This pound cake is the perfect treat to have hanging around the kitchen. I live for a slice with my coffee in the morning but it’s an amazing dessert when paired with some whipped cream and berries and honestly it’s basically perfect when you’re just grabbing a slice on the go.
Pro Tips for the Perfect Pound Cake
- Make sure the scrape that bowl down at each step. You really want everything incorporated properly.
- DON’T over-bake your pound cake. This will make a dry cake and toughen the texture.
- This recipe makes AMAZING muffins. Just butter and flour your muffin tin then bake for about 20-25 minutes. They will be VERY moist and a light golden color outside.
- I flavored my cake with vanilla but you can sub in whichever flavors you like. Fresh lemon juice, maple syrup, and rum are very popular but so is almond (just use 2 teaspoons instead.
- You can also add poppy seeds, shredded coconut, nuts, or dried fruit for extra flavor and texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s a good frosting for this pound cake recipe?
A simple glaze of using a cup and a half of powdered sugar mixed with a splash of vanilla and a few tablespoons of milk will be wonderful. Drizzle over the cooled cake and you’re set!
Why is it called a pound cake?
A traditional pound cake is a pound of sugar, flour, butter, and eggs. This is a CLASSIC recipe dating back hundreds of years but all things considered I prefer my variation.
How can you make it moist?
Sour cream does wonders for a moist cake but so does a proper bake time! Over-baking your cake will dry it out which is why my recipe makes just enough batter for a 9×5 inch load pan. The smaller your container, the less bake time will be required.
How do you store it?
Wrap the cake in parchment paper or plastic and store at room temperature. Pound cake will keep for up to three days is covered properly at room temperature.
If you’re storing the cake in the refrigerator bring it to room temp or warm it up a little to soften the butter and bring the cake back to like.
Can you freeze this cake?
Yes! This is a great dessert to keep in the freezer for later. Just thaw for a few hours until room temp and enjoy.
Overview of Steps to Make Pound Cake
1. Set oven to 350F and butter and flour a 9″x5″ baking tin. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt then set aside.
2. Cream the room temperature butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs one at a time. Scrape the bowl down and whisk once more.
4. Add the sour cream and vanilla then beat to combine.
5. Add flour the mixture and mix until just combined. Scrape the bowl down and use the spatula to finish mixing the batter.
6. Transfer batter to your prepared tin and bake until center is set.
If you enjoyed this recipe then try these out!
If you’ve tried this pound cake recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup unsalted butter 226g, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar 200g
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 180g
- 1/2 cup sour cream 120mL
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9x5 inch baking tin.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder then set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment cream the butter. Add sugar in and mix until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl down and beat a few more seconds.
- Add the eggs in one at a time while mixing ad medium speed. Scrape the bowl down and beat until fully incorporated.
- Add the sour cream, and vanilla. Mix until incorporated. Scrape the bowl down.
- Add the flour mixture in and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl down and use your spatula to mix in any pockets of flour or butter that remain.
- Transfer batter into tin then give a quick smooth to even the batter out a bit. Bake at 350F for about 40 minutes or until the center is set and a skewer comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Video
Notes
- Make sure the scrape that bowl down at each step. You really want everything incorporated properly.
- DON'T over-bake your pound cake. This will make a dry cake and toughen the texture.
- This recipe makes AMAZING muffins. Just butter and flour your muffin tin then bake for about 20-25 minutes. They will be VERY moist and a light golden color outside.
- I flavored my cake with vanilla but you can sub in whichever flavors you like. Fresh lemon juice, maple syrup, and rum are very popular but so is almond (just use 2 teaspoons instead.
- You can also add poppy seeds, shredded coconut, nuts, or dried fruit for extra flavor and texture.
I’d like to use this recipe for a doll cake (baked in a Wilton doll pan that comes with a heating core). Appreciate it if you could please help me with the following :
1. How much batter would I need?
2. How long do I need to bake it for? I read that doll pans need a loooong time to bake…
3. At what temperature do I need to bake it please?
I’ve read that due to the long baking time, some cakes really dry out. How do I prevent that please? Do I put a try of hot water on a lower rack?
Thank you for your help.
Oh, by the way, I made your Oreos cake for a friend’s son’s birthday. He loved it! He took some to school the following day and his friends declared its the best cake they ever had in their entire life!
Just made this today with my kids and it was amazing! Couldn’t find sour cream at the grocery store, so we substituted plain yogurt instead and it turned out so delicious. I want to try it again with sour cream to compare the difference. I was confused with the the butter measurement… 1 cup is usually 2 sticks / 200g. In the above recipe it says 1 cup / 226g of unsalted butter at room temperature. I did put in an extra 26g as per the measurement, next time will just put 2 sticks as we found our batter a tiny bit softer and the cake more buttery. Still tastes great though.
Very easy to follow and carry out!!!! Enjoyed myself throughout the process even with a one year old around me!
Absolutely enjoy watching your videos and hopefully one day I can get myself a proper mixer as I’m currently using a two beater machine. We are expats so this is life on the move!!! @njnolz via instagram
Really moisture and so soft. It is good as it is, but I would also like to bake it with coconut next time. The only thing I was confused about is 1 tsp of salt. I added less and still can feel it a bit.
Can I replace sour cream with yoghurt?
yes!
Finally a recipe that works for me! This was my fourth pound cake recipe that I tried and it worked like a charm. I made it with the cupcake tray and it turned out moist and perfect! Thank you!!!
I baked this for my family and let me tell you, they ATTACKED it!!! It was a hit!! Thank you for the recipe!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. In the past, I’ve had so much trouble with pound cake recipes. Usually my cakes fall in the middle, like a lot. I don’t know if my butter is to warm, or if the recipes I’m using are not tweaked. I’m going to try your recipe and see how it goes. Love all your recipes I’ve tried.
Thanks for sharing with us!
Wow! First time making a pound cake and this recipe is so delicious! Success first time which is unusual for me! Thanks so much!
I’m in love with this recipe! <3 I followed the steps, but I added a splash of lemon juice and lemon zest to it to make a lemon cake and it turned out heavenly! Will definitely make again. It's foolproof and easy.
Yuna McHill
This came out pretty neat! Thanks John!
Great recipe, it turned out perfect. Just like in a picture.
Can i make it with very less sugar or splenda??
you can reduce the sugar
It was awesome!!!Thanks for the recipe
The cake is whaoooo. So yummy. Thanks @preppykitchen.com
I’m so happy you liked it!!