Description
This Strawberry Pound Cake is a moist and flavorful dessert featuring a tender crumb infused with fresh strawberries and a luscious homemade strawberry glaze. Baked in a Bundt pan, the cake is soaked with a sweet strawberry syrup, enhancing its fruity flavor for a perfect balance of sweetness and freshness.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1½ cups unsalted butter (339 grams, room temperature, 3 sticks)
- 3 cups granulated sugar (600 grams)
- 5 large eggs (250 grams, room temperature)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (408 grams)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (3 grams)
- 1 cup half-and-half (227 grams, room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (12 grams)
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (4 grams)
- 2½ cups finely chopped strawberries (418 grams)
Strawberry Syrup
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- â…” cup water (151 grams)
- 1 cup pureed strawberries (232 grams)
Strawberry Glaze
- 3 tablespoons strawberry syrup (44 grams, reserved from above)
- 2 cups powdered sugar (226 grams)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (43 grams, from 1½ lemons)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray a 10-cup Bundt cake pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a hand mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the butter and 3 cups granulated sugar until the mixture is fluffy and light, about 2 minutes.
- Add Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time on medium speed, scraping down the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Switch the mixer to low speed and slowly add the flour in batches, then add the kosher salt. Mix until well combined and smooth.
- Add Wet Ingredients and Extracts: Add the half-and-half, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Continue mixing to fully incorporate.
- Fold in Strawberries: Turn off the mixer and gently fold in the finely chopped strawberries by hand to preserve texture.
- Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake for 80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
- Prepare Strawberry Syrup: During the last 20 minutes of baking, combine 1 cup granulated sugar and â…” cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 8 minutes. Add pureed strawberries, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cool Cake Briefly: Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
- Make Holes in Cake: Using a wooden skewer, poke holes about 1½ inches apart and roughly ⅛-inch wide at the bottom of the cake, wiggling the skewer slightly but not piercing all the way through.
- Soak Cake with Syrup: Set aside 3 tablespoons of the strawberry syrup for the glaze. Pour the remaining syrup evenly over the bottom of the cake while it is still in the pan, gently pressing it into the cake with a spatula.
- Invert and Cool: Keep the cake upside down in the pan and let it cool for 30 minutes to allow the syrup to absorb.
- Remove from Pan and Cool Further: Turn the cake right side up to remove from the pan and let cool for another hour at room temperature.
- Make Strawberry Glaze: Whisk together the reserved strawberry syrup, powdered sugar, and lemon juice until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more lemon juice if too thick, or more powdered sugar if too thin.
- Glaze and Garnish: Once cooled, drizzle the glaze evenly over the cake and top with additional chopped fresh strawberries if desired.
- Serve: Slice the cake into 10 slices and serve.
Notes
- Ensure all ingredients like butter, eggs, and half-and-half are at room temperature for best mixing results.
- Do not overmix once the flour is added to keep the cake tender.
- Be gentle folding in the strawberries to avoid breaking them down too much and turning the batter pink.
- Make sure to poke holes carefully so they don’t go all the way through the cake.
- The strawberry syrup enhances moisture and flavor; don’t skip soaking the cake.
- Adjust the glaze consistency to your liking for easier drizzling or thicker coverage.
- Store leftover cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
