Soft, buttery, perfectly sweet and supremely soft, this pound cake recipe is the tastiest you’ll ever have. We broke it down so you have a step-by-step guide to make the best pound cake.
The Best Pound Cake Recipe
I know this pound cake might look like an unassuming, boring old vanilla cake, but I swear to you it will be one of the best things to ever hit your tastebuds. After all, it is a classic dessert for a reason. Using just 10 simple ingredients, this cake is rich and buttery with a tender, velvety crumb that is irresistible. You can use this recipe as a base for stir-ins or different flavorings or as a foundation for a glaze, luxurious frosting, or whipped cream and strawberries for a strawberry shortcake treat.
Or if you’re a purist like me, you’ll love this pound cake just as it is–it’s plenty delicious on it’s own.
Why is pound cake called pound cake?
I alway assumed that pound cake was called pound cake because it’s a pretty dense (but not dry–this bad boy is melt in your mouth soft) and heavy, like, I won’t lie the loaf has some heft to it. Upon further research, pound cake is actually called pound cake because the original recipe was made with one pound of butter, sugar, flour and eggs. While this pound cake recipe doesn’t follow that 1:1:1:1 ratio, that is where we started for this recipe. We tweaked those quantities to the absolute perfect ratios to get a beautiful pound cake.
So I guess we can call this pound-ish cake.
Ingredients for classic pound cake
Pound cake is made with super simple pantry staples so you can whip this up whenever you get a craving. I personally was raised on the Sara Lee one you can buy at the grocery store, but I have to say homemade is way better and super quick to throw together with these 10 simple ingredients:
Unsalted Butter: The key to a tender and moist pound cake starts with good butter. We love Vermont Creamery’s butter, but any other high quality butter brand will do the trick here!
Granulated Sugar: Sugar will keep your pound cake sweet and also uber soft. We prefer to use granulated sugar, but in the fall a brown sugar pound cake is every bit as tasty.
Eggs: This recipe only calls for a small amount of baking powder (many pound cake recipes don’t use any at all!), so most of the rise and structure comes from beating your eggs into the batter. Be sure your eggs are at room temperatures so that they seamlessly incorporate into the batter.
Vanilla Extract + Almond Extract: A combination of mostly vanilla extract and a hint of almond extract makes this pound cake taste seriously gourmet.
Sour Cream: Sour cream makes this pound cake super moist and adds a slight tang that perfectly complements the sweetness.
Milk: Rather than using all sour cream for your wet ingredients, we like to use sour cream and milk. The milk will lighten up the pound cake a bit so that it’s not too dense!
All Purpose Flour: All purpose flour will give your pound cake a soft, tender crumb. Be sure to measure your flour properly, really fluffing it up before spooning and leveling it into your measuring cup!
Baking Powder: A half teaspoon of baking powder will give your cake the perfect rise without creating too many big air bubbles.
Salt: All baked goods need a little salt to offset the sweetness and deepen the flavor and this pound cake is no exception!
Step by step guide to the best pound cake ever
Pound cake is a very straight forward recipe, but we’ll break it down step by step to take out any guess work for you! You can make this pound cake with a hand mixer or stand mixer, or even by hand with a whisk if you’re up for an arm workout!
Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Step 2: Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
Make sure your eggs are at room temperature so that they beat up smoothly into the pound cake batter!
Step 3: Scrape down the bowl and add half of the dry ingredients to the mixture. Fold together until just mixed.
Step 4: Add the sour cream and milk and mix together until just combined.
Step 5: Add the rest of the dry ingredients and fold together until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.
It’s important to not overmix the pound cake batter once you’ve added in the flour. Once the flour has been added gluten bonds will start to form and if you mix the batter too much your cake will end up tough and bready!
Step 6: Bake until golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out mostly clean!
What should you serve your pound cake with?
Pound cake is the perfect foundation for all sorts of fun flavor pairing. I’m a pound cake purist and love to eat a slice all on it’s own (it’s delicious when you refrigerate it), but there are so many options for serving this up for a crowd. Some of our favorites include:
With a dusting of powdered sugar
Alongside whipped cream and fresh fruit
Topped with a vanilla bean (or CHOCOLATE) glaze
Chopped up and layered with whatever you have on hand for a beautiful trifle
Served with clotted cream and lemon curd for afternoon tea or coffee
Soft, buttery, lightly sweet and supremely soft, this pound cake recipe is the best you’ll ever have. We broke it down so you have a step by step guide to make the best pound cake you’ll ever have!
Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously butter a standard size loaf pan on all sides.
In a stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment, combine the softened butter and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs in one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extract and mix well.
In a separate mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt and stir to combine.
Add about half of the flour mixture to the bowl of the mixer and mix until just combined. Add the sour cream and milk and mix until just combined. Add the remaining flour and mix until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Do not over mix.
Transfer the batter into your prepared pan and use a silicone spatula to spread into an even layer.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes back mostly clean and the loaf is golden brown
