Hot Cross Bun Pound Cake – the second Easter recipe this week leading up to the long Easter Weekend. Why? Because I can’t get enough of the cinnamon, mixed spice, this time mixed with raisins, mixed peel and robed in a sour cream frosting.
Hot Cross Bun Pound Cake Origin Story
This one also begins with the lack of a stand mixer to make hot cross buns. What came to mind was a hot cross bun inspired cake because I really like the flavour combinations. My kingdom for a Woolies extra spicy hot cross bun!
I threw this idea at my sister with a few alternative iterations and she fell on pound cake. Flavoured with spices but she didn’t like the idea of any added fruit. Well sissie – I added the fruit and it’s great!
Ingredients for Hot Cross Bun Pound Cake
Butter – Always makes it better. But you can use baking margarine if you want.
Caster sugar for sweetness, and a subtle sugar flavour as to not compete with the spices and fruit.
Eggs are used to bind the cake together.
Salt – this gives flavour to the flour and balances the sweet.
Cinnamon and mixed spice are what gives this cake its spicey-hot-cross-bun-Esque flavour.
Flour – just plain standard grade or all-purpose flour is what you need here.
Baking powder gives this cake a lift.
Vanilla extract – I mean, I have no words as to the importance of a good vanilla extract.
Yoghurt adds a nice tangy dimension of flavour to the cake. This can be substituted with sour cream which is a traditional ingredient in pound cakes.
Raisins and Mixed Peel are traditional fruit additions to hot cross buns. While I didn’t want them in my hot cross bun cookies, a pound cake feels more adult and needs the fruit. BTW – I am now obsessed with mixed peel, what a great ingredient!
A sour cream frosting – if you like cream cheese frosting, sour cream frosting is a must-try. Just a little less tangy, but oh so delicious.
Tips for making the Hot Cross Bun Pound Cake
Creaming the butter and sugar until it is has lightened in colour and is fluffy in texture is a must for this recipe. The sugar crystals cut through the butter adding air and lightness. This will take about 5 minutes when using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer.
When adding in the flour – fold it in gently until just combined. You don’t want to overmix the batter as this will result in a tough dense cake.
Tips for storing The Hot Cross Bun Pound Cake
This cake will keep at room temperature for 3 days wrapped in baking paper and kept in an airtight container.
Alternatively, you can keep the cake in the fridge wrapped in paper and in an airtight container for a week.
📖 Recipe
Hot Cross Bun Pound Cake
Ingredients
Hot Cross Bun Pound Cake
- 190 grams butter
- 3 eggs (med/large)
- 275 grams white sugar (caster/granulated)
- 170 grams Greek yogurt (plain/natural)
- 225 grams plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup mixed peel
Sour Cream Frosting
- 300 grams icing sugar (powdered sugar or confectioners sugar)
- 40 grams butter
- 60 grams sour cream
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Hot Cross Bun Pound Cake
- Allow all ingredients to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 180°C fan assisted.
- Grease and line your bundt pan or loaf tin and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy - takes about 5 minutes when using a stand mixer or electric mixer. This step is crucial, as the sugar crystals will cut through the butter adding air and lightness to the batter.
- Add in the eggs one at a time and mix until combined.
- Add in the yoghurt, vanilla extract and spices and mix until combined.
- Add in the flour, baking powder, salt and fold through.
- Toss in the raisins and mixed peel and fold in gently.
- Pour the batter into your desired tin, smooth and bake for 50 minutes to an hour, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the tin for about 15 minutes before turning out onto a wired rack to cool completely.
- Sour Cream Frosting
- Let the butter and sour cream come to room temperature, you may need to pop them into the microwave for 10 seconds if they are too cold for creaming.
- Add the icing sugar and lemon juice to the butter and sour cream and whip until well combined using either a stand mixer, electric mixer or whisk.
- When the cake is cold, pile the sour cream frosting on top and swirl with the back of a spoon.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate. If scaling the recipe remember to scale your cook and bakeware accordingly. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs,I earn from qualifying purchases.
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