Chamomile Pound Cake Recipe

By
Maria del Mar Cuadra
A headshot of Maria del Mar Cuadra, a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Maria del Mar Cuadra
Maria del Mar Cuadrais a food stylist, recipe developer, and art director. She has written three cookbooks and worked for America's Test Kitchen.
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Updated May. 07, 2020
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Self soothing. María del Mar Sacasa

Pound cakes are one the purest cakes, relying solely on the eggs, sugar, and butter for flavor. While a plain Jane version is my favorite, I do make variations with subtle additions that won't upstage the base, such as aAlmond-Chocolate Marble.

In this recipe, I've added a strongly brewed dose of soothing chamomile tea and incorporated it into the batter. The gently herbal tone is delicate and is later accentuated by a chamomile-honey glaze. The effect is subtle, as a hot cup right before bed would be.

Note:I always find that cakes baked in loaf pans tend to overcook on the sides. To lessen this effect and promote more even baking, insulate your pan by wrapping it in several layers of heavy-duty foil, or, if you have an extra loaf pan, use it as an extra layer.

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Recipe Facts

5

(1)

Active:20 mins
Total:2 hrs 30 mins
Serves:8 to 10 servings

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For the Cake:

  • Baking spray

  • 16chamomile teabags

  • 1 1/4cupsboilingwater

  • 2cups(about 10 ounces)all-purpose flour

  • 1tablespoonbaking powder

  • 3/4teaspoonsalt

  • 2 1/2 sticks (10盎司)unsalted butter, at room temperature

  • 1 1/2cups(about 10 1/2 ounces)granulated sugar

  • 2teaspoonsfinely grated lemon zestfrom 1 lemon

  • 6largeeggs, at room temperature

  • 2teaspoonspurevanilla extract

For the Glaze:

  • 1/3cuphoney

Directions

  1. For the Cake:Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 9- by 5-inch loaf pan with baking spray.

  2. Allow tea to steep in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Squeeze out all liquid from bags and discard. Allow tea to cool to room temperature. Divide tea in half, reserving half for icing.

  3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl; set aside. Beat butter, sugar, and lemon zest with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with tea. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add vanilla and beat just to combine.

  4. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean when inserted, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer cake to cooling rack and let cool in pan 15 minutes. Invert cake directly onto cooling rack and cool completely, at least 1 hour.

  5. For the Glaze:Combine reserved tea and honey in small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until honey mixture is homogenous. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.

  6. Using a skewer, poke holes all over cake. Pour glaze over cake. Serve.

Special Equipment

9- by 5-inch loaf pan, electric mixer, rubber spatula, cooling rack, small saucepan

Nutrition Facts(per serving)
502 Calories
26g Fat
61g Carbs
7g Protein
Show Full Nutrition LabelHide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 502
% Daily Value*
Total Fat26g 34%
Saturated Fat 15g 76%
Cholesterol173mg 58%
Sodium353mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate61g 22%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 39g
Protein7g
Vitamin C 1mg 3%
Calcium 112mg 9%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 88mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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