Add southern flair to your celebrations this year with my collection of soulful, unique pound cake recipes to grace your holiday dessert table no matter what you celebrate.
If you're looking for holiday desserts to serve this Christmas, Thanksgiving, or at any time during the holiday season, you're in the right spot. And you might be wondering, are pound cakes soul food? Technically speaking, pound cakes originated in Northern Europe and the recipe came to America with colonizers. Black folks, who did the bulk of the cooking and baking in America for centuries, adapted the recipe and passed down techniques through generations until it became part of the soul food desserts canon. Every Black American family has somebody who makes the best pound cake. It's a staple at most gatherings. Now, let's get into my list.
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What is Pound Cake Made of?
First things first, pound cake gets its name from the fact that the standard recipe calls for one pound of each of the core ingredients: butter, flour, sugar, and eggs. This is easy to remember and makes for a uniquely dense, buttery cake. Pound cakes are usually baked in bundt or loaf pans and sometimes tube (also called angel food cake) pans. That combination of shape and batter density make for a cake that sometimes proves tricky to get right. The outside can bake up with a nice crust before the inside gets completely cooked. Not to worry, though, because I have done all the legwork and research for you in testing many cakes over the years. These recipes are tried and true and will be a hit with the whole family.
1. Layered Neapolitan Pound Cake
When you can't decide between chocolate, vanilla or strawberry, choose yourself and make all three in one! My Neapolitan Layered Pound Cake is simple and has a little something for everyone with true-to-life flavors in every layer. The easy glaze on top is the perfect finishing touch but you could also add a little dusting of cocoa powder or fresh strawberries for more presentation points.
2. Peaches & Honey Pound Cake
Summer is prime peach season and this stunning dessert combines the flavors of peach cobbler in the perfect pound cake package. To make this peachy pound cake for the holidays, when peaches aren't necessarily as popping, you can substitute frozen peaches.
3. Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Pound Cake
If you have a family full of chocolate lovers, pencil this chocolate peanut butter number in while you're planning 2021 Thanksgiving dinner. It is swirled with peanut butter and chocolate pound cake batters then finished with thick, fluffy peanut butter frosting and dusted with a little cocoa powder.
4. Pineapple Pound Cake
My Golden Pineapple Pound Cake gives you a taste of the tropics year round because it uses crushed pineapple. Subtle of almond and ginger balance out the sweet fruitiness of the cake and give the flavor some complexity. And don't forget the vanilla glaze to set it all off!
5. Strawberries & Cream Pound Cake
While I absolutely adore my Strawberries & Cream Pound Cake for summer, it really works at any ol' time since we use freeze-dried strawberries in the batter. Don't worry, though, the flavor is spot-on and it's extremely difficult to eat just one slice. Serve it with fresh strawberries if you can find them, sweet whipped cream, and a little powdered sugar for flair.
6. Sweet Tea Pound Cake
My Sweet Tea Pound Cake is almost too southern to be believed but it is a real-life dream come true! Strong sweet tea is infused into the batter then glazed over top for a unique cake you'll seriously want to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This is one of my favorite pound cakes for Thanksgiving and I highly recommend surprising your guests with it at the holiday table.
7. Texas Pecan Praline Pound Cake
Pecan pralines are peak southern fare and this cake evokes their flavor perfectly. The cake is spiced and studded with Texas pecans then topped with rich, buttery praline frosting. Tired of the same old soul food dessert ideas for Christmas? Serve this southeast-inspired Texas Pecan Praline Pound Cake for a little taste of Texas and Louisiana in the dessert spread.
8. Vanilla Peppermint Pound Cake
Last but not least, this is the perfect pound cake for Christmas not only because of the rich yet refreshing vanilla peppermint flavor, but also because it's dusted in powdered sugar that mimics a soft snowfall. We don't get that around these parts very often so it's an especially festive touch for the holidays. To wrap it up, this post should carry you through Thanksgiving, Christmas--all the 2021 holidays and well into 2022, should you need it. Check out my whole menu of soul food holiday recipes, while you're here. And sharing is caring, so pin these soul food pound cake recipes over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
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