Strawberry Swirl Pound Cake (Printable)

Buttery pound cake loaf with fresh strawberry swirl and a smooth vanilla glaze, ideal for sweet spring treats.

# What You'll Need:

→ Strawberry Swirl

01 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
02 - 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
03 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
04 - 1 teaspoon cornstarch

→ Pound Cake

05 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
06 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
07 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
08 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
09 - 1 cup granulated sugar
10 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
11 - 1/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
12 - 1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
13 - 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

→ Vanilla Glaze

14 - 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
15 - 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons milk
16 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper.
02 - Combine strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until strawberries break down and mixture thickens slightly. Dissolve cornstarch in 1 teaspoon water and stir into the strawberry mixture. Cook for 1 minute until thickened. Remove from heat and cool completely.
03 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
04 - In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
05 - Add eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition. Mix in sour cream and vanilla extract.
06 - On low speed, alternately add flour mixture and milk to the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
07 - Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Spoon half of the cooled strawberry mixture over the batter and swirl gently with a knife. Repeat with remaining batter and strawberry mixture, swirling the top layer.
08 - Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
09 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. Drizzle glaze over the cooled loaf. Allow glaze to set before slicing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's moist and buttery without being heavy, so you can actually enjoy a second slice without feeling guilty.
  • The homemade strawberry swirl tastes nothing like artificial flavoring, and your kitchen will smell absolutely incredible while it bakes.
  • It looks fancy enough to bring to a spring gathering but easy enough to make on a random Tuesday afternoon.
02 -
  • Cook the strawberry mixture completely and let it cool all the way down before layering it into the batter, or the heat will cook the bottom of your cake unevenly and make it dry.
  • Don't skip the step of bringing your eggs, sour cream, and milk to room temperature, because cold ingredients won't blend smoothly with the butter and sugar mixture.
  • The glaze should be drizzled on a completely cooled cake, not a warm one, otherwise it'll melt and run off instead of setting into those pretty drips.
03 -
  • If you can find freeze-dried strawberry powder at a specialty market, add half a teaspoon to the swirl mixture for an even more intense strawberry flavor that the fresh fruit can't quite achieve.
  • Invest in an oven thermometer because ovens are liars, and baking at the wrong temperature will make your cake either underbaked or too dry.
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