Does anyone know why pound cake recipes tend to get the tough sugary crust on top? Is it possible to prevent it? I use a great recipe for a loaf pound cake and it is near perfect (taste, texture etc) except the top and I'm too embarrassed to serve it. Anyone have a solution? I'd like to make a nice soft, smooth golden top.

The recipe is:

2 sticks butter
1/2 c shortening
3 c sugar
2t vanilla
1/2 t butter flavoring
4 eggs plus two yolks
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3 c all purpose flour
1/2 c whipping cream + 1/2 c whole milk

I use a basic creaming method and bake at 325 for 60-90 min. until tester comes "clean."

Thanks!

Pound cakes are supposed to have a cracked, sugary crust. I can't help you on the recipe. Mine is 1 pound each: flour, sugar, eggs, butter, plus vanilla. That's a pound cake.

The excessive amount of sugar in US "poundcake" causes crust on the top of the cake [not covered by the pan, and exposed to the air.

Try reducing the sugar amount by 1/2 cup [~ 3 oz] at least to see if the crusting reduces.

Thanks Auzzi! Will do!

Cake baking troubleshooting charts:
(Addresses cracking.)

http://www.bakedecoratecelebrate.com/askus/question.cfm?id=67EE5971-1E0B-C910-EA1FC7F35EE751EE&cid=F08D644E-E0CB-91F4-224B2EC65020DE19

http://www.chefrick.com/cake-baking-tips/

HTH

I have always wondered the same thing. I make a 7up cake and it does the same thing. Once it cools a little I just try and wrap it and it usually softens up enough to cut the top off and the crispy parts that are left are ok as I use it as a bundt cake and that part is on the bottom. A lot of people like those crispy bits, just not very pretty.

Just a quick FYI...as SCP said, a pound cake is supposed to have a crunchy top. If you reduce the sugar, it will stop the top of the cake from being crunchy, but it will also change the moisture content of the cake. The cake could become dry, especially since a pound cake has such a dense crumb. If you want a dense cake without a crust on top, I would suggest researching yellow cakes made using a reverse creaming method. This method will give you a denser cake.... But, again, a pound cake should have a crust and changing the sugar content can be problematic. Have a great day and good luck.

We have a Rose Show Festival where I live, one of the boothes sells cakes, which includes wrapped pound cake crust. People love it. Maybe it's a southern thing.

What! The crust is the best part! Every pound cake I've ever had has the crust. My husband would divorce me if I served him a pound cake with no crust haha! He loves it too. Yes, there is definitely a lot of sugar so if you don't want the crust then perhaps reduce it by a half cup or so.

AI just made a 7 up cake and I reduced the sugar to 1 1/2 cup and my crust (WHICH I LOVE) is gone, stinks!

I know a lot people like the sugary crust and the post stating that it is from the sugar content is absolutely correct.  I have researched and adjusted my recipe so that it is what I consider PERFECT.  Perfect texture, taste, cutting, and it is not too heavy and dense or dry.  I have even one first place at my local fair with it.  So, the corrections that I have made appeals to others, as well. 

However, I will tell you this.  In contacting a chef at a local culinary school he told me to cover my cake loosely with foil and this creates a little steam that will help to prevent that crusting from occurring.

And while the crust is very sought after by many it does make for a problematic cutting issue.

Hope this helps,

Cakeymom

AThanks K8memphis

Sorry, I forgot to put that you cover with foil towards the last 15 to 20 minutes of baking your poundcake.

Cakeymom

Glad to have found this thread! I have the same "problem" - it's not really a problem, just "is", but I'd also like to be able to make a pound cake without crust. I have had some success with covering the cake with foil for the last 30' or so, after it's baked for at least 40' - 60'. If you cover it too soon, it falls and is quite the mess! (been there, done that... )

My favorite solution, though, is to cut the crust off and use it for other things. Some examples:

- crumble it for ice cream topping, or to top cake pops. It's quite "caramel-y" so brings to mind creme brulee.

- mix it in to cake pop dough, either as a matter of course, or to add bulk to a cake pop dough that's too sticky. For this I usually pulverize it in a blender first.

I'll typically pulverize and freeze it to use as crumb topping or in cake pops, but I do have to cut it off because if I don't and I use it in a layer cake it messes with the texture and makes it hard to carve.

HTH -

Deb

AMud cake does a similar thing. I either wrap the top in foil as it cools or I trim off the sugary crust (and eat it!).