Mardi Gras Pound Cake

Laisse les bons moments rouler with this Mardi Gras Pound Cake which is a spin off of the traditional Mardi Gras King Cake.

Laisse les bons moments rouler! (Let the good times roll - in French). In the theme of Mardi Gras, I'm bringing you this Mardi Gras inspired pound cake as a spin-off of the King Cake. The King Cake is a cinnamon roll cake so we made this cake with a layer of cinnamon, brown sugar, and nutmeg. Mixed with the cream cheese it brings you cinnamon roll/Sock it to Me cake vibe. So let's talk about how to make this pound cake!

More Pound Cake recipes ---> Dark Chocolate Pound Cake, Mile High Dark Chocolate Pound Cake, Red Velvet Pound Cake, Mile High Red Velvet Pound Cake

Ingredients needed for the pound cake: 

• All Purpose Flour
• Granulated sugar
• Large eggs- room temperature
• Unsalted butter - room temperature
• Cream cheese - room temperature
• Salt
• Baking powder
• Vanilla extract
• Brown sugar - light
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg

Ingredients needed for the Icing/glaze:

• Powdered sugar
• Whole milk
• Vanilla extract
• Sanding sugar (Yellow, Green and Purple)

Recommended tools and equipment:

• Mile High Bundt Pan (this pan is needed for this volume of recipe)
• Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
• Silicone Spatula
• Oven Thermometer
• Cake Keeper
• Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons

(Note: The full ingredient list is provided in the recipe card below.)

Steps to make the pound cake:

Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (approximately 5 minutes). Then add the cream cheese and mix until combined. Add the eggs one at a time mixing well after each addition before adding the next egg. Mix in the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the batter in three separate parts until combined. Pour half of the batter evenly into a greased 12-cup bundt pan.

Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the batter.

Then, spoon the remaining batter over the mixture and spread it evenly. Place the cake in the oven and set the temperature to 325 degrees.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes (or longer if needed). The cake is done once an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool for 15 - 20 minutes before removing it from the pan.

Steps to make the icing/glaze:

Whisk the powdered sugar, condensed milk, and whole milk together in a bowl until smooth. Pour or spoon the glaze over the cooled cake as desired. Then decorate your cake with the sanding sugar (Yellow, Green and Purple) as desired. Allow the glaze to set, then serve and enjoy!

Helpful Guides for Beginners

If you're new to baking I got you covered! Here are some helpful guides to help you along the way!

• How to make a moist Pound Cake
• Pound Cake Essential Tools
• Mistakes to avoid when baking a pound cake
• How to prepare Pound Cake ingredients
• How to Make a Pound Cake for Beginners

Pound Cake Tips + Tricks

Whether you are a beginner or have been in the baking game for a while, I hope these tips are helpful in making sure that your pound cake comes out great!

⇢ Properly measure your ingredients – Always measure each ingredient before adding it to the cake to make sure that you have the accurate amount of each ingredient for the recipe. Baking requires exact measurements for the cake to come out correctly. 

⇢ Always use room temperature ingredients – Standard pound cake ingredients include butter and eggs which should always be a room temperature to ensure that they properly blend into the batter and do not cause any clumping. Other common ingredients such as milk, cream cheese, etc should also be a room temperature. Make sure to allow enough time before baking to remove the ingredients from the refrigerator and sit them on the counter to allow them to come to room temperature. 

⇢ Properly cream the butter and sugar together– Once blended the texture should be light and fluffy. Blend the ingredients together at a moderate speed for a least two to three minutes.

⇢ Add the eggs one at a time– Eggs must be added one at a time blending well after each addition. Once you’ve added an egg to the batter and no longer see any yellow, then you can add another egg to the batter.

⇢  Don’t overmix your batter–  Aside from creaming the butter and sugar together, once done adding an ingredient, immediately start adding the next ingredient. If you are not quite ready, stop the mixer until you're ready to add the next ingredient. After you have added the last ingredient, just mix until blended. If the batter still requires mixing, for example, if there is any unmixed batter on the side of the bowl, finish the mixing process using a spoon. 

⇢ Spray the hell out of your bundt pan - My favorite method is using a baking spray such as Baker’s Joy which includes the flour and oil all in one can. It's always a no-fail method for me and the cake comes right out of the pan. You can also grease the pan with oil (solid or liquid) then dust the pan evenly with flour if you prefer that method.

Frequently Asked Questions: