Cinnamon Swirl Pound Cake

This month the cake slice bakers were challenged with a Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Pound Cake, last year I was on a kick trying to find the perfect pound cake, I never completed that challenge. This one though with a bit of tweaking might just end up being the perfect pound cake and by tweaking I mean leave out the cinnamon swirl, orange zest and cardamon. It's lovely just as it is, as is perfect for dessert or to be served along side a bit of fruit and tea for a weekend breakfast....but I am thinking of making it again without the added goodies and seeing how it works with strawberries....yum!

The cake tasted wonderful, my only issue with it was it stuck. My cakes never stick. I am a bit of an overzealous butter and flourerer, so I was truly disappointed when it didn't come out perfectly.

Give this one a try, you won't be sorry.

Cinnamon Swirl Buttermilk Pound Cake
from The Cake Book

Cinnamon Streusel Swirl:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Buttermilk Pound Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 cup buttermilk

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan. Dust the pan with flour and shake out the excess.

For the Cinnamon Swirl: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt, breaking up any large lumps of brown sugar. Add the melted butter and stir until blended and crumbly.

For the Pound Cake: Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom (or nutmeg) into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine, and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at a medium speed until very creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat at medium-high speed until well blended and light, about 4 minutes. At medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the vanilla extract and orange zest. At low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk in two additions and mixing just until well combined.

Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer. Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over the batter. Scrape the remaining batter on top and smooth it into an even layer.

Bake the cake for 65 to 75 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

Invert the cake onto the rack and let cool completely. Dust the cake lightly with powdered sugar right before serving.

Enjoy!