Mini Brown Sugar Pound Cakes
As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
These mini brown sugar pound cakes are moist, velvety-soft, and they make a great homemade gift. Top with a sweet icing and festive decorations!
This is a sponsored post, written by me and created in partnership with Domino® Sugar. All opinions expressed herein are straight from my heart.
Hey there!
We are really getting down to the wire now with Christmas prep! I can't believe there are only a few days left to get ready! Do you have everything in order?
Isn't it funny how even when you think you're in a really good place, there are always a few last-minute surprises? Recently, I was out shopping with a friend and she mentioned how we should probably get a little something for our kids' violin teacher. I was like "Oh dang! I hadn't even thought of that but yes!"
At times like these, I'm really glad I keep a fully stocked baking pantry. It's amazing what you can whip up last minute with just a few simple basics!
Like these sweet little mini brown sugar pound cakes.
Aren't they just the cutest? And so yummy too. There's nothing else quite like a pound cake. So moist, buttery, and velvety-soft! Imagine sitting down to one of these with a hot cup of goodness.
WHAT IS BROWN SUGAR POUND CAKE?
If you aren't familiar with pound cake, boy are you in for a big treat!
Pound cake has a dense yet velvety-soft texture, and a buttery taste that practically melts in your mouth. It's made without any chemical leaveners, so that first step of creaming the butter and sugar together is crucial to make it nice and fluffy.
This version sticks closely to the original, only it's baked with brown sugar. Brown sugar gives this the most warm, deep flavor. It's like pound cake taken to the next level!
You can learn lots more about pound cake here: Traditional Pound Cake Recipe.
HOW TO MAKE BROWN SUGAR POUND CAKE
Pound cake is perfect in its simplicity, and with recipes like this, it's really all about the technique.
The absolute most important thing is to cream the butter and sugar until they are SUPER fluffy and pale. The mixture should double in volume and look very pale. Give it at least 5 full minutes on medium-high speed. This will ensure that your cake rises properly as it bakes.
Next, add the eggs, one at a time. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of your mixing bowl with a silicone spatula after each egg goes in, so you don't get any lumps. Then stir in the vanilla.
Last step is to fold in the flour and salt. Take care to only mix until *just barely* combined. Once the flour goes in, you want to be really careful not to overwork the batter, or your cake could come out tough. (I like to use cake flour when I make pound cake. You can read more about that here: Why Use Cake Flour?.
Immediately transfer the batter to a well-greased pan, and get it right into a hot oven.
You'll know your brown sugar pound cake is done baking when a toothpick inserted in the thickest part comes out clean.
Once it's completely cooled, you can add your decoration. I've drizzled mine with a sweet rum glaze (it's festive, and it brings out the caramel flavors), and sprinkled them with frosty sprinkles in different shapes and sizes. So wintry and perfect for the season! And a few holly sprigs, piped in royal icing, are the finishing touch!
LIVE RECIPE DEMO
I'll be demo-ing this recipe LIVE on my Facebook page at 11am (east coast time) tomorrow (December 22, 2017), so be sure to tune in and see just how they're made, and how to package them up as a perfect little gift! See you then!
UPDATE: Here is the live video; hope you enjoy!
WHAT KIND OF SUGAR TO USE
I've been baking with Domino® Sugar ever since I can remember. It is THE sugar in the Philadelphia area, where I live. But if you're not on the east coast, you might know it as C&H® Sugar. If they don't sell Domino® Sugar in your area, look for C&H® Sugar, the sister brand of Domino® Sugar.
I used light brown sugar for the mini brown sugar pound cakes you see here. It has a slightly nutty, caramel flavor and it's ideal for cakes like these.
But if you want more of a deep, rich molasses flavor, you could substitute for dark brown sugar (in equal measure). Either option will yield a magnificently moist result.
CAN THIS BE BAKED IN A DIFFERENT SIZED PAN?
For what you see here, I used a mini bundt pan with a 5-cup capacity. It's the Nordic Ware Anniversary Bundtlette Pan. If you don't have a mini bundt pan like this one, you can use any kind of pan with a 5-cup capacity. A loaf pan would be perfect!
Or, you can double the recipe and bake this brown sugar pound cake in a standard, 10-cup bundt pan.
Just keep in mind that different sized and shaped pans may require different bake times. You'll know your brown sugar pound cake is done baking when a toothpick inserted in the thickest part comes out clean.
CAN THIS BE MADE AHEAD?
Brown sugar pound cake is a great make-ahead treat!
Pound cake keeps very well at room temperature for around 3 to 5 days. Just keep it tightly wrapped so it doesn't become dry or stale.
You can prolong the shelf life by keeping it in the refrigerator. It should last a week to 10 days, chilled.
Or you can freeze it. Wrap it tightly, seal it in a zip-top bag, and keep it in the freezer for a couple of months. Thaw it in the fridge or at room temperature, and serve!
