Maple Pound Cake

Maple Pound Cake: A Slice of Southern Holiday Magic

This Maple Pound Cake may not appear in The Magic All Around, but I’m convinced it’s a Russell family favorites. It's one of those recipes that gets scribbled on a stained index card and tucked behind the cinnamon in a pantry that rearranges itself, just when you need it most.

It’s the kind of dessert Penelope might pull out on a cold December evening with the house full warmth and the old radio playing a song no one requested. Mattie would take one bite and remember what sweetness feels like.

You'll love the buttery, tender cake with it's warm maple flavor and the rich glaze that soaks in just enough. This cake is easy to bake in your long-forgotten Bundt pan (or a loaf pan in a pinch!) It's basically like pancakes met pound cake and decided to stay for the holidays.

This recipe is perfect for snowy mornings, fireside afternoons, or gifting to someone who could use a little extra sweetness. It's the taste of nostalgia with a magical little wink.

Bake it when your house needs warming. Bake it when your heart does too.

Magical Maple Pound Cake

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 cups (240g) unbleached cake flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon table salt

• 12 tablespoons (170g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, at least 65°F

• 2/3 cup (142g) light brown sugar, packed

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1/2 cup (156g) maple syrup

• 1 cup (227g) sour cream, at room temperature

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon natural maple flavor, optional, for enhanced maple flavor

Glaze

• 2 tablespoons (28g) butter, cold

• 1/4 cup (78g) maple syrup

• 1/4 cup (57g) water

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9- or 10-cup Bundt pan.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a minute or two and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl between additions. Mix in the maple syrup.

5. Add half the flour mixture, followed by the sour cream, vanilla, and maple flavor, and finally the remaining flour mixture. Mix until just combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl between each addition.

6. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

7. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn it out onto a serving plate.

8. While the cake is cooling combine the glaze ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring the glaze to a rapid boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 5 to 8 minutes, until it thickens to a syrupy consistency. Remove the pan from the heat.

9. Brush the hot glaze over the warm cake. Allow the cake to cool completely before serving.

10. Store, unsliced, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.