Rich, buttery, and effortlessly elegant, this classic pound cake recipe has just eight ingredients. With each slice, enjoy a perfectly tender crumb.
Recipe Science
- Creaming butter and sugar together traps tiny air pockets for a tender crumb while maintaining the cake’s signature density.
- Baking powder adds extra air bubbles, creating a softer, even crumb and a gentle lift, preventing the cake from being too dense.
- The fat and acidity in sour cream add moisture and soften gluten, preventing a dry or tough texture.
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Why It Works
A perfectly crafted pound cake balances fat, sugar, and structure-building ingredients to create a rich, tender crumb. Butter and sugar are creamed to trap air for lift, while baking powder adds just enough leavening for a soft yet dense texture. Sour cream enhances moisture and acidity, keeping the cake tender, while eggs and flour provide structure.
This versatile cake is perfect for special occasions or holidays like Easter. Enjoy it with coffee, dressed up with fresh berries and whipped cream, or as a base for layered desserts. Its delicate vanilla flavor pairs beautifully with citrus zest, almond extract, or a drizzle of chocolate. Simple to make yet effortlessly elegant, this foolproof recipe delivers perfect results every time.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Flour: All-purpose flour contains moderate protein (10-13%), creating a sturdy yet tender structure for the pound cake.
- Butter: I always use unsalted butter in my pound cake to control the salt level and let the rich, buttery flavor shine.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar does more than sweeten—it helps aerate the batter for a lighter crumb, tenderizes by slowing gluten formation, and aids caramelization for a golden crust.
- Eggs: Eggs give structure, moisture, and richness. The proteins set to keep the cake stable, the yolks add fat for a tender crumb, and they act as an emulsifier, helping blend the high amount of butter and sugar into the pound cake batter.
- Leavening Agent: This recipe uses baking powder and eggs to provide structure, ensuring a light and fluffy texture while maintaining the cake’s rich buttery density.
- Sour Cream: I add sour cream to my pound cake recipe for extra moisture, tenderness, and flavor balance. Its high-fat content keeps the crumb rich and soft, while its acidity prevents the cake from becoming dense or tough. Plus, that slight tang enhances the overall flavor.
- Salt: Kosher salt enhances flavor, balances sweetness, and strengthens the dense cake’s structure.
- Flavoring: Vanilla extract enhances the aroma and deepens the sweetness. Its volatile compounds amplify the cakes’ buttery richness.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
Now that you know how to make the best pound cake recipe, it’s versatile and easy to customize! Try these delicious options:
- Flour: For an even more tender crumb, use other types of flour, like fine cake flour or pastry flour, which have a slightly higher protein level.
- Sour Cream Substitute: Try adding buttermilk, or learn how to make buttermilk by mixing ½ cup whole milk or half-and-half and 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice. You can also use full-fat Greek yogurt, creme fraiche, or softened cream cheese.
- Flavoring: You can vary the flavoring by adding almond extract, rum, lemon extract, or coconut. Add one teaspoon of zest and three tablespoons of lemon, lime, or orange juice to make it a citrus pound cake.
- Toppings: You can add a citrus glaze, like on my cranberry orange bread, drizzle it on vanilla sugar cookie icing, or dust it with powdered sugar.
How to Make Pound Cake
Step 1: Heat the Oven
Setting the oven rack to the center ensures even baking, preventing an undercooked center or overly browned top. Baking at 350ºF (176ºC) allows the cake to rise properly without drying out. A 9×5-inch loaf pan provides the baked pound cake’s ideal height, structure, and heat distribution.
Pro Tip: Greasing and flouring the pan prevents sticking for a clean release, but if you fully line it with parchment paper, you can skip this step. A parchment sling makes lifting the cake easier without damaging its beautifully golden crust!
Step 2: Mix Dry Ingredients
Whisking the flour, baking powder, and salt evenly distributes the leavening and seasoning, ensuring a consistent rise, balanced flavor, and uniform texture in every bite.
Step 3: Cream the Butter and Sugar
Creaming the butter and sugar is crucial in making pound cake because it creates a light and tender texture. I use the whisk attachment to whip the ingredients. Proper creaming takes about 3 minutes—long enough to make the mixture light and fluffy but not so long that the structure weakens. Scraping the bowl ensures everything is evenly mixed, leading to a smooth, well-balanced pound cake with a delicate crumb.
Ingredient Chemistry: Whipping softened butter with sugar incorporates tiny air pockets, which expand in the oven for a better rise. The fat in butter coats the sugar crystals, helping to aerate the batter while keeping the crumb soft.
Step 4: Incorporate the Eggs
Adding the eggs one at a time ensures they fully incorporate into the butter-sugar mixture without breaking the emulsion. Eggs contain both water and fat, and if added too quickly, they can cause the batter to separate, leading to a dense or uneven crumb. Mixing for about 20 seconds per egg allows the proteins to disperse evenly.
