Black Walnut Pound Cake

This simple and old-fashioned pound cake recipe is upgraded with the addition of black walnuts. The robust taste of black walnuts is complimented by the buttery richness of the buttermilk pound cake.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings: 16

Equipment

Bundt Pan with 10 cup capacity

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
2½ cups granulated sugar
4 eggs large, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup black walnuts
½ cup confectioners' sugar optional

Instructions

Place a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit 20 minutes before baking your bundt cake. Spray pan thoroughly with baking spray and set aside.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
Using a stand or electric mixer, cream butter on medium speed for one minute, or until smooth and creamy. Add granulated sugar, and continue to cream on medium speed for 4 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low only until incorporated. Slowly mix in vanilla extract. Be careful not to overmix after the eggs have been added to the batter.
With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk in thirds. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Stir ingredients after each addition but only until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and add black walnuts. Using a spatula, stir until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the mixer to ensure that all ingredients are well combined.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Bake for approximately 70 minutes. Halfway through the baking time, loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning. Once a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, your pound cake is done.
Remove the cake from the oven and cool in the pan for only 10 minutes. Then loosen the cake around the edges if necessary. Invert the pan onto a cooling rack and lift the pan off gently. Once cool, dust with confectioners sugar.

Heather's Helpful Hints

Black Walnuts: Please sample black walnuts before using them in this recipe. Some people find their taste to be overly bitter. If this is the case, substitute regular walnuts in equal measure.
Buttermilk: You can easily make buttermilk at home using any type of regular milk. Simply combine 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or distilled white vinegar. Stir the mixture well and then aside for 5-10 minutes before using it in the recipe.
Greasing the Pan: For pans with intricate designs, a baking spray works well to get into all the nooks and crannies. Spray just before putting the batter in the pan, and spray thoroughly but not too heavily. Holding the spray can 8 to 10 inches from the pan.
Baking Temperatures: If the interior of your pan is black in color, then bake at an oven temperature that is 25 degrees Fahrenheit less than the temperature noted in this recipe.

Nutrition

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