It’s mulberry picking season here in the Bay Area, and a friend generously gifted us a jar of homemade mulberry jam. While my partner experiments with mulberry-inspired cocktails, I went digging for baked goods recipes that could highlight the mulberry jam’s flavor.
Traditionally, pound cake uses 1 pound butter, 1 pound sugar, and 1 pound flour, hence the name “POUND” cake. The recipe has been revised to make a lighter, less sweet pound cake —reducing the sugar (though still include enough sugar to keep its function – tenderize, moisturize, leavening), swapping all-purpose flour for cake flour for a lighter texture, and adding eggs and baking powder to give it lift to rise.
Note: This recipe is still a work in progress—especially the emulsification step—so expect future tweaks!
Ingredients
(for 1 bread loaf pan, adjust for different pan/tin size)
- 175g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 50g powdered sugar (adjust depending on jam sweetness)
- 40g whole milk, room temperature
- 3–4 eggs, room temperature
- 160g cake flour
- 4g baking powder
- 120g mulberry jam, room temperature
- 30g water
- 10g sugar or sugar substitute (e.g., monk fruit sweetener)
Instructions
- Step 1: Bring the butter, eggs, milk, and jam to room temperature. The butter should be soft enough to press with a finger but not too soft – it won’t trap air properly.
- Step 2: Whisk 175g butter and 50g powdered sugar together from low to high speed until the color turns pale and the volume doubles (about 3 minutes).
- Sugar should not be replaced with monk fruit sweetener in this step. While monk fruit adds sweetness, it lacks sugar’s functional properties. Sugar is hygroscopic—it attracts and retains moisture, keeping the cake tender and moist. It also creates tiny air pockets during creaming, which traps air and contributes to a light, fluffy texture—something monk fruit sweetener can’t replicate
- Step 3: Add 40g milk in three additions, whisking at medium speed after each to ensure sufficient emulsification.
- Step 4: Whisk 3-4 eggs separately, then incorporate them into the batter in 5–6 portions.
- Eggs can be hard to emulsify with fat-rich batter, so need to be patient with this step.
- If the batter looks like grits, it’s likely because the temperature difference between butter and eggs – whisked butter is warmer than the relatively colder eggs. Wrap the bowl with a warm towel or place it over warm water while whisking to help smooth it out.
- Step 5: Preheat the oven to 170°C / 338°F.
- Step 6: Sift 160g cake flour and 4g baking powder into the batter. Mix on low speed until fully incorporated.
- Step 7: Add 120g mulberry jam and mix gently on low speed. Taste and adjust sweetness or jam quantity if needed. The batter should be thick but flow slightly—if you draw a line with a spatula, the pattern should hold.
- Step 8: Line a loaf pan with parchment or grease with butter. Transfer batter to the pan and smooth the surface slightly concave in the center for even baking.
- Step 9: Bake for ~40 minutes. Check with a toothpick test — if it comes out clean, it’s baked through. Bake slightly longer if needed until the top turns golden brown.
- Step 10: About 10 minutes before the pound cake is done baking, heat 30g water and 10g sugar (or a sugar substitute like monk fruit sweetener) over medium heat until fully dissolved.
- Avoid bringing it to a boil or letting sugar caramelize—this is a simple syrup meant to be brushed over the baked cake to help retain moisture. For a healthier option, monk fruit sweetener can replace regular sugar for this step.
- Step 11: Brush the hot cake with the syrup right after baking to lock in moisture.
- Step 12: Let the cake cool to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight in a sealed container for best flavor and texture, which will make the cake even more moist and tender the next day!
