Classic Pound Cake
This classic pound cake recipe is a rich, buttery, moist cake perfect for any occasion. Made with 7 simple ingredients, this melt-in-your-mouth pound cake recipe is a pantry staple recipe you will want to make again and again. Serve with fresh whipped cream, berries, or a warm cup of coffee for a delicious dessert everyone will enjoy!
I have a definite affinity for rich and decadent desserts, but I also love anything that can serve as a vehicle for lots of fresh fruit and piles of whipped cream. Without a doubt, my favorite such vehicles are angel food cake and pound cake.
While I have a killer recipe for cream cheese pound cake, which I LOVE, I have wanted to get my hands on an equally awesome classic pound cake recipe. This is definitely it, and it deserves a place on your summer baking rotation.
What is Pound Cake?
Rich, buttery, and moist are truly the only words to describe this decadent cake. It’s believed pound cake originated in northern Europe in the 1700s with the earliest American recipe dating back to 1796. The classic recipe called for one pound each of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs thus resulting in the name “pound cake”.
Over the years many changes or adaptations have been made to the original recipe from adding flavors and fruits to leavening agents or additional dairy, such as cream cheese or sour cream. Regional differences also impact the recipe, here are just a few different takes on the classic pound cake recipe:
- French pound cake, called quatre-quarts, meaning four quarters to discribe the equal parts of the ingredients. One French variation uses whipped egg whites instead of whole eggs to act as the leavening agent.
- The Mexican version is called panqué and has a very similar recipe to the United States version but many popular variations include walnuts or raisins.
- Colombian and Venezuelan version, ponqué, is drenched in wine and often glazed with a cream or sugar coating.
- Russian Pound Cake, typically made with equal parts butter, sugar, and raisins is served with coffee or tea.
While I have recipes for both a chocolate pound cake and a cream cheese pound cake, there is a soft spot in my heart for this classic vanilla pound cake recipe.
Ingredients You’ll Need
A traditional pound cake would include one pound of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. I’ve made a few changes to the traditional recipe for the BEST cake to grace your dessert table. The ingredients you’ll need include:
- Butter- Unsalted butter gives this dense cake a delightful buttery flavor and a melt in your mouth finish.
- Eggs + Egg Yolks- The eggs give structure to the cake while also working as the leavening agent in the cake.
- Vanilla- Adds a refreshing vanilla flavor to the cake.
- Salt- Helps enhance the flavor of the cake.
- Sugar- Sweetens the cake.
- Cake Flour- Keeps the cake tender and moist.
Step-By-Step Directions
What I love most about this moist pound cake recipe is that the ingredient list for this cake is quite short and the preparation is very straightforward. This cake is easy to throw together and pop in the oven for a simple summer dessert.
- Cream together the butter, salt, and sugar until light and fluffy. You’ll cream it longer than you may be used to, but keep going!
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat to combine.
- Sift the flour and fold into the batter.
- Pour the batter into a loaf pan and bake until golden brown.
Flavor Variations and Mix-In Ideas
If you want to add a little flavor or crunch to this traditional pound cake recipe here are a few mix-ins to try:
- Lemon– Add about 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice to the batter for a lemony flavor.
- Dried fruit– Mix-in 1 cup of dried fruit such as raisins, craisins, or cherries to the cake batter.
- Chopped nuts– Stir in 1 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds for a nutty bite in your cake.
Serving Suggestions
One of the most classic ways to enjoy a fresh slice of pound cake is dusted with fresh powdered sugar. Here are a few other ways you can top this moist pound cake recipe.
- Topped with fresh whipped cream
- Served with a side of blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries
- Drizzled with an orange glaze
- Frosted with a vanilla buttercream frosting
- Topped with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream
Storage and Freezing Instructions
For maximum freshness and longer-term storage here’s how to best store your moist pound cake.
- Storing– Wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freezing– Double wrap the cooled pound cake in plastic wrap and then wrap in foil before storing in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Thawing– Remove from the freezer and allow the cake to come to room temperature completely before unwrapping from the plastic wrap and foil.
Frequently Asked Questions
A pound cake has a richer flavor and a denser texture than a regular sponge cake.
