. Thank you for the recipe!
Kristi says
January 8, 2019 at 12:24 amHi, I’m out of white sugar, and am wondering how this would be with only brown sugar? Have you ever tried it? Also thinking of cross breeding it with your luscious caramel frosting from your southern caramel cake! Just not sure if it’ll be to rich…
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
January 9, 2019 at 7:10 pmIt might be very rich with the caramel frosting and all brown sugar but it is definitely possible to make.
Mea says
December 28, 2018 at 12:48 amLoved it!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
January 9, 2019 at 7:15 pmWonderful!
Jasmine Carlisle says
November 16, 2018 at 9:36 amI absolutely love making this cake for my family and it is always requested! I usually do a cup of light brown sugar and a cup of dark brown sugar and it is still awesome dessert perfection!
Ann Coyle says
November 10, 2018 at 7:57 pmI love this cake and I love this glaze. They’re both absolutely perfect…but sometimes, I add a hefty amount of cinnamon to the cake (2 tbsp or so) and 1tsp to the glaze, and call it a “cinnamon toast pound cake.” My entire family loves this cake, with or without the cinnamon. Thank you for this!
Tracy says
July 28, 2018 at 10:13 pmThis sounds delicious! My grandmother made a cake very similar to this one, but she would add a layer of cinnamon and brown sugar (2 Tbsp of each, mixed) to the middle (add half the batter to cake pan, then the cinnamon sugar sugar mix, then the other half of the batter), which created a beautiful swirl. My mom would make it whenever there was a hurricane coming – a definite comfort food! Can’t wait to try your version! Thank you for sharing
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
August 18, 2018 at 10:55 amOh I love that idea of adding the cinnamon and brown sugar layer!
Joyce Williams says
December 1, 2017 at 3:53 pmI made this for Thanksgiving and it was fantastic. I have your cookbook and every recipe I have tried came out great. I never liked my Kitchen Aide mixer until I watched your videos. Thank you. Please consider writing a cookbook for recipes other than baking.
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
December 1, 2017 at 7:03 pmAwww thanks so much Joyce!!! My next cookbook will include savory and sweet!
Susan Roberts says
September 2, 2017 at 7:44 pmThanks for an absolutely Perfect recipe!! This cake is so good…..I adore it!! I just finished with my 2nd cake & it turned out beautiful. I did tweak 1 ingredient however, as my husband likes maple added with the brown sugar flavor. This combo works well together, & also works well added to that fabulous brown butter glaze as well. I just finished up my 2nd cake, (-the 1st was for our anniversary in February), & of course I now have another PERFECT CAKE for his Birthday—Hooray!!! Thank you so much for sharing your expertise & the Best recipes I’ve found Anywhere Jocelyn, your recipes are Amazing & Foolproof as well!! Sending Much Love & Blessings your way!!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
September 8, 2017 at 6:36 amAww thank you so so much Susan! This is a beautiful compliment. I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake!
Nikki says
April 21, 2017 at 9:58 pmI just made this. It is INCREDIBLE. I’d never made anything with brown butter before – it was SO easy and came out perfect! I’ll be saving this recipe to make again…to me, it’s the perfect recipe for somewhat experienced home bakers. Real, simple ingredients you’d have on hand anytime – easy and fast (except for inevitable baking time) to make if you are familiar with baking – and relatively foolproof, and DELICIOUS.
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
May 1, 2017 at 6:32 pmHooray fantastic! I’m so so glad you enjoyed it!
Agness of Run Agness Run says
January 25, 2017 at 4:06 pmThis cake looks exceptional! Thanks for the recipe and for motivating me to spend more time in the kitchen, Jocelyn!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
January 28, 2017 at 7:05 amHooray! Absolutely! I hope you enjoy it!
Keeyoko says
December 28, 2016 at 7:25 pmOMG your Brown Sugar Pound cake recipe was my 1st attempt at baking a pound cake from scratch or homemade. Let me tell you (well I surely dont have to tell you) but this cake was nothing short of amazingly delicioouuussssss!!! It was the most moist cake that has ever come out of my oven. I am so looking forward to baking with more of your recipes.
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
December 30, 2016 at 7:55 pmHooray I am beyond happy to read this and so so glad you enjoyed this cake!!!! Keep coming back for more recipes.
Hannah says
December 10, 2016 at 4:40 pmHi!! So I noticed you mentioned that there was molasses in the cake in your blog but I didn’t see any listed in the ingredients?!! Wanted to make sure I was reading everything correctly!!!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
December 11, 2016 at 12:05 pmOh the molasses comes from the brown sugar component.
Trish Bayless says
November 24, 2016 at 9:09 amI made this cake yesterday for today – Thanksgiving. My husband apparently had to taste test it after I went to sleep. lol That man is a kid at heart! He LOVES it!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
November 28, 2016 at 10:42 amHooray!!!!!!!!
Lynn says
October 29, 2016 at 9:15 amHi Jocelyn, in the directions it says to add in “flour then add in sour cream and extract and cream until just combined.” I don’t see cream in the cake ingredients. Please advise. Thank you. Looks delicious and am making it today.
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
October 29, 2016 at 12:50 pmHi Lynn, Cream means to mix when used as an instruction in making a cake. It means to cream everything together. I hope this helps and I hope you enjoy the recipe. Post a photo of the cake and tag me on social media with GrandbabyCakes!
