Allow me to introduce you to the best sourdough pound cake ever. This baby is buttery, moist, and utterly heavenly with its notes of almond and a subtle sourdough tang that adds to the cozy sensation you get with each warm bite.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2.5 cups of flour
- 1 cup of starter
- 1 and 1/4 cup of milk
- 1 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 cup of melted butter
- 1 TB vanilla extract
- 2 TB almond extract
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3 eggs
Why Sourdough Pound Cake
The inspiration for this recipe came from a day when I was making sourdough biscotti and the smell of the almond dough as it baked had me craving something I could sink my teeth in and chew. Almond sourdough pound cake, I thought. There’s got to be something out there.
This led me to the internet where my searches for “almond cake” came up dry as I was flooded with recipes using almond flour. Not what I was going for. Even throwing the words pound cake and sourdough in there didn’t work. Google was just confused. Eventually, I found something in the deep recesses of an obscure forum that I was able to convert from its original lemon and orange zest to almond. (Though of course if citrus is your thing, it would be just as easy to convert back.)
A few other modifications over the dozens of times I’ve made this sourdough pound cake and here is what I call a perfected finished product, if I do say so myself. This is my go-to for potlucks and get togethers. I felt I finally reached a pivotal point in my life where people looked forward to my attendance and asked if I was going to bring “that sourdough pound cake.” I had my signature thing! I was on the next level.
Sourdough Pound Cake Variations
I refuse to make an icing for it because honestly, I think the flavor and consistency of the sourdough pound cake is absolutely perfect as is. Of course, one could easily be added, but you’re on your own if that’s the route you want to take.
I have also made the same cake with rum and coconut extract instead of almond. The result was very Caribbean and delicious, though nothing beats almond as my personal favorite. I keep telling myself I’ll make a sourdough pound cake with lemon and poppy seed or another citrus extract or even more adventurous extracts like coffee, caramel, or butterscotch, but almond always lures me back!
So here it is. The best sourdough pound cake ever:
Preparation:
Combine the flour, sourdough starter, and milk in a large bowl. Mix to combine and then cover with cling wrap or something comparable. Allow the mixture to sit for about 6 hours or until bubbly. The process will go faster in a warmer environment. I got it down to about 2 hours by putting it in a warm, but not hot oven.
It should be beautiful and bubbly!
Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a Bundt pan with cooking spray and in mixing bowl combine 1 1/3 cup sugar and 1 cup of melted butter. Beat with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes. Add 1 TB vanilla extract, 2 TB almond extract, 1 tsp salt, and 1 1/2 tsp baking soda. Beat to combine. Continue mixing while adding 3 eggs, one at a time.
Add this mixture to the bubbly sourdough bowl. Mixing these two together will take some work. I find a wooden spoon or concave spatula work best to force the two to combine.
Once the sourdough pound cake mixture is fully incorporated, pour it into the Bundt pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
Let the sourdough pound cake cool in the Bundt pan for at least 10-15 minutes before attempting to remove it. When the edges of the bake have pulled slightly away from the pan, put a plate on top and flip the whole pan over, shaking lightly to loosen the cake so it falls onto the plate. If it does not give way easily, allow to cool further. You can also assist the process slightly by running a knife along the outside between the cake and the pan, but be careful not to damage the pan.
Enjoy! Sourdough pound cake is best served warm! Some like to add butter or icing, but my family and I prefer it as is. There is plenty of butter in the cake already and the combination of flavors require no additional topping for us.
Notes
- Have fun experimenting with sourdough pound cake flavor variations! Try adding a Tb of rum extract for a fun twist, or forgo the almond and do rum and coconut. Citrus zest and extracts are also popular!
- You may decrease the butter to half the amount and still have a tasty sourdough pound cake. The difference is noticeable when comparing them side-by-side (or if you’ve eaten them as regularly as my family has), but it can be done!
- I believe the original recipe I first found called for 1 1/2 cups of sugar and I just naturally paired it down a little. So, if you want it sweeter, go for it!
- As with many of my recipes, I try to substitute sugar out whenever possible. For this particular dessert, nothing quite beats the original. Swerve, monkfruit sweetener, and other similar sweeteners were okay, though noticeably different. A mixture of swerve and maple syrup was probably the closest I got to the original flavor, but at that point I didn’t see the value for our family since we try to avoid larger quantities of maple syrup as well.
- If you or your loved ones are not sourdough fanatics, don’t let that component discourage you! People were shocked and awed at our gatherings to find out this dessert was made with sourdough starter. Just try it and see!
Best Sourdough Pound Cake Ever
Equipment
- 2 Mixing Bowls
- Electric Beaters
- 1 Bundt Pan
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups of flour
- 1 cup of sourdough starter
- 1 1/4 cups of milk
- 1 1/3 cups of sugar
- 1 cup of melted butter
- 1 TB of vanilla extract
- 2 TB of almond extract
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp of baking soda
- 3 eggs
Instructions
- Combine the flour, sourdough starter, and milk in a large bowl.
- Mix to combine and then cover with cling wrap or something comparable.
- Allow the mixture to sit for about 6 hours or until bubbly.
- Note: The process will go faster in a warmer environment. I got it down to about 2 hours by putting it in a warm, but not hot oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Spray a Bundt pan with cooking spray and in mixing bowl combine the sugar and melted butter. Beat with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the extracts, salt, and baking soda. Beat to combine.
- Continue mixing while adding the eggs, one at a time.
- Add this mixture to the bubbly sourdough bowl. Mixing these two together will take some work. I find a wooden spoon or concave spatula work best to force the two to combine.
- Once the sourdough pound cake mixture is fully incorporated, pour it into the Bundt pan.
- Bake for at 25-30 minutes, until the edges are brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
- Let the sourdough pound cake cool in the Bundt pan for at least 10-15 minutes before attempting to remove it. When the edges of the bake have pulled slightly away from the pan, put a plate on top and flip the whole pan over, shaking lightly to loosen the cake so it falls onto the plate.
- Note: If it does not give way easily, allow to cool further. You can also assist the process slightly by running a knife along the outside between the cake and the pan, but be careful not to damage the pan.
- Enjoy! Sourdough pound cake is best served warm! Some like to add butter or icing, but my family and I prefer it as is. There is plenty of butter in the cake already and the combination of flavors require no additional topping for us.
Notes
- Have fun experimenting with sourdough pound cake flavor variations! Try adding a Tb of rum extract for a fun twist, or forgo the almond and do rum and coconut. Citrus zest and extracts are also popular!
- You may decrease the butter to half the amount and still have a tasty sourdough pound cake. The difference is noticeable when comparing them side-by-side (or if you’ve eaten them as regularly as my family has), but it can be done!
- I believe the original recipe I first found called for 1 1/2 cups of sugar and I just naturally paired it down a little. So, if you want it sweeter, go for it!
- As with many of my recipes, I try to substitute sugar out whenever possible. For this particular dessert, nothing quite beats the original. Swerve, monkfruit sweetener, and other similar sweeteners were okay, though noticeably different. A mixture of swerve and maple syrup was probably the closest I got to the original flavor, but at that point I didn’t see the value for our family since we try to avoid larger quantities of maple syrup as well.
- If you or your loved ones are not sourdough fanatics, don’t let that component discourage you! People were shocked and awed at our gatherings to find out this dessert was made with sourdough starter. Just try it and see!
Let us know what you think! Did you try any variations?? What were your favorite flavors for sourdough pound cake?