Some recipes use sour cream or cream cheese to keep the cake moist. Another trick to keeping this cake moist is to make sure you don’t over-bake your cake. The longer it bakes the drier it becomes.
With a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, the best flour for a light and moist pound cake is cake flour. It prevents the cake from being too dense and also allows the focus of the cake to be on the rich buttery base.
Moist Cakes to Bake Next
- Red, White, and Blue Berry Trifle
- Chocolate Bundt Cake with Chocolate Fudge Icing
- Chocolate Pound Cake Recipe
- Perfect Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Moist, buttery, and perfect to the last bite, this pound cake recipe needs to be in your recipe box! This easy-to-make cake goes great with fresh whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a creamy vanilla buttercream frosting.
If you make this recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating – it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Classic Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, chilled
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 3 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cups (248 g) granulated sugar
- 1¾ cups (196 g) cake flour
Instructions
- Cut butter into 16 pieces and place in the bowl of an electric mixer; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to soften slightly. In a small bowl, use a fork to beat together the eggs, yolks and vanilla extract. Let stand at room temperature until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan.
- Beat the butter and salt at medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and gradually pour in the sugar. Once all of the sugar is added, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, 5 to 8 minutes, scraping the bowl once. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and gradually add the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream. Scrape down the bowl, then beat the mixture at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the bowl.
- Sift the flour over the batter in 3 additions, folding gently with a rubber spatula after each addition.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely, at least 2 hours, before serving. The cake can be stored, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Serving Suggestions: Topped with fresh whipped cream / Served with a side of blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries / Drizzled with an orange glaze / Frosted with a vanilla buttercream frosting / Topped with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream
- Storing– Wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freezing– Double wrap the cooled pound cake in plastic wrap and then wrap in foil before storing in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Thawing– Remove from the freezer and allow the cake to come to room temperature completely before unwrapping from the plastic wrap and foil.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Photography by Dee Frances.
This was a great recipe to use up some extra egg yolks but it’s not a crazy amount of eggs like some recipes. It was very easy to make. It took a bit longer to bake than the recipe – I used an instant read to get to a good doneness temp (200-210F). Yes, it makes an dense cake but that is pound cake! I would make this again for sure. Definitely when creaming butter whip much longer than you think you need.
I really like your recipe. I always order cake online from Top Bakery in India but after reading you I will definitely try it out at home.
I finally am catching up on emails and so delighted to see all these wonderful treats.I noticed your pound cake is made in a loaf pan—- perfect size for small family. Mine is made in tube pan so sometimes just too much, but usually share. My recipe uses cake flour too, and 1 tsp each vanilla, lemon and almond flavorings. I will be copying all of these recipes for new ideas. Thanks !
wow very good recipe
Do you by any chance have a recipe from your Grandmother for Zuppa Inglese? It is my mom’s favorite dessert from her mother but she has not had it in many years and we do not have the recipe. My uncle said you use pound cake so I can use your recipe here. Any thoughts on this? Thanks!
Hi Kathy, I don’t unfortunately, I don’t think that’s a dessert my grandma made.
I made this last night and while it has good flavor, it’s extremely dense and heavy. I wonder if not omitting the 3 egg whites might help. I can’t think of a reason to leave them out, but I do follow a recipe exactly the first go round because I’ve found that some recipes that look like they wouldn’t work actually do in the end. I know pound cakes are denser, but it should still have a tender crumb. Not so with this one, so I was disappointed.
Your cream cheese pound cake is amazing! How is this one different?
Hi Wendy, This one has a tighter crumb and a bit denser. If I had to choose between the two, I would choose the cream cheese pound cake – it’s my favorite!
It says 3 eggs then 3 egg hols so do you use the whites in the past where it says add eggs in a steady stream??? I’m a little confused and making this now. Sincerity Babs
Hi Barbara, You do not use the whites of the final 3 egg yolks.
hey Michelle I just wanted to ask what changes I should make to the recipe if I want to bake it in a muffin tin instead. thanks so much!
Hi Tammy, I’ve never made a pound cake in muffin or cupcake form… You would definitely need to reduce the baking time, but I don’t have a precise time for you… maybe start checking around 15-20 minutes?
