Lighter Pound Cake

Traditional pound cake calls for a pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. This version trims the fat by using margarine instead of butter and egg whites instead of whole eggs, while buttermilk adds the moisture and tang that the missing yolks would have provided.

The result is still recognizably pound cake: dense, fine-crumbed, and sweet with a tight, velvety texture. Egg whites keep the crumb light and the color pale, which is actually what you want in a classic pound cake. The buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to add just enough lift without making it fluffy like a layer cake.

Mace is the spice that sets this apart. It’s the outer covering of the nutmeg seed, with a similar but more delicate flavor. Just an eighth of a teaspoon adds a warm, slightly floral note that most people can’t quite identify but everyone notices.

Kitchen Tips

• Alternate the flour mixture and buttermilk in two additions each, starting and ending with flour. This method prevents the batter from curdling and keeps the crumb even.
• Cream the margarine and sugar until truly smooth, not just combined. This step creates the air pockets that give the cake its structure.
• Let the cake cool completely in the pan before slicing. Pound cake is dense and tears easily when warm.
• This cake keeps well wrapped at room temperature for 3-4 days and actually improves in flavor on day two.

Variations

• Add the zest of one lemon to the batter for a lemon pound cake variation.
• Swap mace for a quarter teaspoon of almond extract for a different aromatic profile.
• Drizzle a simple glaze of powdered sugar and lemon juice over the cooled cake for a dressed-up presentation.