its my birthday! in a week, the blogs turns one year! there HAS to be cake to celebrate. this year i decided to make a pound cake! a funfetti vanilla pound cake to be exact. no party is complete without funfetti, you know.
there's something so inherently fun about sprinkles. throw them into just about anything and its an instant party! scones, muffins, cookies, cinnamon rolls, donuts and of course this cake get an instant "glow up."
this pound cake is perfect for "small batch" baking. its perfect for celebrating birthdays. its perfect for celebrating everyday.
describe this cake in a few words
- buttery
- sweet
- dense, but not dry
- moist
- very vanilla forward
- slight hints of almond
- like a birthday cake in bread form!
describe the frosting in a few words
- SWEET
- like, very very sweet
- the perfect butter cream to top a cake
- for frosting lovers!!
butter cake vs pound cake
let's break this down a bit more.
butter cake is any cake that begins with the words: "cream together the butter and sugar." other ingredients such as eggs, flour, leavening agents are added. therefore, many cakes are considered butter cakes.
pound cake is an variation of a butter cake. both are buttery cakes with a moist, tender crumb. pound cakes are served in loaf or bundt pans. traditionally, a pound cake is made of pound of each: flour, butter, eggs and sugar. toppings are usually minimal. with only a dusting of powdered sugar or glaze.
Make sure to check out my Birthday Cake Cookies for another sprinkle filled treat.
why bake in the lower third of the oven?
due to the length of time it takes to bake this pound cake (60-75 minutes), the top may bake too quickly. thus, there is the possibility for it to burn. one way to handle this is to cover it with foil when it's about ¾ of the way baked through. the other way it to move it to the lower third of the oven. I've had success with this anytime I make a pound cake.
why its important to beat the butter
beat/cream the butter at a low to medium speed. this allows air into the butter. this ensures the rise of the pound cake. start at a low speed and work up to medium speed.
- use a paddle (flat beater) attachment to whip the butter
- use softened butter. not too cold or too hot
- the easiest way to tell if butter is ready is to make an indentation in the butter. if the dent keeps its shape, the butter is ready
- butter should be light and fluffy before adding sugar
how to add the sugar and eggs
slowly add the sugar. if done quickly, the weight of the sugar will deflate the air in the butter. stream the sugar in while butter is creaming. after adding all the sugar, cream together until most of the sugar is dissolved.
add the eggs and the yolks slowly as well. same idea as the sugar. too much weight will deflate the air. add each egg one at a time. allow the egg to fully incorporate into the batter before adding the next one.
what kind of sprinkles can i use?
such an important question! larger sprinkles show better in the cake because they're less likely to bleed or clump together. for this cake, i really wanted rainbow sprinkles. these are the ones I used. go with the ones you like!
top the cake with a classic vanilla buttercream
the amount of frosting listed in my recipe makes a generous amount. if you aren't overly into frosting, cut the amount in the recipe by half. OR freeze any unused frosting in an airtight container in the freezer for months.
there are a few frostings on this site. ones that would go really well with this cake. but, the one i HAD to have topping this cake is the version from Magnolia Bakery in NYC.
one of my favorite birthday memories involves me getting completely lost on a rainy monday in NYC. my birthday, coincidentally. i was determined to find my way around my soon to be home city. hopeless lost, i turned down one more street, Bleecker St. there is was! i found my way. this memory stands out as a favorite for many reasons. in some small way, I knew I was home. I could make it there. needless to say, it was one of the most delicious cupcakes I had ever eaten! oh the memories....
a few tips for the perfect funfetti vanilla pound cake
- room temperature ingredients: bring all ingredients to room temperature before mixing into the cake
- mis en place: everything in its place. this ensures you have everything measured out properly and its ready to go!
