Description
This butterless pound cake offers a soft, delicate crumb with a prominent vanilla flavour. Made with oil instead of butter, this easy loaf cake stays moist and tender, and it features that signature golden crack down the centre.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) neutral oil (like canola or grapeseed)
- 1/4 cup (75 ml) milk (I prefer whole milk)
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp (10 g) baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper, covering the bottom and sides.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Whisk in the neutral oil and milk until the mixture is smooth.
- Sift the all-purpose flour and baking powder into the wet ingredients. Gently fold the batter with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Spread it evenly with the spatula.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully make a shallow slit down the centre of the cake with a sharp, oiled knife.
- Return the loaf to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Transfer it to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
I always measure my ingredients carefully, especially dry ones like flour and baking powder. Level scoops make a difference for the final texture.
When folding in the dry ingredients, be gentle. Overmixing will develop the gluten too much, leading to a denser cake.
Don’t skip the centre slit! It helps the cake bake more evenly and gives it that appealing crack down the middle.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking