This moist pound cake features a delicate vanilla flavor enhanced by a vivid blue gel coloring that creates a stunning appearance without compromising texture. Combining softened butter, sugar, eggs, and milk with leaveners yields a tender crumb that’s light yet rich. The batter is gently folded to keep it soft and fluffy, then baked to a perfect golden crust. Cooling the cake before optionally dusting with powdered sugar or drizzling vanilla glaze adds a subtle sweetness and elegant finish. Serve with berries or whipped cream for a delightful contrast.
Perfect for festive occasions or afternoon treats, this pound combines simple pantry staples with an eye-catching twist that brightens up any table. The blue color is balanced to avoid overpowering flavor or batter texture, making each bite as enjoyable as it is visually appealing.
This Blue Velvet Vanilla Pound Cake is a showstopper with its vibrant color and classic vanilla flavor. It has a moist, tender crumb that always feels indulgent yet familiar. Whether you want to brighten up an afternoon tea or add a festive centerpiece to your dessert table, this cake brings both charm and deliciousness in every bite.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: providing structure and body for a soft tender crumb when measured carefully at two and one quarter cups
- Baking powder: acting as a leavening agent to help the cake rise evenly and stay light at one and a half teaspoons
- Salt: enhancing overall flavor and balancing sweetness with a quarter teaspoon
- Unsalted butter: softened for creaming one cup approximately two hundred twenty five grams making the cake moist with rich buttery flavor
- Sugar: one and a half cups granulated adding sweetness and tenderness plus contributing to the golden crust
- Large eggs: three room-temperature eggs binding ingredients adding moisture and richness
- Vanilla extract: two teaspoons for a warm classic vanilla aroma enhancing the overall flavor
- Milk: half a cup adding moisture and balancing the batter for a tender result
- Blue gel food coloring: adding vibrant blue color without thinning the batter adjust for desired shade
- Optional powdered sugar: for a light decorative dusting adding subtle sweetness at serving
- Optional vanilla glaze: for a drizzle to amplify vanilla flavor and add a delicate finish
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan:
- Set your oven to one hundred seventy five degrees Celsius approximately three hundred fifty degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a loaf pan thoroughly with butter or non-stick spray then lightly flour it or line it with parchment paper. Proper preparation prevents sticking and helps the cake release easily.
- Combine Dry Ingredients:
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour baking powder and salt. This distributes the leavening and salt evenly ensuring consistent texture throughout the cake.
- Cream Butter and Sugar:
- In a large bowl beat softened butter and sugar with an electric mixer for three to four minutes until pale and fluffy. This incorporates air which gives the finished cake a lighter and tender crumb.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla:
- Add the eggs one at a time mixing well after each addition to incorporate fully and achieve a smooth texture. Stir in vanilla extract to infuse the batter with its signature flavor.
- Incorporate Blue Coloring and Milk:
- Slowly add the blue gel food coloring stirring until you reach your desired shade. Then pour in the milk and mix gently until the batter is smooth and evenly colored creating the signature blue velvet appearance.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients:
- Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients folding gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing here or the crumb might become tough.
- Transfer and Bake:
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan smoothing the surface with a spatula. Bake for fifty to sixty minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. This ensures the cake is fully cooked but still moist inside.
- Cool and Serve:
- Let the cake cool in the pan for ten to fifteen minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Optionally dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with vanilla glaze for extra appeal.