This vanilla and chocolate pound cake loaf is the best of both worlds! Delicious vanilla pound cake, with a vein of brownie in the middle.

Vanilla Brownie Pound Cake Loaf

As I mentioned yesterday, I’m spending the next little while sharing some of the things I cooked up and photographed this past Winter and never got around to sharing. It was a long winter :)

On one particularly cold and snowy day, I was in the mood to bake up something and happened to spot this recipe in Southern Living magazine. Thankfully, this Vanilla Brownie Pound Cake Loaf needs only regular pantry items, so within a short time, I was enjoying this beautiful loaf!

It’s a “best of both worlds” bake, where you don’t have to decide between chocolate and vanilla. You can have them both in one pan. The vanilla pound cake has wonderful flavour and texture, while the vein of brownie is moist and chocolaty. It’s a great combination of different flavours and textures and definitely a winner!

Cook’s Notes

This loaf freezes well, so don’t hesitate to freeze any you can eat up right away.

Note that this recipe calls for 1 ounce of UNSWEETENED chocolate. You’ll find unsweetened chocolate in the baking aisle with the other baking chocolate. You could substitute bittersweet/semisweet chocolate by using 2 oz of bittersweet chocolate and reducing the amount of sugar in the Brownie Batter by 2 Tbsp (so instead of 1/2 cup sugar in the Brownie Batter, use only 6 Tbsp.) Note that I have not tested this substitution myself. Just trying to offer up an alternative :)

Love loaves? I’ve got a few more – like this Glazed Lemon Pound Cake Loaf, and this Strawberry Shortcake Loaf.

Vanilla Brownie Pound Cake Loaf

Get the Recipe: Vanilla Brownie Pound Cake Loaf

Delicious Vanilla pound cake loaf, with a vein of brownie in the middle. The best of both worlds! This freezes well.
5 stars from 4 ratings
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr 45 mins
Total Time: 2 hrs 5 mins
Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

Brownie Batter:

  • 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Pound Cake Batter:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt, (less if using fine salt)
  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 Tbsp vanilla bean paste , or vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, taken from the fridge 15 minutes before using

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 325° F. Lightly coat a 9- x 5- x 3-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, then line the bottom and 2 long sides of pan with parchment paper, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides (to use as handles to remove later).
  • Prepare the Brownie Ripple Batter: Combine the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH until melted, about 1 minute. Stir until smooth and slightly cooled. Whisk in sugar and flour. Add the egg and vanilla and stir to form a loose batter. Set aside to cool slightly while making cake batter.
  • Prepare the Pound Cake Batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together well the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl with an electric mixer (or the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment), beat sugar and butter in a on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla bean paste. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream just until smooth. Add flour mixture, one-third at a time, and beat on low speed just until blended after each addition.
  • Spoon half of the Pound Cake Batter into prepared pan. Spoon Brownie Ripple Batter over Pound Cake Batter, covering it completely. Top with remaining Pound Cake Batter. Using a small offset spatula, smooth batter carefully.
  • Bake cake in middle of preheated oven until a a cake tester inserted in centre of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. (If cake seems to be browning too quickly, cover top loosely with foil for last 30 minutes of baking.)
  • Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes. Remove cake from pan using parchment paper as handles, and cool completely on wire rack, about 1 hour. Be sure to let the cake cool completely before slicing, so the brownie layer has a chance to set. Slice and serve.
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Course: Snack
Author: Jennifer
Calories: 451kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 129mg, Sodium: 134mg, Potassium: 106mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 31g, Vitamin A: 810IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 42mg, Iron: 1.9mg
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