Libby's Pumpkin Pound Cake

This is a stripped-down pumpkin pound cake, the kind that lets the squash speak for itself instead of drowning it in pumpkin pie spice. The base is a textbook pound cake method: softened butter creamed with sugar until pale and fluffy, then eggs in one at a time so the batter stays emulsified.

Adding the pumpkin puree before the eggs is the move here. It tenderizes the batter and keeps the loaf from going dry, which is the usual pound cake hazard.

The baking window is long because the loaf is dense. A test skewer in the center should come out with just a few moist crumbs. Pull it too early and the middle slumps, too late and you lose that signature pound cake plushness.

Pro Tips

• Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. The pie mix has added sugar and spice that throws off the balance.
• Cream the butter and sugar a full 4 minutes. The air whipped in here is what gives the loaf its lift.
• Tent the top with foil if it browns too fast around the 45-minute mark.
• Let it cool fully before glazing, or the glaze melts straight through.

Variations

• Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon plus half a teaspoon nutmeg if you want a spiced version.
• Fold in a handful of toasted pecans or chocolate chips for texture.
• Top with cream cheese glaze instead of sugar glaze for tang.