This Baptist Pound Cake with Caramel Icing is the kind of classic Southern dessert that never goes out of style. Rich, buttery, and baked low and slow, it delivers that dense-yet-tender pound cake crumb everyone loves—finished with a warm caramel icing that sinks into every slice.
It’s the perfect cake for holidays, potlucks, church gatherings, or anytime you want a true old-fashioned treat that feels homemade in the best way.
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Why You’ll Love This Baptist Pound Cake
- Classic Southern pound cake flavor with a rich buttery crumb
- The caramel icing tastes like old-school homemade candy
- Great for feeding a crowd and slicing cleanly
- Perfect make-ahead dessert for gatherings
- Simple ingredients, big bakery-style results
What You Need
For the Cake
- Unsalted butter
- Vegetable shortening
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Whole milk
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
For the Caramel Icing
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Whole milk
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
How to Make Baptist Pound Cake with Caramel Icing
- Preheat & prep: Heat oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease and flour a Bundt or tube pan very well.
- Cream: Beat butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy (this helps the cake rise nicely).
- Add eggs: Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the batter gradually, alternating with milk. Stir in vanilla and almond extracts.
- Bake: Pour batter into the pan and bake about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool: Let cake cool 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
- Make icing: Melt butter with brown sugar, cook briefly, add milk and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.
- Finish: Pour warm caramel icing over the cooled cake and let it set before slicing.
Baking Tips
- Room-temperature butter and eggs give the best texture.
- Don’t rush the creaming step—fluffy batter = better crumb.
- Start checking doneness around the 1 hour mark depending on your oven.
- Let the cake cool fully before icing so the glaze sets nicely.
Storage
- Room temp: Keep covered for up to 2 days.
- Fridge: Store up to 5 days (bring to room temp before serving for best flavor).
- Freezer: Freeze unfrosted cake up to 2 months. Glaze after thawing.
FAQs
Can I skip the almond extract?
Yes. It adds a classic bakery flavor, but vanilla alone works fine.
Why use shortening and butter together?
Butter gives flavor, shortening helps structure and keeps the cake extra moist.
Can I bake it in loaf pans?
Yes. Divide batter and bake until a toothpick comes out clean (start checking earlier).
Does the caramel icing harden?
It sets softly—sliceable and smooth, not rock-hard.
Baptist Pound Cake with Caramel Icing
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 12–14 slices
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
For the Caramel Icing
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease and flour a Bundt or tube pan.
- Cream butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
- Add dry ingredients to batter gradually, alternating with milk.
- Stir in vanilla and almond extracts.
- Pour batter into pan and bake about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool cake 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make icing: Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in brown sugar and cook 2 minutes.
- Add milk and bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
- Whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour warm icing over cooled cake. Let set before slicing.