Step 5: Add the Sour Cream and Vanilla
Adding sour cream and vanilla after creaming preserves the air pockets for a lighter texture. Sour cream’s fat and acidity tenderize without disrupting aeration, while vanilla disperses evenly for a balanced flavor.
Step 6: Make the Cake Batter
Mixing the flour at a low speed prevents excess gluten development, keeping the cake tender. Folding in any flour pockets with a rubber spatula ensures even distribution without deflating the batter. Avoid overmixing for a soft, delicate crumb.
Step 7: Bake
Pouring the batter into a greased pan ensures easy release, while smoothing the top promotes even baking.
Bake until the surface is golden brown for about 45 minutes. Proper doneness prevents a gummy center and locks in moisture for a perfectly baked pound cake.
Tips for Perfect Execution: Test with a toothpick or wooden skewer. A few crumbs stuck is okay, but the cake should not be wet. The internal temperature should reach 200 to 205ºF (93 to 96ºC), ensuring the cake is fully set with a tender crumb.
Step 8: Cool
Cooling the pound cake helps set the structure. Letting it sit in the pan for 10 minutes allows steam to redistribute, making it easier to release without breaking. Transferring to a wire rack allows air to circulate, preventing a soggy bottom. Cooling preserves the crumb and deepens the flavor. I like to serve each slice with a dollop of whipped cream and colorful seasonal berries like strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries.
Expert Tip: As the cake cools, the sugars in the crust solidify, creating a lightly crisp, caramelized surface that enhances texture and flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pound cake gets its name from traditional recipes using a pound of butter, a pound of sugar, a pound of eggs, and a pound of flour to create the batter. This balance creates a stable structure, rich flavor, and tender crumb without chemical leaveners. The fat traps air, the eggs provide structure, and the sugar tenderizes, resulting in a dense yet moist cake. Modern recipes often include baking powder to introduce extra air bubbles, making the cake slightly lighter while preserving its classic richness.
You can omit sour cream in pound cake, but it will affect the texture and moisture. Sour cream’s fat adds richness, while its acidity weakens gluten for a more tender crumb. Without it, the cake may be drier and denser. For the best results, substitute with an equal amount of full-fat yogurt, buttermilk, or half-and-half with 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon juice to maintain moisture and tenderness.
You can bake pound cake in a Bundt pan, but you’ll need to increase the recipe since a standard 9×5-inch loaf holds 6 cups, while most Bundt pans hold 10–12 cups. Scale the recipe up by 1.5x or double for a full Bundt. Bake at 350ºF (176ºC) for 50–65 minutes, checking for doneness with a toothpick or 200–205ºF (93–96ºC) internal temp. Thoroughly grease and flour the pan to prevent sticking, and let the cake cool for 15 minutes before inverting for a clean release.
Pound cake freezes very well! Wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap or foil and place it in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw at room temperature or overnight in the fridge. For a fresh-baked taste, slice and warm in the microwave, toaster, or oven.
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Classic Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to 65ºF (18ºC)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the Oven – Set the oven rack to the center position. Preheat to 350ºF (176ºC). Lightly grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter and coat it with flour, tapping out the excess. Alternatively, add a parchment paper sling after greasing to make removal easier.
- Mix Dry Ingredients – In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Cream the Butter and Sugar – In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or hand mixer, beat the softened butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Slowly add the sugar in with the mixer on medium speed, mixing for 30 seconds. Mix at medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl halfway through, about 3 minutes.
- Incorporate the Eggs – Add the eggs one at a time over medium speed, mixing until incorporated, about 20-second intervals. Scrape down the side of the bowl after each addition.
- Add the Sour Cream and Vanilla – Mix in the sour cream and vanilla over medium speed, about 15 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Make the Cake Batter – Add the flour mixture and mix over low speed until just combined, about 10 seconds. Use a spatula to mix in any remaining flour pockets. Do not overmix!
- Bake – Pour the batter into the greased pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until the surface is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean (a few crumbs are okay) or the internal temperature reaches 200 to 205ºF (93 to 96ºC), about 45 to 50 minutes.
- Cool – Cool the bread in a pan for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife or small spatula around the sides of the pan. Use the parchment paper sling, to remove the pound cake and transfer it to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing.
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Notes
- Storing: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or 7 days in the refrigerator. If refrigerated, let it come to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor.
- Freezing: Once completely cool, wrap the pound cake tightly in plastic wrap or foil and place it in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw at room temperature or overnight in the fridge. For a fresh-baked taste, slice and warm in the microwave, toaster, or oven, if desired.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
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