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5 from 3 votes

Burnt Sugar Pound Cake

By Britney
Prep: 1 hour
Cook: 1 hour 25 minutes
Total: 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 14
burnt sugar pound cake on a plate covered with burnt sugar glaze.
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Burnt Sugar Pound Cake is a rich, buttery Southern classic made with homemade burnt sugar syrup that gives the cake its deep caramel flavor and beautiful amber color. The syrup adds a slightly bittersweet, toasty sweetness that balances the buttery pound cake perfectly. Baked low and slow, the result is a dense yet tender cake with a golden crust and a moist, velvety crumb in every slice.

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Ingredients 

Burnt Sugar Syrup

  • 1 1/2 cups (300 g) Sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups (360 g) Water

Pound Cake

  • 4 cups (500 g) All Purpose Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 1/2 cups (340 g) Salted Butter, (room temperature)
  • 2 tbsp (28 g) Vegetable Oil
  • 2 1/4 cups (450 g) Sugar
  • 6 large (300 g) Eggs, (room temperature)
  • 3/4 cup (150 g) Burnt Sugar Syrup, (from above)
  • 1 tbsp (15 g) Vanilla Extract
  • 3/4 cups (180 g) Whole Milk, (room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup (120 g) Sour Cream, (room temperature)
  • 3 tbsp (45 g) Molasses, (optional but highly recommended)

Burnt Sugar Glaze

  • 1/2 cup (100 g) Burnt Sugar Syrup, (from above)
  • 4 tbsp (56 g) Salted Butter, (melted)
  • 2 cups (250 g) Powdered Sugar
  • 1-2 tbsp (30 g) Whole Milk , (more for a thinner glaze)
  • Pinch Kosher Salt

Instructions 

Make The Burnt Sugar Syrup

  • To make burnt sugar syrup, pour water into a saucepan and bring to a boil. 1 1/2 cups Water
  • In a separate heavy bottom pan, add granulated sugar and cook it over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon as it melts, about 10 minutes. The sugar will first clump, then turn into a smooth amber liquid. Keep cooking until it becomes a deep mahogany brown, which gives it that signature bittersweet caramel flavor. 1 1/2 cups Sugar
  • Reduce stove to low heat and slowly pour in boiling water (stand back, it may bubble vigorously) and stir until fully incorporated. Let the syrup simmer for a 2-5 minutes until smooth, then cool completely before assembling the pound cake batter.
  • Strain the syrup into a heat safe container (strain using a fine mesh sieve if it appears a little lumpy) and let it cool completely.

Assemble the Pound Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Whisk together the dry ingredients - all purpose flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and kosher salt. Set aside. 4 cups All Purpose Flour 1 tsp Baking Powder 1/4 tsp Nutmeg 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add room temperature butter, oil, and sugar. Mix on medium speed for 5-6 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Begin adding eggs, one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated prior to adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after adding each eggs. 1 1/2 cups Salted Butter 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil 2 1/4 cups Sugar 6 large Eggs
  • Add in half of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, then add in 3/4 cup of the cooled burnt sugar syrup, vanilla extract, whole milk, sour cream, and molasses. Mix until combined, then scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the remainder of the dry ingredients and mix until a smooth batter forms. 3/4 cup Burnt Sugar Syrup 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract 3/4 cups Whole Milk 1/2 cup Sour Cream 3 tbsp Molasses
  • Pour batter into a tube pan and bake for 1 hour and 20-25 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
  • Fresh out of the oven, brush the top of the cake with the burnt sugar syrup (about 2-3 tbsp) and let it cool for 20 minutes in the pan. Then remove onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the Burnt Sugar Glaze

  • Combine burnt sugar syrup, melted butter, powdered sugar, whole milk, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. 1/2 cup Burnt Sugar Syrup 4 tbsp Salted Butter 2 cups Powdered Sugar 1-2 tbsp Whole Milk Pinch Kosher Salt
  • Pour on top of the cooled cake.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 753kcal, Carbohydrates: 123g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 147mg, Sodium: 438mg, Potassium: 170mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 96g, Vitamin A: 898IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 78mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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