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Buttermilk Pound Cake with Roasted Strawberries

Source of Recipe

From "Secrets of the Southern Table" by Virginia Willis


Recipe Introduction

"There are many classic Southern cakes—hummingbird, lane, red velvet, angel food, and many more—but in my mind, a pound cake is the ultimate Southern cake. Nothing beats its rich, buttery flavor. It has been my mother's go-to cake my entire life. Many years ago, my partner, Lisa, and I went to my mother's for Christmas. Mama had prepared her pound cake, knowing that it was Lisa's favorite dessert, and she left it in a Tupperware cake carrier on her kitchen table. Lisa knew the pound cake was there, but didn't want to be rude by just helping herself. My mother, in turn, was incredulous as to why Lisa was ignoring the cake that she had specifically made for her! Believe me, they've now gotten on the same page, and if there's cake, Lisa has no shyness about helping herself to a slice! This recipe is buttery rich and tangy due to the buttermilk and lemon zest. Try a slice toasted in a skillet with a bit of butter—you won't believe how good it is! This pound cake will easily keep for up to a week if stored in an airtight container."

List of Ingredients

For the pound cake:
â—¦ 24 tablespoons (1 ½ cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
â—¦ 3 cups all-purpose flour
â—¦ 2 teaspoons baking powder
â—¦ ½ teaspoon baking soda
â—¦ ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
â—¦ 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
â—¦ 5 large eggs, at room temperature
â—¦ 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped, or 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
â—¦ Zest of 1 lemon
â—¦ 3 cups sugar

For the roasted strawberries:
â—¦ 1 pound strawberries, hulled, halved, and quartered if large
â—¦ 2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
â—¦ ½ vanilla bean, split and scraped
â—¦ Pinch of fine sea salt


Recipe

To make the pound cake, heat the oven to 300° F. Generously grease a 16-cup (measure to the rim) Bundt pan with butter.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Set aside. In a large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla bean seeds, and lemon zest. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three batches, alternating with two batches of the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture, occasionally scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl. Fill the prepared pan with the batter (it should be no more than two-thirds full).

Bake on a rack in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 325° F and bake for 45 minutes more, or until the cake is golden brown and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack to cool completely. Increase the oven temperature to 425° F.

While the cake is cooling, to make the roasted strawberries, toss the halved strawberries with the sugar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl. Place in a single layer in a large glass baking dish or on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat. Transfer to the oven and roast until the juices are bubbling and the strawberries are soft to the touch, 12 to 15 minutes.

To serve, using a serrated knife, slice the cake into wedges and top with the roasted strawberries.

Makes one 10-inch cake