I never get tired of baking. I’m constantly thinking of new things to try and new flavors to combine. But sometimes, its nice to come back to the basics. At least in theory. This Iced Vanilla Bean Pound Cake sounds incredibly basic. And it is. But, the flavor of this vanilla bean loaf is anything but basic. Its buttery, and infused with a ton of vanilla flavor and the tangy cream cheese icing on top makes it out of this world.
Pound cake ready for the oven 
A freshly baked Vanilla Bean Pound Cake
Making a Moist + Tender Vanilla Bean Pound Cake
Pound cake is a pretty standard baked good and a great item for beginners. It’s almost always in a café display case. But, its often too dense, too dry, and all around mediocre. But it doesn’t have to be! To address these problems, I did a few things. To combat dryness, I used a hefty amount of Country Crock Plant Butter as well as a combination of yogurt and plant milk to keep this loaf. All of these ingredients keep this loaf moist and tender.
Pound cake is meant to be a little more dense, but it shouldn’t be dry or tough. It should have a tight crumb, but almost melt in your mouth. To achieve this, for this Vanilla Bean Pound Cake, I used the creaming method. This helps to incorporate an airy lift from the beginning. I also used a combination of baking powder and baking soda to help this pound cake rise to its full potential.
Working with Whole Vanilla Bean
Vanilla is the best. We put vanilla extract into almost every single baked good no matter what other flavors are being added. Vanilla is potent and also incredibly expensive. Especially in whole pod form. But if you have never baked with vanilla beans, I’m telling you you HAVE to. The flavor they lend to this Vanilla Bean Pound Cake is out of this world.
The vanilla bean pods should be moist and plump. To remove the seeds from the inside of the pod, use a paring knife to split the pot lengthwise. Then use the back side of the paring knife to scrape the seeds from the pod. Then use the little seeds as you please. Like in this Iced Vanilla Bean Pound Cake, for example.
Don’t throw away the pod though! The woody pod is brimming with vanilla flavor. It just needs to be used a bit differently than the seeds that are able to be scraped from the pod. One way to use the pod is to place it into a container with granulated sugar and allow it to sit for a few weeks. Next time you open the jar, all of the sugar will be vanilla scented. And, you can use the new vanilla sugar in any recipe you’d like to give an extra vanilla boost to. Pancakes, cookies, scones, you name it!
I topped this Vanilla Bean Pound Cake with a simple Crean Cheese Vanilla Bean Icing for double the vanilla punch. My new favorite vegan cream cheese is Violife Just Like Cream Cheese, but use whatever you have around!
I will come back to this Vanilla Bean Pound Cake Recipe time and time again. Because sometimes, simple is best.
Iced Vanilla Bean Pound Cake
Ingredients
For The Loaf
- 10 Tbsp Non Dairy Butter, room temperature I used Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks (avocado oil variety)
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Non Dairy Milk I used So Delicious Coconut Milk
- 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Non Dairy Yogurt I used Forager Project Plain Yogurt
- 2 tsp Lemon Juice or Vinegar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Medium Vanilla Bean, split open and seeds scraped out Save the empty pod for another use.
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
For the Glaze
- 3 T Non Dairy Cream Cheese I used Violife Just Like Cream Cheese
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 1/2 Medium Vanilla Bean Pod, Seeds Scraped and the pod saved for another use Or you can add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract instead
- 1-3 tsp Non Dairy Milk I used So Delicious Coconut Milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350*. Grease and flour an 81/2 X 4 1/2 loaf pan and insert a parchment sling across the center for easy removal after baking.
- Into another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Into a medium bowl, combine non-dairy milk, non-dairy yogurt, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and the seeds from the vanilla bean. Whisk well to combine and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Into the stand mixer, add half of the wet mixture and mix on low until it is well combines, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Next add half of the dry mixture and mix on low until it just begins to combine. Scrape the bowl down.
- Add the remaining wet mixture and mix on low until it just begins to combine, Scrape the bowl down again.
- Finally, add the remaining dry ingredients and mix on low until it is incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold with a spatula to make sure the bottom of the batter is combined.
- Scrape batter into the prepared loaf pan and level the batter out with a spatula or knife.
- Bake in a 350* oven for 42-46 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Allow to cool for an hour.
For the Icing
- In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar and vanilla bean seeds or extract. Add plant milk, 1 tsp at a time until the desired consistency is reached. This can be more of a frosting or a glaze, depending on preference.
- After the loaf has cooled, pour or spread the icing over the loaf.
- Allow to cool completely, serve.
Is this recipe denser than say a Victoria Sponge cake, I am looking for a cake that will be layer-able, be covered in fondant and decorations and not cave from the weight?
This cake would should work for that! Its soft but sturdy. But also, I actually have my own cake decorating business, so if you’d like i’d be happy to give you the recipe I use for all of my cakes- Just shoot me an email!