Heart-healthy canola oil helps lighten this classic dessert. And an ingenious technique of soaking a vanilla bean in the oil adds deep, rich flavor to Canola Oil Pound Cake with Browned Butter Glaze.
Ingredients:
- Cake:
- 6 tablespoons canola oil $
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 1 3/4 cups sugar $
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 12 ounces cake flour (about 3 cups)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup nonfat buttermilk
- Cooking spray with flour (such as Baker's Joy)
- Glaze:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup sugar $
- 2 tablespoons 2% reduced-fat milk $
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
- 1. Preheat oven to 350°.
- 2. To prepare cake, combine oil and vanilla bean in a small skillet over medium-high heat, and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes or until mixture cools to room temperature. Scrape seeds from bean, and stir into oil; discard bean.
- 3. Combine the oil mixture, 1 3/4 cups sugar, and 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
- 4. Spoon batter into a 10-inch tube pan coated with cooking spray, and spread evenly. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack, and remove from pan.
- 5. To prepare glaze, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat; cook for 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring until smooth. Drizzle glaze over warm cake.