Kentucky Pound Cake
This recipe was inspired by LaVerne Martin Littleton’s in a book called Come Home, it’s Suppertime which is part memoir and part history of her family’s roots in the state going back to the 1600s. It’s quick to put together thanks to the self-rising flour, tangy-sweet from the pineapple, and perfect as a loaf cake, with a brown sugar fudge glaze to set it off.
Level
BeginnerPrep Time
20 minutesCook Time
65 minutesServes
12-16Cook it With Our
Ingredients
Cake
- 1, 8 ounce can crushed pineapple in juice, divided
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- 1½ cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup toasted chopped pecans
Brown Sugar Pineapple Glaze
- ¼ cup diced pecans
- 2 tablespoons butter
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons pineapple juice
Directions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a cast iron loaf pan and line with parchment.
- Strain 2 tablespoons of juice from the pineapple and reserve for the frosting.
- Whisk together the self-rising flour and sugar. In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, oil, and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture and mix until combined. Stir in the toasted pecans and crushed pineapple and its remaining juice.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 65-70 minutes, tenting with foil at 45 minutes. When a paring knife inserted in the center comes out clean, the cake is done. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Use the parchment to lift the cake out of the pan, and return to the rack or a put on a serving plate.
Brown Sugar Pineapple Glaze
- Place the pecans, butter, and salt in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the pecans are fragrant. Add the brown sugar and pineapple juice and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves. Stop stirring and let the mixture boil for 3-4 minutes until the bubbles are about ¼ inches across and the mixture looks creamy.
- Remove from the heat and immediately pour over the top of the cake.
Contributed By:
Susan Reid
Chef Susan Reid is the food editor of Sift Magazine, a baking publication by King Arthur Baking Company. In her spare time, Susan shares some of her recipes on her blog, The Well Plated Life.