Christie says
October 25, 2016 at 8:44 pmI made this cake for my job on Monday and it was DEVOURED in 10 minutes! Thank you Grandbaby-Cakes for a great recipe!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
October 26, 2016 at 7:40 amHooray!!!! I am so glad Christie!!! Woot woot. Next time snap a photo and tag me on social. I would love to share!
Crystal says
October 23, 2016 at 8:53 pmThis looks great! Can’t wait to make it…do the eggs do all the leavening? No baking powder or soda?
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
October 25, 2016 at 10:00 amNo its actually the creaming of the butter and sugar that adds the air and lift to the cake! Make sure you cream for a while to give it enough air.
J. Evans says
October 22, 2016 at 6:42 amJocely, you give ingreds. for glaze, but don’t mention instructions for the brown butter. Do you brown the butter before mixing the ingreds.?
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
October 25, 2016 at 10:05 amYes thank you for catching that. Something was cut off in the original recipe. Yes it is browned before until you see specs form.
Fannie says
October 21, 2016 at 11:19 pmhow is this a brown butter glaze made with confection sugar
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
October 25, 2016 at 10:05 amSomething was cut off in the original recipe. Yes it is browned before until you see specs form.
Joanne says
October 21, 2016 at 10:21 pmI just read your interview and it was very insightful. Now this cake — love all the brown sugar and that butter glaze!
clare says
October 21, 2016 at 8:55 pmso, for the brown butter glaze, are you supposed to just melt the butter, or cook the butter for a few minutes until it foams, the brown solids form at the bottom so in fact you get brown butter? the directions are not that clear. “melted” is not the same as “cooked until brown” kindly clarify thanks. i noticed the same question in the comments for the pumpkin pound cake with brown butter glaze and the answer was not that clear either thanks
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
October 25, 2016 at 10:05 amYes thank you for catching that. Something was cut off in the original recipe. Yes it is browned before until you see specs form.
marywillis says
October 21, 2016 at 4:22 pmWill you be posting Thanksgiving recipes?
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
October 25, 2016 at 10:02 amYes a few!
Lexi | Sempre Dolce says
October 21, 2016 at 12:34 pmThis cake looks absolutely decadent (and moist!!). This will probably be made somewhere in the very near future. And I agree, baking is very much a reliever of stress. 🙂
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
October 25, 2016 at 10:06 amIndeed!
Carol Moyer says
October 21, 2016 at 10:12 amI don’t see anywhere in the recipe about browning the butter for the glaze???
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
October 25, 2016 at 10:06 amYes thank you for catching that. Something was cut off in the original recipe. Yes it is browned before until you see specs form.
Mari says
November 21, 2017 at 12:01 pmthe head notes mentioned molasses, but it is not in the ingredients or directions?
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
November 22, 2017 at 7:43 pmHi Mari, brown sugar has molasses in it.
Jen says
October 21, 2016 at 8:21 amCongrats on your success! Well deserved! I’m definitely going to make this, thanks!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
October 25, 2016 at 10:06 amThank you so much!
El says
October 21, 2016 at 5:10 amThis cake looks delicious. But how does the glaze turn brown just buy whisking butter, confectionary sugar and milk? Is there another ingredient that I’m missing? Are we cooking it on the stove?
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
October 25, 2016 at 10:06 amYes thank you for catching that. Something was cut off in the original recipe. Yes it is browned before until you see specs form.
Maria says
October 19, 2016 at 3:30 pmOh my!!! With a strong cup of espresso, this looks to die for!! In a house full of picky eaters, we are united on brown sugar. This is sure to be a big hit!
Angie | Big Bear's Wife says
October 19, 2016 at 12:29 pmThat brown butter glaze is calling my name! I love anything with brown sugar and brown butter!
Cathy Trochelman says
October 19, 2016 at 9:59 amWOW. This looks like the perfect end to any meal….simple but SO perfect!
Laura at I Heart Naptime says
October 18, 2016 at 10:38 amI cannot wait to make this – it looks absolutely perfect!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
October 18, 2016 at 4:24 pmHooray thank you doll!
Sarah | Broma Bakery says
October 18, 2016 at 7:28 amI don’t even understand how you still have time to blog. You are a freaking superwoman.
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
October 18, 2016 at 7:45 amHahaha girl I don’t either. Sometimes I don’t even know where I’m at!
Jackie says
October 18, 2016 at 3:35 amHi Jocelyn
You mention in your headnotes that you added a brown butter glaze to the cake. Where?
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
October 18, 2016 at 7:54 amHi Jackie, the glaze is on top of the cake. The information on how to make it is in the recipe as well. Hope you enjoy!
Bertha Parrish says
December 8, 2016 at 8:05 pmCould a cup of chopped pecans be added to the batter
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
December 9, 2016 at 10:08 amYES go ahead and give it a try!
Medha Swaminathan says
October 17, 2016 at 5:53 pmThis bundt cake is serious brown sugar heaven. And yes, I’m stunned that it’s fall now. I mean, the holidays are approaching, can you believe that?
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
October 18, 2016 at 7:46 amI seriously cannot believe it!
Eva @ Eva Bakes says
October 17, 2016 at 9:29 amI have no idea where this year went. I feel like it was just New Year’s the other day. Love the beautiful bundt pan – what a gorgeous design! And I have never met a pound cake I didn’t like. Hooray for making a brown sugar version! That glaze looks to-die-for! 🙂
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
October 18, 2016 at 7:48 amI adore this glaze!
QUENTIN MOORE says
September 5, 2018 at 6:43 pmWHERE DID U GET THAT STAR CAKE PAN FROM?I REALLY LIKE THAT.