This easy pound cake recipe is incredibly moist with a tender crumb with a hint of vanilla flavor. It’s always a crowd pleaser and perfect for Easter, Mother’s Day, birthdays, but is so easy it makes a great everyday dessert!
Classic pound cake is made with just six staple ingredients in less than 10 minutes hands on time.
I tend to gravitate toward desserts that are just as beautiful as they are delicious. This Pound Cake is no exception.
This isn’t the dried out pound cake that you find pre-packaged in convenience stores or made months in advance at America’s “favorite” coffee shop. It’s a rich, traditional pound cake with incredible texture which results in a beautiful slice, every time.
This recipe has been adapted from the famous old Million Dollar Pound Cake recipe, which makes significantly more and uses almond extract.
It’s amazing drenched in glaze, which is equally easy to make. It hardens just enough to get the perfect slice, but is still soft in texture and taste.
If you love this cake—which I know you will!—try some of my other favorite recipes like my Giant Donut Cake or Honey Lemon Cake.
Why You’ll Love this Easy Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Butter – Salted or unsalted, your preference, at room temperature.
- Sugar – White granulated sugar not only sweetens pound cake, but also aids in the leavening process when mixing with butter.
- Eggs – At room temperature for best results.
- Flour – All purpose flour is alternated with milk to give it a luxurious consistency.
- Milk – Any milk you have on hand, from Skim to Vitamin D, works well.
- Vanilla Extract – Learn how to make your own vanilla extract here.
Variations
- Use the extract of your choice to change the flavor. Options include almond extract, lemon extract, orange extract and rum extract.
- Drizzle with a unique glaze for a fresh spin!
Tools to Use
- Mixer (You can also mix by hand)
- Measuring Cups + Measuring Spoons
- 1 lb Loaf Pan
How to Make Pound Cake
- Prep – Preheat oven and grease loaf pan.
- Make Batter – In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until light in color (about 3 minutes). Gradually incorporate sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and blend in on low, careful not to over mix. Alternate adding flour and milk, add vanilla until smooth.
- Bake – Pour into pan and bake. Allow to cool on a wire rack before releasing from loaf pan.
- Top with Optional Glaze – Top cooled pound cake with a classic glaze, cream cheese glaze, orange glaze or lemon glaze.
Tips
- Don’t Overfill Loaf Pan – Fill 2/3 full to compensate for rise.
- Use the Toothpick Test – Insert a toothpick in the center. When it comes out clean, it’s done.
- Use Correct Loaf Pan Size – Learn more about Loaf Pan Sizes here.
- Beat Sugar Until Light and Fluffy – The fat (butter) and sugar hold air bubbles to create a fine texture and leaven the cake.
- Bring Eggs and Butter to Room Temperature – This will provide a really smooth texture to the cake.
- Don’t Over Beat -Beat eggs one at a time. This will prevent the batter from curdling and prevent the air in the mixture from deflating. Egg acts as a leavening agent.
- Combine Dry Ingredients First – This yields a fine texture, ensuring all lumps are broken up and a nice even rise.
Make More (or Less!)
Scaling up, down or substituting? You’ll love this printable Measurement Conversion Chart!
Frequently Asked Questions
A true pound cake is different than a traditional cake because of its density. A pound cake is thicker and less fluffy than a regular cake.
To retain the moisture in your pound cake, store it in an airtight container at room temperature.
Baking Alternatives
- Mini Loaves – Try this recipe in mini loaf pans, perfect for gifting! Bake time is less than a traditional large loaf, of course, so bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Make it Ornate – I often make pound cake in a traditional loaf pan, but you can make it in a bundt pan, or one of my favorite specialty pans for added interest.
- Seasonal – You can also make pound cake in various shapes for holidays and seasons like bunnies and more!
Serving Suggestions
Pound cake is delicious all on its own, but it’s even more decadent paired with these suggestions!
- Garnish with fresh fruit, such as strawberries or blueberries, at a breakfast or brunch.
- Serve with whipped cream and sprinkle with toasted coconut.
- Top with mascarpone cream.
- Serve a la mode with creamy vanilla ice cream.
Dietary Considerations
- Nut Free
- Vegetarian
How to Store
- Room Temperature – To prevent it from drying out, store (cooled) in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerate – Pound Cake can be store refrigerated up to 4 days as well. Wrap with plastic wrap and store in an airtight container or bag.
- Freeze – Wrap in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag to prevent any freezer odor from seeping in. Bring to room temperature to enjoy.
More Pound Cake
Pound Cake Recipe Collection: Make this Classic Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1½ cups white granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs brought to room temperature
- 2 cups all purpose flour sifted
- ¾ cups milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease 1 pound loaf pan and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until light in color (about 3 minutes). Gradually incorporate sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
- One at a time, add eggs on low until just incorporated.
- Alternate adding flour and milk until smooth. Add vanilla extract on low until just incorproated.
- Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake 1 hour 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before removing from loaf pan.
Optional
- Top cooled pound cake with glaze.
Julie’s Tips
- Bring Ingredients to Room Temperature – Cold butter doesn’t beat as evenly. You’ll notice that this Easy Pound Cake Recipe doesn’t use a leavening agent like baking powder or baking soda. When you you beat the butter until light in color. It incorporates air into the butter which helps it increase in volume. Bringing eggs to room temperature will provide a really smooth texture to the cake.
- Make it Fluffy – Beat in the sugar until it’s light and fluffy. The fat (butter) and sugar hold air bubbles to create a fine texture and leaven the cake.
- Don’t Over Beat – Beat eggs one at a time. This will prevent the batter from curdling and prevent the air in the mixture from deflating.
- Combine Dry Ingredients First – As with all cakes, it’s best if you mix dry ingredients together. This will result in a fine texture, ensuring all lumps are broken up and a nice even bake.
- Test Bake Time – Bake time can vary from oven to oven, so use the toothpick test to determine the optimal baking time for your oven. (Approximately 1 hour, 20 minutes)
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To Store
- Room Temperature – To prevent it from drying out, store (cooled) in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerate – Pound Cake can be store refrigerated up to 4 days as well. Wrap with plastic wrap and store in an airtight container or bag.
- Freeze – Wrap in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag to prevent any freezer odor from seeping in. Bring to room temperature to enjoy.
- Substitute almond, lemon or orange extract for vanilla to mix up the flavor.
- Top with cake glaze, cream cheese, orange or lemon glaze.
- Fold in chocolate chips, nuts or dried fruits before pouring batter into loaf pan.
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
What temperature do I set the oven for?
300
I haven’t made it yet but it looks wonderful and it’s a favorite of mine all I have is self rising flour is that okay?
Unfortunately, no…it already has a leavening agent in it which will dramatically change the recipe/result.
Would like to try this recipe, do you use salted butter?
I do just as a rule of thumb, but unsalted is just fine! Enjoy!
Maded the cake on Sat. Yummy
I’m glad you enjoyed it as much as we do, Mara! Thanks for sharing!
Julie, My mother and aunts used to make Cream Cheese Poundcake. The crust was kind of crunchy, but oh my….. good stuff! Yours looks yummy too, and your photos are awesome!
That sounds fantastic! Have a beautiful weekend!
Thank you for the recipe, the cake looks yummy.
Have a great day