A vintage recipe for Cold Oven Pound Cake claims that starting in a cold oven yields a cake that is especially tall and boasts a crisp crust. Can this unlikely recipe really work? I can attest that it does! Yes, indeed, the cake rose beautifully, and tasted even better than hoped for.
This cake recipe is one I’ll keep in my back pocket for potlucks or to showcase fresh fruit. Though this cake is delicious just plain, with a cup of coffee or tea.
I have a paid subscription to Cook’s Country Magazine and I came across this recipe at a time that juicy, red strawberries were in abundance just right down the road where I live. I’ve made a number of strawberry-themed cakes, but this particular recipe really caught my eye.
I confess. I eat cake batter, and I have lived to tell the tale. Because I’m such a fan of almond/marzipan, I added a bit of almond extract to this dough. The dough was amazing– and I’m sure that there are two and a half sticks of butter doesn’t hurt.
I managed to get most of the batter into my 12-cup bundt pan, even though I did some quality control tasting. This cake definitely took the higher end of baking time– around 75 minutes.
When I shared a photo of this cake on Facebook, I was asked “what is a Cold Oven Pound Cake“?! It’s exactly that. Breaking the tradition of preheating the oven, the batter is put into a pan, set into the oven and then turned on to 325F to bake for 65-80 minutes. The end result was a cake that was moist and had a very tender crumb.
What more can I say? It’s buttery, with a hint of almond extract (my own addition since it’s one of my favorite flavors). Slathered with whipped cream and fresh berries, this dessert was enjoyed by our dinner guests.
TASTING NOTES: Here are the notes from Cook’s Country–
Swapping out all-purpose flour for cake flour yielded an even finer, more delicate crumb for our pound cake. We also used baking powder, which produced carbon dioxide bubbles that gave our pound cake its rise. Putting the pound cake into a cold oven gave the carbon dioxide more time to produce greater rise.
Yes, indeed, the cake rose beautifully, but tasted even better. This cake recipe is one I’ll keep in my back pocket for potlucks or to showcase fresh fruit. Loved it!
I hope this recipe inspires you to try this cake. It’s simply delicious, and it’s from one of my favorite recipe sources “Cook’s Country“.
Cold-Oven Pound Cake
Equipment
- 12-cup bundt or angel food pan
Ingredients
- 3 cups cake flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 used 1-1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 20 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 1/2 sticks, softened
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 6 large eggs
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position. Grease and flour 16-cup tube pan. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl. Whisk milk and vanilla in measuring cup.
- With electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of milk mixture. Mix on low until smooth, about 30 seconds. Use rubber spatula to give batter final stir.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Place cake in cold oven. Adjust oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake, without opening oven door, until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 65 to 80 minutes.
- Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours. Serve. (Cooled cake can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.)
Notes
Nutrition
Butter, sugar, eggs included 2x in ingredients list. Can't wait to try this
Really? Hmmmm, my recipe card seems okay!??
I’m not seeing the card at the end as I usually do. Can’t wait ti make it. Glad to see you posting again!
Sorry, my blog design caused the cards to not be visible for a while. It should be working now!
Hi Debbie,
So glad you are posting again on your website. Yes, you are so fortunate to live in Monterey County. Pound cake looks delish!
Thank you, Shirley. I do love living on the Central Coast of California.
I’ve been baking this perfect pound cake for decades although I don’t use cake flour. I remember asking my mom, who was from the deep south, about the “cold oven” aspect when I wasn’t so sure about the technique. She said if it is a “vintage” southern recipe to think of how hot those kitchens were when they still used woodstoves to bake. Why would you want to heat that stove before you had to?! Made sense to me and this recipe is still a family favorite.
What a great story! I don’t always use cake flour, but I do believe it makes for a more tender crumb. Thanks for sharing.
When you say lower middle for the rack, how many inches is that up from the bottom of the oven? I think I ruin many pound cakes by having the rack in the wrong place. Thanks.
Can I use Lactaid low fat milk
I’ve never used that, so I can’t 100% say. My guess is that it would affect the richness and texture of the poundcake.