My Mother made pound cake every year and I cried when I realized I lost her recipe. I discoverd yours and was so happy to realize it so close to hers, I remember adding made in her recipe. I just made a batch and it was delicious I am so thankful I found this now I feel like my Moms tradition can continue
I know this will sound strange, but it is an amazing topping. Pack a quart jar semi-tightly with dried fruit — apricots, prunes, figs, cherries, pear, pineapple, dried persimmon (look at Korean markets), Mandarins (I found them recently at Trader Joe’s) — add a couple of star anise, a cinnamon stick, and a vanilla bean, cut in half longways, and half a cup of sugar. Then fill the jar with gin. Put the lid on, shake it a few times, and put it in a dark, cool place to age for 2 weeks, shaking one a day. (I keep mine in my bedroom closet, since it is nice and cool.). Refrigerate before serving atop pound cake or vanilla ice cream.
Do you prefer this pound cake or your “Perfection Pound Cake”?
Hi Laurie, I do!
OMG…THANK YOU for posting this! I followed the directions exactly and was so surprised at how fluffy it was. Very delicious and perfect with strawberries and whipped cream. So glad I made it. Will be making again. And again. And again…. :)
I made this Sunday for Memorial Day. It was amazing! Perfect with strawberries and ready whip. So good. Best classic pound cake I have made! Brown Eyed Baker is the best. Love your website and have made a few of your recipes. Keep up the great work!
Hi people, for anyone who uses the metric system I used 198g cake flour, 227g unsalted butter, 175g granulated sugar. Anyone who doesn’t have access to cake flour, I made my own, I used 93g plain/all-purpose flour combined with 20g cornflour ( I sifted this twice to make sure it is well combined). This makes 1 cup = 113g cake flour. When researching 1 cup of flour into grams I found that with all-purpose/plain flour it varied between 125g to 150g. This is really inconvenient for people who were brought up with the metric system.
Michelle has used grams in some of her recipes over the past months and it is really helpful to us on metric system, looking forward to seeing more of the conversions/ comprehensive list (especially flour) in the near future : )
Weight measurements (especially for flour), in addition to cups, would be great! Thanks.
Hi Lena, I am working on it for the next iteration of the site, so stay tuned later this summer/early fall!
Hui Michelle, could you use an electric hand mixer in place of the stand mixer? Thanks
Hi Faye, Yes, I think that would be just fine.
Just made this pound cake – it came out great!
That’s awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Oh, I love pound cake! Simple yet perfect. I’ve never had cream cheese pound cake before, but have you ever heard of whipped cream pound cake, where you fold whipped cream into the batter before baking?
I have not, sounds delicious though! I imagine it creates a less-dense pound cake?
Yes, definitely less dense, but it also seems to make the cake moister and gives it a great texture. I’ve put it into a red velvet cake before and I thought there was a big difference! Try it sometime?
Yummy. I make pound cake every week!
Mmm. Cake I could eat for breakfast. Delicious.
Looks delish! Could you sub almond extract for the vanilla?
Hi Anna, Yes, but I would use less, as I find almond extract to be much more potent than vanilla.
I’ve never made a pound cake! Need to add it to my list of “To Dos”
Ah, a recipe for a classic pound cake with no leavening beyond eggs. This is my favorite cake ever. I always keep pound cake slices in my freezer, ready to use when I bring home fresh berries or peaches.
Thanks!
Hi Michelle, really want to bake this! I live in the UK and we can’t get cake flour, so I was wondering if you Knew how to make cake flour, if you do I would love for you to share.
Thanks : )
Hi Faye,
To make two cups of cake-and-pastry flour (cake flour), combine 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour with 1/4 cup cornstarch; proceed with your recipe. The easiest way to do this substitution is to put 2 tbsp of cornstarch in the bottom of a 1-cup measuring cup, then fill the cup as usual with all-purpose flour and level top.
Hope this helps
Debbie
Thanks Debbie, I’m going to make this now! : )
You’re so welcome Faye :)
Hi Faye, Ditto Debbie! I have other such substitutions here: https://www.browneyedbaker.com/substitutions/