Loaded with poppy seeds and topped with sweet almond icing, this simple Poppy Seed Pound Cake has an incredibly tender and soft crumb that will make you come back for more!
Preheat the oven to 350℉. Grease a 9X5-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray or butter or line with parchment paper,
In a large bowl using an electric handheld mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugar on high speed for 1 minute. Add the eggs and almond extract and continue beating at high speed for 1 more minute or until fluffy and light in color. Add the sour cream and mix just until combined.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Sift into the wet ingredients and mix at low speed just until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix! Fold in the poppy seeds.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool mostly before topping with the icing.
To Make the Icing:
Whisk together the powdered sugar, almond extract, and 1-2 tablespoons of milk to make a pourable icing. Drizzle over the moistly cooled loaf. Enjoy!
Notes
Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature before starting. Add ¼ teaspoon of salt to the recipe if using unsalted butter.
If you don't like almond extract, you can use vanilla extract instead in the batter and icing for this recipe.
It is very important for the eggs to be at room temperature to incorporate properly into the batter. If you need to bring them up to room temperature quickly, place them in a bowl of hot tap water for 10 minutes.
Pound cake is best served on the day it is baked but it can also be stored in an airtight container for 2 additional days.