Description
A rich, buttery pound cake swirled generously with Nutella and baked low and slow until beautifully golden. Thick batter creates a tall, sliceable loaf with a classic pound cake crumb. Avoid over-mixing the batter.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (120g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup (188g) Nutella
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray then line the sides with parchment paper to help prevent the sides of the pound cake from burning. Lightly grease the parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat together for 4-5 full minutes until light and fluffy. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula a couple times as needed. Add the sour cream and vanilla, and beat until combined. With the mixer running on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time and beat after each addition.
- Pour in the dry ingredients and beat on low just until combined. Do not over-mix. Using a silicone spatula, fold the batter together a few times to ensure there are no pockets of flour or butter at the bottom of the bowl.
- Spoon and spread about 1/3 of the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan. A small offset spatula is helpful here. Spoon half of the Nutella on top and gently spread it with the back of a spoon, avoiding the edges of the pan. Gently spread another 1/3 of the batter on top, followed by the remaining Nutella. Finish with the remaining batter. Using a knife or skewer, very gently swirl the layers together. The batter is thick, so do your best and avoid over-swirling.
- Bake for 65–80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs and no wet batter. Bake time is a guideline; all ovens vary, so begin checking around 1 hour. If the cake is browning too quickly on top, loosely tent with aluminum foil. (I usually tent the loaf after about 30 minutes.)
- Cool the cake in the pan set on a cooling rack for 1 hour, then remove the cake from the pan and place it directly on the rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.
- Cover leftovers tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: The cake freezes well for up to 3 months. Wrap the cooled cake in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or serve cold. See How to Freeze Cakes for more information.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×5-inch Loaf Pan | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Small Offset Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Room-Temperature Ingredients: All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read more about room-temperature ingredients in baking.
- Sour Cream: Full-fat sour cream works best in this recipe, but full-fat buttermilk or full-fat plain yogurt (Greek or regular) can be used as a substitute. Avoid low-fat or nonfat options, as they can produce a drier, less tender pound cake.
- Nutella: If your Nutella is extra thick and solid, it’s helpful to warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds before using.
- Substitutions for Nutella: Nutella works best here because of its texture and fat content. I don’t recommend plain nut butters because they won’t swirl or bake the same way. One reader used Biscoff, but my team and I have not tested that. Jam works nicely, but since it’s very wet, I recommend mixing it with around 1/2 of the plain cake batter and using that to swirl in, similar to this raspberry swirl pound cake. You could also use chocolate ganache. Use the same ganache used as a topping on this marble loaf cake (step 8 in that recipe). Let it thicken for 20 minutes then use in place of the Nutella in the pound cake recipe below.
- Updated in 2026: The recipe above is new and improved. If you prefer to make the original version, expect a denser, flatter loaf. To make that older version, skip the sour cream, reduce the flour to 1 and 1/2 cups (188g), reduce the baking powder to 3/4 teaspoon, reduce the sugar to 1 cup (200g). The bake time is around 1 hour, same oven temperature.
- Adapted from Food & Wine.