- use a food scale: it's easy to incorrectly measure when using a measuring cup. baking is such an exact science. I use one like this
- alternative: fluff the flour and sugar in the bag. spoon the amount into a measuring cup. use a flat knife to level the top
- mixing: use a stand or hand mixer to mix the wet ingredients. switch to hand mixing for the flour and yogurt
- hand mixing: folding the flour and yogurt into the wet ingredients almost guarantees you don't over mix
- cake flour: use all purpose flour in its place (2 c total)
- you can make your own: measure 1 c all purpose flour. scoop out 2 tablespoon flour. replace the 2 tablespoon flour with 2 tablespoon cornstarch. whisk the new cake flour together
- extra or superfine sugar: this sugar dissolves into the butter more easily. put granulated sugar in a food processor for 30 seconds. now you have super fine sugar
- low and slow: bake at 325 for 65-75 minutes. each test round in my oven took 70- 73 minutes
- test: insert a cake tester or toothpick into the center. it should have a few moist crumbs
more cakes and loaf cakes
some olives + thyme favorites are:
- cinnamon streusel banana coffee cake
- raspberry + cardamon semolina cake
- chai spiced carrot loaf cake
- chai spiced apple cupcakes
- brown butter pumpkin bars
- blood orange loaf cake
funfetti vanilla pound cake
Equipment
- 9X5 loaf pan
- parchment paper
- stand mixer with paddle attachment
Ingredients
funfetti vanilla pound cake
- ⅔ c cake flour (80g), sifted sub with all purpose flour
- 1 c all purpose flour (120g), sifted
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 c unsalted butter, softened (226g)
- 1 c super fine or extra fine sugar (220g) see notes
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ¼ c whole milk greek yogurt sub 1:1 with sour cream
- ¼ c whole milk
- ⅓ c rainbow sprinkles, "jimmies"
classic vanilla buttercream frosting
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (85g)
- 2 c powdered sugar, sifted (250g)
- 1-2 tbsp milk, as needed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tbsp sprinkles for topping
Instructions
funfetti vanilla pound cake
- Line 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving 1-2 in. overhang on the sides. Preheat oven to 325F. Remove a rack to the lower ⅓ of the oven (right under the middle rack level). Whisk together flours, baking powder and salt. Set aside.If using regular granulated sugar, process sugar in a food processor for 30 seconds. This is optional, but helps with the overall outcome of the cake.
- In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat/cream butter on low for 1 minute. Increase to medium speed for 4-6 additional minutes, until butter is light and fluffy. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Once butter is light and fluffy, beat butter with the sugar by slowly streaming in sugar. This whole step should take several minutes. Once all the sugar has been added, beat/cream the sugar and butter together for an additional minute. Sugar should be mostly dissolved into the butter at this point.
- Slowly add eggs to the butter and sugar. Add one egg at a time, beating until it fully incorporates before adding the next. Once all the eggs have been added and incorporated, add in both extracts. Beat an addtional minute. Switch to a large spatula, or spoon. The next steps will be done by hand.
- Fold in flour, yogurt and millk to the wet ingredients in this order: flour, yogurt, flour, milk, flour. Fold each part about 90% into the wet ingredients before adding the next. Once the last flour part is added, fold in sprinkles. Fold all ingredients in the batter togther until smooth and well combined. Gently scoop ½ of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Using a small offset spatula or spoon, level and smooth the batter into the corners and across the pan. Repeat with the remaining ½ of the batter.
- Bake at 325F for 50 minutes ( in the lower ⅓ of the oven). Check the top. It should be golden, but not burned. There should also be a large crack in the center of the cake. This is where the steam escapes and is perfect! If the top is browning too quickly, loosely cover with a foil tent. By moving it to the lower ⅓ of the oven, this shouldn't be an issue. Return to the oven for 10-25 minutes, checking for doneness every 5-10 minutes (60-75 minutes total). When a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, its done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool an addtional 50 minutes (1 hr total). Top with optional vanilla buttercream and more sprinkles, powdered sugar, vanilla glaze or eat as is!
classic vanilla buttercream frosting
- In a stand mixer, with paddle attachment, place butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon milk. Beat until smooth and creamy. If needed, add 2-3 teaspoon more milk, one teaspoon at a time. Once smooth and creamy, add ¼ c powdered sugar at a time. Beat on high until desired frosting consistency is reached. Frosting should be thick and spreadable.
Notes
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Make sure to tag me on instagram @olivesnthyme. For more delicious dessert ideas follow me on pinterest
make sure to tag me on instagram @olivesnthyme. for more delicious dessert ideas follow me on pinterest.
Gursimran Pabla says
Do you think I could make this without eggs? And what could I use instead?
Megan says
Hi! Tough question as this recipe calls for quite a few eggs. If you wanted to try this, it may work. I have not tested this, so please let me know how it turns out.
-Use 3 tsp baking powder total.
-Omit the eggs completely, no substitute for these.
-Increase the Greek yogurt to a total of 3/4 c (250g)
Mix ingredients in the same order as stated in the recipe.
Again, this hasn’t been tested and therefore I can’t guarantee it will work. But, it’s worth a try!
SheilaG says
Can I substitute olive oil for the butter in the cake? Thank you!
Megan says
Hi Sheila, I wouldn't use olive oil to replace butter for pound cake. Whipping the butter and sugar together is essential to the overall structure and texture of the pound cake and it's just not possible with olive oil.