This low-fat pound cake is a back-to-school tradition in my house! It's a light and delicious sour cream pound cake that's great served plain or with toppings like Italian Strawberries with Sugar and Lemon. A yummy dessert or breakfast!
I've been making this sour cream pound cake for many years. It's one of our favorite cake recipes!
I originally came across the recipe (for sour cream pound cake) when I subscribed to Cooking Light magazine.
The dessert was such a hit with my kids, I decided it would be a nice treat to look forward to every year when school starts. You know...to ease the pain.
I don't necessarily make this on the first day of school, but always within the first two weeks, depending on my schedule. And I never announce which day I'll be making it, since it's more fun to surprise my family.
Of course, my daughter tries (sometimes successfully) to get me to make this more often. She won't eat any cakes with frosting, so this pound cake is her absolute favorite. It's an afternoon treat the first day, and then her breakfast for the next few mornings.
I'll never forget one morning when my daughter was eight years old, and school was back in session. She asked if I was making the pound cake that day.
I told her I couldn't because of project deadlines. (I had several clients and worked at home.)
She placed her hands on her hips and told me, in an assertive-yet-sweet way (and with her big brown eyes and little cutie-pie voice), "Well, just pretend that we're your clients, Mommy. Your project is to make the pound cake."
"And it's due when we get home from school."
My first thought was, "Someday, this girl will be the boss of many." My second thought was, "How can I resist?" After all, working at home is about having more time for my kids.
So, early that afternoon, I made the cake, deadlines and all. I ran from the kitchen to my home office whenever the business phone rang, and tried to remember where I'd left off with the recipe when I returned.
There was flour on my computer keyboard, papers, phone and clothes. It was chaos, but I got it all done — and with a big smile on my face.
I've made this cake many times since, trying various flavors — vanilla, almond, lemon and coconut.
If you've read this blog before, you probably can guess that almond is my favorite. But vanilla is definitely the runner up.
I've also experimented with flour. The original recipe calls for cake flour, which results in a finer crumb that's typical for pound cake.
But after trying it with all-purpose flour (I don't keep cake flour on hand), I realized that I much prefer the almost-bread-like texture it produces in this cake.
Plus, I reduced the baking time by 15 minutes to keep the cake moist and the top crust soft, which my family agrees is the best part. As you can see in the photos, the crust on the sides is darker (and crunchy), while the top is golden (and just a touch gooey).
If you prefer a firmer top crust, you can bake it longer.
This year, I didn't use the egg substitute the recipe calls for, since I'm trying to eat fewer processed foods.
Instead, I used one whole egg for color, and then liquid egg whites (without color). It worked just fine.
Now, my son is nearly 20, and my daughter is almost 18. It won't be long before my husband and I have an empty nest.
My master's degree in change management taught me that it's easier to cope with big changes when at least one treasured thing remains the same.
My tradition of making Back-to-School Pound Cake fills that need at this time of year. I plan to keep it up (maybe one day for grandchildren)!
Besides, life is just better with pound cake.
P.S. I updated the photos in September 2016. This cake's still a huge family favorite! Try it with one of these delicious dessert toppings!
More cakes to love
- The Best Apple Cake
- Amaretto Pear Cake with Canned Pears
- Raspberry Angel Food Cake
- Orange Cake
- Single-Layer Carrot Cake without Nuts
(Recipe Source: Adapted from Cooking Light's Sour Cream Pound Cake, April 2002 issue, page 197)
Back-to-School Pound Cake (Low Fat)
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons salted butter (softened, if you don't leave it out ahead of time, use the microwave on defrost for a few seconds at a time to soften it)
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 egg (beaten, plus enough egg whites to make 1 ⅓ cup (or just use whites from 7 eggs)- see notes)
- 1 ½ cups low-fat sour cream
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour (sifted, or use sifted cake flour for a finer crumb)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (or omit almond and use 2 teaspoons vanilla total)
- Cooking or baking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 9- or 10-inch tube pan with cooking or baking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium until well blended, about five minutes. Gradually add egg whites/egg mixture, beating well. (If using 7 egg whites, add them one at a time, beating after each addition.)
- In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and baking soda together. Measure the flour by lightly spooning it into dry measuring cups and leveling them off with a knife. Keep the flour in a bowl until you are ready to sift. Sift the flour by gradually adding it to a fine-mesh strainer placed over a medium bowl. Combine the sifted flour with salt.
- Add some of the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture, beat, then add some of the sour cream mixture and beat. Continue alternating the flour and sour cream, beating until the batter is mixed, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts (or use all vanilla).
- Pour the batter into the greased pan and sharply tap the pan on the counter once to remove air bubbles. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick or cake tester into the center. If it comes out clean with a couple of crumbs, it is done just enough for a soft top crust. If you prefer a firmer top crust, bake for up to 15 minutes longer.
- Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Then remove the cake from the pan by placing a dinner plate over the top and inverting the cake onto the plate. (The cake will be upside down at this point.) Place a wire rack over the cake and invert again, so that the cake is resting right side up on the wire rack. Cool completely before slicing. (Cake tastes best when completely cooled.)
Cookie
Isn’t this light pound cake from Cooking Light Magazine? It has been a family favorite for over 20years.
Cookie
Oh, oh I did see you mentioned Cooking Light, sorry. I have a question for you. I have used 450g of cake flour since I began using a scale. The cake has always come out the same texture and with a smooth tall crust with a bit of a crust. My GE Profile oven ran hot and I baked it for less time. I just baked this in my new Kitchen Aid oven and it took the full 1 1/2 hrs. The top of the cake came out flaky and sugary and the cake tastes too sweet. It came out almost to the top of the Angel Cake Pan I use. I have always used 12oz light sour cream or 340.5g Too little sour cream? I tried a different brand of egg substitute but may try your way next time. Texture was airier but now moist and denser today. Maybe we had too much humidity yesterday and today. Help? How do I adjust the sweetness?
Mamma C
Hi Cookie - I'm wondering if your batter wasn't mixed enough. That might explain why the top of your cake was sugary. I always make this with all-purpose flour and 12 ounces of sour cream (plus the remaining ingredients). I bake it for no more than 1 hour 20 minutes, because we like the top to be slightly gooey.
Cookie
Thank you! I try not to over beat or mix and I probably did not mix enough. I usually add the flour, sc,flour, sc, flour. My family likes a hard crust and requests only this cake for birthdays! Have you baked this cake using the metric measurements? It seems like a lot of flour. FYI. This cake is from the Nov/Dec 1993 issue Of Cooking Light and has appeared in several anniversary issues and yearbooks. I seem to have saved them all! And have baked this cake several times a year since then! Wonder if the sugar content could be lowered. Orig. calories 250. I remember using Fleischman”s Margarine. Now, I prefer all natural ingredients too. (I have even tried KerryGold butter, full fat sour cream, (of course delicious) but never real egg + whites. That is next.
Mamma C
Hi Cookie - The tool I'm using automatically converts the U.S. measurements to metric. It is counting 1 cup of flour as 125 grams each. That is within the range of 120-130 grams that various sites list for the weight of a cup of flour. The discrepancy comes from how a cup is measured (scooping vs. spooning flour, etc.) As for reducing the sugar, it might be worth a try. Maybe reduce by 1/4 cup? I wouldn't reduce by more than 1/2 cup -- but I haven't experimented and can't speak for the results.
Charlotte Moore
Lots of sugar though. It looks tasty.
Mamma C
Hi Charlotte - It does have a decent amount of sugar, but I have to say it doesn't taste overly sweet. (I can't stand sickeningly sweet desserts.) Plus, there's no glaze or frosting.
Tina Dawson | Love is in my Tummy
THANK you SOO much for this! Every pound cake recipe I've come across calls for 6 eggs, which is just too much for me! Pinning this, coz I absolutely LOVE pound cakes!
Mamma C
You're welcome, Tina! I know what you mean. I actually enjoy this lighter version more than regular pound cake.
Annemarie @ justalittlebitofbacon
I can imagine this cake made those first days of school each year easier to take for the kids! And I love sour cream cakes. They stay so moist and have that lovely tang. I'm sure your daughter and her friends will enjoy that care package.
Mamma C
This does keep really well. And, after sending my daughter a whole cake last year, she won't accept anything less this year, Lol!
sue | theviewfromgreatisland
This sounds, and looks, amazing, but I'm an almond girl all the way, so I'm definitely going with almond extract, yum!
Mamma C
Yes! Almond is the best! Thanks, Sue. 🙂
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
This looks so light and fluffy! I love that you make it at the same time every year, I love traditions like that 🙂
Mamma C
I love food traditions too. I've got one of these cakes in the oven now to send in a care package to my daughter, who's now in college. 🙂
Ali @ Home & Plate
My kids prefer a cake without frosting too. Funny. You'd think kids would be all over the sweet stuff. This is so much healthier for them and less guilt serving it. Will have to try this soon.
Mamma C
Isn't that interesting? Without frosting, you need a really tasty cake, and this really is. It's still sweet enough. Enjoy, Ali!
Joann
Sometimes just your stories make me want to try the recipe! I like the texture descriptions you gave for the cake too...that's how I prefer pound cake!
Do I dare try to bake a cake? Hmmmm....will keep you posted!
Mamma C
Go for it, Joann! You have great cooking instincts that translate well to baking. I've seen things you've made, and you're already a baker, as far as I'm concerned. 🙂