Honey Whole Wheat Pound Cake

I saw this scrumptious-looking cake over at Joy the Baker quite a while ago, yet somehow the recipe slipped through the cracks and I never got around to making it.
After battling acute bronchitis and an acute sinus infection for the past week and not being able to really cook or bake, I was certainly ready to jump back into things. I spent my ill days looking through all of the recipes I had bookmarked and saw this one and knew it would be the first thing I made once I could actually be up and about again.
This pound cake was absolutely delightful. It was rich and moist from the buttermilk with naturally sweet undertones from the honey, as well as a nutty flair thanks to the whole wheat. Basically what I'm telling you is that this pound cake is the total package. As in, make it as soon as you can; I'm sorry I waited so long :).

Honey Whole Wheat Pound Cake

recipe ever-so-slightly adapted from here

makes 1 loaf and 6 muffins

ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups unbleached white whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter (12 tbsp)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup honey (I used a natural, raw fireweed honey)
• 2 tsp vanilla paste
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk (the NON low-fat variety is where it's at)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour pans and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the  flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Add in the honey and mix for another 2 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time and beat for 1 minute after each addition. Add in the vanilla and beat to combine.
4. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk, alternately, to the mixer, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake the cake for about and hour and muffins for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of each comes out clean. Allow the cake and muffins to cool for 10-20 minutes in the pans before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool further.