Here are a few of my favorites:
As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mini Brown Sugar Pound Cakes
Ingredients
For the cakes:
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter, , softened
- 1 ½ cups Domino® Light Brown Sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups cake flour*
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the decorations:
- 2 cups Domino® Confectioners Sugar
- 2 tablespoons spiced rum, , (optional, milk can be substituted)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
- Sugar pearls, for garnish
- White nonpariel sprinkles, for garnish
- Clear sparkling sugar, for garnish
- Royal icing, tinted green and red, for garnish**
Instructions
To make the cakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and generously mist a bundlette pan with non-stick spray.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy (3 to 5 minutes).
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl with a silicone spatula, then add the vanilla, mixing on medium speed until smooth.
- Add the flour and salt, mixing on medium speed until just barely incorporated.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer inserted in the thickest part of a cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To decorate:
- Place the confectioners sugar, rum, and vanilla in a medium bowl and stir together until smooth.
- Add more milk, if needed, to get the proper drizzling consistency. (If too much liquid is added and the icing is too thin, more confectioners sugar can be added to thicken it back up.)
- Drizzle the icing over the cakes, and sprinkle with sugar pearls, white nonpariels, and sparkling sugar.
- Pipe holly leaves with green royal icing, and berries with red royal icing.
- Allow the decorations to fully dry, then package the cakes in cello bags with ribbon, greenery, and a gift tag.
Love this recipe, but what happened to the video for these Mini Brown Sugar Pound Cakes??
Hey Vicky! I think Facebook must have done something weird. So sorry about that! Let me know if you have any specific questions. I'd be happy to walk you through it!
Hi Allie...I made these last year, and they were wonderful. I am planing on making them this year to give as Christmas Gifts...Would it be possible to send me the recipe in my email!! Thank you a bunch for the recipe!! God Bless!!
I would be happy to Vicky! Doing that right now. If you don't see it in your inbox please be sure to check your spam folder. Thanks!
I found your recipe, and made this today. These are fantastic. Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe. Have a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!! Hope you will make more of these mini bundt cakes of different kinds. Take care, and God Bless!!
If we wanted to double the size of the recipe for a bundt pan what would the new measurements be.
Just times everything by 2.
Ok thank you for the butter I’m unsure would it be four or five sticks of butter.
These bundt cakes look amazing! I am definitely interested in making these for the holidays this year. Just one question though, is that nutritional information correct? The calorie count seems awfully high for one bundt!
Hi Holly! I'm afraid that's probably right. Pound cakes have so much butter, they really are so high in calories. The calorie count given is for one whole mini bundt cake. That said, I probably wouldn't eat a whole cake in one sitting. If you split it with a loved one it would probably be more appropriate in terms of portion size.
Hello!
Thank you for responding so quickly. Upon further thought, the nutritional information does seem more realistic than I initially believed. I mean one slice of regular pound cake isn’t exactly light in calories either! Thinking of these mini bundts as two serving sizes is a good rule. Thanks! I can’t wait to baking this.
No problem Holly! I hope you enjoy!
Would the consistency turn out the same if I used mini load pans as opposed to mini bundt pans?
Hi Sydney! It shouldn't change the consistency, but you may need to adjust the bake time. Good luck!
Perfect, thank you so much!
These look sinfully good. I have already told my wife I want some for my birthday. But I also want some extras for work, hoping I can freeze them in a big batch and then throw them in the microwave one at a time for a quick warm-up! I've found baked goods don't always freeze well, so I will let you know how my freezing experiment works. Hopefully I can hide them from my employees, ha ha.
Haha ok sounds great! I hope it works out well for you. Enjoy!
If you use a loaf pan what’s the baking time? ?✌?
I'm afraid I have not tested the recipe that way. Probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 minutes. You would have to check!
Is this recipe for only one mini cake?
As noted on the recipe card, this yields 6 servings. Hope that's helpful!
Okay, I'm obsessed. These are thee cutest little guys I've ever seen! Perfect for holiday parties!
Thank you so much Karly! I'm so happy you like them 🙂
Do you need baking powder in this cake?
It's a pound cake, so no. Pound cakes don't usually contain any chemical leaveners. They get their "lift" from creaming the butter and sugar together until very fluffy. Hope that's helpful!
Is the brown sugar "packed", or measured like regular granulated sugar? Also, I have some mini bundt pans, will they work, or can you bake this recipe in a regular pound cake pan?
Hi Linda! The brown sugar is not packed. I just fill the cup rather loosely. I baked these in a bundt-lette pan that has a 5-cup (total) capacity. So if your mini bundt pan is similar, that should definitely work! If you'd rather do a full-sized bundt, you can double the recipe for a 10-cup pan. The bake time will be around 75 to 85 minutes. Thanks!
No rising needed? just the eggs?
That's right Janis! Pound cakes will do all their rising in the oven. Just be sure to cream the heck outta that butter and sugar, so it's good and fluffy! Thanks for reading!
These are so beautiful!
Thank you so much Jen!
Allie - these look amazing!!! I love everything mini and I absolutely love bundt cakes! Going to give this a try over the holidays!! Hope you have a Merry Christmas!!
I hope you do too Ashley! Thank you so much for the warm wishes, and I hope you enjoy the recipe!