Strawberry Pound Cake Baked Until the Center Springs Back

For Strawberry Pound Cake Baked Until the Center Springs Back, the counter starts with pint fresh strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice. Portion it for 12 slices.

Count on 30 minutes of prep, 1 hour of cooking, 1 hour of resting, about 2 hours from the first measurement to the plate.

Ingredients Method

What goes in the bowl

For the quick strawberry jam

• 1 pint fresh strawberries, about ¾ lbs
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water

For the pound cake

• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ cup sour cream full fat for the best flavor & texture
• 1 ¼ cups fresh strawberry jam all recipe above less 2 tablespoons for glaze
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons strawberry jam reserved from above
• lemon juice as needed

How the cooking goes

Make the easy strawberry jam

1. Wash, dry, and dice the strawberries.
2. Blend strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Heat it until it boils over a moderate flame, then lower the heat to low and simmer, stirring now and then, for about 10 minutes. The strawberries should release their juices and break down.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until the texture looks smooth. Slowly pour the mixture into the cooking jam while whisking constantly. Continue boiling for 1 minute, then pour into a dish or bowl to cool. Refrigerate for 1 hour to overnight.
4. Prep your Pan: Lightly spray a 12-cup bundt pan with cooking spray then add a little flour to the bottom. Tap the flour around until every inch is covered. Tap out the extra flour onto a piece of parchment on the counter or over a sink. You should be left with a perfectly floured pan.

Make the cake

1. Heat the oven to 325°F convection.
2. Beat together the flour, salt, and baking soda in a mixing bowl. Keep it to one side.
3. Beat together the sour cream, quick strawberry jam, and vanilla extract.
4. Whip the butter and sugar in the bowl of a electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until a thick paste forms.
5. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after every two eggs. Make sure you scrape the bottom as well, as butter likes to hang out at the bottom of the mixer bowl.
6. On a low speed, alternately add the flour and sour cream mixtures.
7. It helps to finish folding the last of the flour in by hand with a silicone spatula. You should have a silky, smooth batter. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake and cool the cake

1. Oven-bake in the preheated oven until a cake tester comes out with a few clinging crumbs. Depending on your oven, this will take about 60-75 minutes. Mine baked for 65 minutes.
2. Allow it COOL for 20 minutes, then loosen the edges with a paring knife, if needed. Turn it out onto a wire rack. Allow to cool until it is no longer warm. Dust with powdered sugar, drown in glaze, or just slice it right up!
3. To make the strawberry glaze, whisk the reserved jam into the confectioner’s sugar then add lemon juice until it flows freely from the whisk.
4. Add more lemon to thin it out, or if it gets too thin, just add a bit more sugar until it looks right. For the prettiest cake, keep the glaze thicker so that more of the pink color stays on the cake. Since we didn’t add any food dye, this pop of color is welcome!

After it comes off the heat

Let the pan settle before you slice, so the crumb stays together. Cover leftovers once they are cool.

If you want another plate from Cakes, open Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Baked Until the Center Springs Back and White Cake with a Soft Crumb.