Buttered Rum Pound Cake
Submitted by drizzt
Buttered rum pound cake: a tall, tender sour cream pound cake with vanilla and lemon notes, lightened by whipped egg whites folded in at the end. A Southern holiday classic for slicing and sharing.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsThe name promises rum, but the magic of this pound cake lies elsewhere: a full cup of butter, a block of sour cream, and six separated eggs with the whites whipped to stiff peaks and folded in last. That fold is what sets it apart from a standard pound cake. Most recipes stop at six whole eggs and a dense crumb; this one lightens the batter dramatically without sacrificing richness.
Vanilla and lemon extracts balance the butter, keeping the flavor complex rather than one-note sweet. If you want the promised rum, add 2 tablespoons of dark rum along with the extracts and make a rum glaze for finishing (recipe below in Variations).
Creaming the butter and first 2½ cups of sugar is where the structure gets built. Take it the full 5 minutes on medium, not 30 seconds. Under-creamed batter makes a heavy cake.
Alternating the sour cream with the flour, starting and ending with flour, protects the structure from going tough. Pour into a well-greased tube pan and let it go the full 1 hour 30 minutes.
Chef Tips
- All ingredients at room temperature. Cold eggs or sour cream curdle the batter.
- Fold the whipped whites in gently with a rubber spatula. Aggressive folding deflates the air you just whipped in.
- Cool only 10 to 15 minutes in the pan before inverting, longer steams the crust.
- Store wrapped tightly at room temp for up to 4 days; flavor improves overnight.
Variations
- Add 2 tablespoons dark rum with the extracts; brush a warm rum syrup over the top for a true buttered rum cake.
- Swap ½ cup sour cream for buttermilk for a tangier crumb.
- Dust with powdered sugar or serve with macerated strawberries and whipped cream.
Ingredients
Directions
Cream butter; gradually add 2½ cups sugar, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer.
Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition.
Combine flour and soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Mix just until blended after each addition.
Stir in flavorings. Beat egg whites until foamy; gradually add ½ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold into batter.
Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan.
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pan 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan, and place on a serving plate.
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