you're making mealtime meaningful.
This 5-Flavor Pound Cake is an old fashioned recipe, one that is unusual in its taste. The key to making this moist cake is 5 different flavor extracts. You might not already have all of them on hand, but one taste and you’ll soon discover (like generations before did) that it’s well worth having them on hand for this cake alone. This is a cake for any time you need a wow factor dessert without spending a lot of time on it.
Like most pound cakes this one is loaded with butter and oil and eggs and sugar. If you’re on a diet a pound cake isn’t probably in the cards. But, this is what has always made this type of cake so delectably decadent. It’s one of the reasons it’s been such a classic for so long. But, pound cake really had a golden moment in the 1950s and 1960s when it was served at many a dinner party as the grande finale to the endless rounds of food.
The Method & Ingredients
When you mix all the extracts into the milk something really interesting happens. You get a preview of the flavor to come. The concentrated smell of the essences mixes with the creamy scent of the milk. To my nose it smells a bit like butterscotch mixed with a little lemon- which is a truly heavenly scent.
The cake ends up with a very slight almost pineapple -y buttery flavor that’s hard to describe. But, it’s love at first bite!
I found that using a measuring shot glass was easier for this recipe than using a measuring spoon for all the extracts. If you don’t have one yet I highly recommend it for recipes like this one!
In addition to heaps of butter, this recipe also calls for some vegetable or coconut oil to ensure that it’s tender and moist. Coconut oil works well in this recipe since coconut is one of the extracts in the mix.
There’s no lemon zest or coconut in the recipe as written below, but you can easily add some if you like. It’s all about personal preference. And, since most folks enjoy the smooth texture of pound cake you don’t always want to change that with additions. It’s up to you.
The Pans
You can make this in a big bundt pan or ring pan for a more formal look. Or you can make this cake in 2 8” loaf pans for an easier-to-manage cake experience. I went with loaf pans this time since I like the shape. Plus, when you line grease and line loaf pans it’s typically easier to get them to release when it’s time to ice the cake. The instructions below give the different bake times for the different pan sizes.
The Icing
For this recipe we’re using a simple icing that relies on powdered sugar. But, this glaze uses all of those 5 extracts again so you really get big flavor in each and every bite.
This 5-Flavor Pound Cake is rich with flavor and from all the butter! But, you won’t find this combo in any other dessert which to me makes this one really special.
5-Flavor Pound Cake
Yield(s): Makes 20 pieces
3h 15m prep time
1h 30m cook time
319 calories
Diet: Vegetarian
you're making mealtime meaningful.
For the cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1 teaspoon rum flavored extract
- 1 teaspoon butter flavored extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
- 4 eggs, well beaten
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 4-5 teaspoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
- 1/2 teaspoon rum flavored extract
- 1/2 teaspoon butter flavored extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 325˚F. Grease and line 2 8”loaf pans or grease 1 10” ring pan.
- Sift together flour and baking powder in large bowl. Combine milk with extracts in measuring cup and set aside.
- Cream together sugar and butter until light in color in large bowl. Mix in eggs slowly until smooth. Alternate adding in flour, oil, and milk mixture. Mix until just combined
- Pour batter into baking vessel(s). Bake for 90-110 minutes for bundt pan or 65-90 minutes for 2 loaf pans. Cakes are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cover with cookie sheet on rack above if top browns too quickly.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Remove from pan(s). Whisk together glaze ingredients and pour over warm cake. Allow to soak in for 1-2 hours before serving.
Recipe adapted from All Recipes.