Pound Cake

This moist, buttery Pound Cake is an indulgent, yet simple dessert that melts in your mouth! Top it with fresh berries and cream, 3-ingredient strawberry sauce, or ice cream and chocolate syrup for a sweet, filling dessert. Cut yourself a nice thick slice and enjoy this perfect pound cake tonight!

If you’ve only ever eaten store-bought pound cake, I’m telling you right now, after making and eating this homemade pound cake, you’ll never buy one from the store again! This recipe is easy to make, and it really is that good!

My favorite way to eat this decadent cake is layered with fresh fruit and some homemade whipped cream. I love it with strawberries for a Strawberry Shortcake-type dessert. But I’m not going to lie—I’d happily cut a slice of this and eat it plain!

Traditional Pound Cake

This moist cake gets its name from the ingredients originally used to make it: a pound of flour, a pound of sugar, a pound of butter, and a pound of eggs. This delightful dessert is usually made in a loaf pan or a Bundt pan. It’s especially popular in the Southern US, but you can find variations of this recipe all over!

This cake also doesn’t use any leavening agents (like baking powder or baking soda). The result is a dense, rich cake! Nowadays, there are so many variations on the original recipe, so you can probably find a pound cake made with any of your favorite flavors!

Ingredients for Homemade Pound Cake

Make this delicious, dense cake with only six simple ingredients! Gather these ingredients from your pantry:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 2/3 cup granulated sugar

5 large eggs

2 cups cake flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

How to Make Vanilla Pound Cake

This classic cake recipe will be ready for your family or guests in no time at all! Let’s get ready to bake:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and lightly flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter on medium speed until smooth, then slowly add the granulated sugar. Cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy for about 4 minutes.

Note: You can also use a hand mixer and a large bowl.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Stir in the flour, salt, and vanilla extract on low speed. Mix the dry ingredients with the butter mixture until just combined.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 ¼-1 ½ hours or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Then turn the whole cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and serve with your favorite toppings, or enjoy it plain!

Recipe Notes and Tips

You can use the same amount of all-purpose flour instead of cake flour, though there may be a slight difference in height and texture. Or use my recipe to make your own cake flour!

Use room temperature ingredients for the best results. The ingredients combine much better and create a higher rise when baking.

Use real butter in this recipe, avoiding substitutes! The change in fat content will affect the outcome of your cake.

Don’t overmix your ingredients! Mix just long enough for any flour to disappear. This helps ensure the perfect crust on your cake.

Rotate the pan once during baking, especially if you have an oven that tends to bake unevenly.

When you’re ready to release the cake from the pan, run a sharp knife around the edges to loosen the crust from the pan. Then invert your cake and gently shake it to remove it from the pan.

How to store Pound Cake

This cake does not need to be refrigerated. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store at room temperature. You can also keep it in an airtight container. It will remain fresh for about 4-5 days.

You can place this cake in the fridge to give it an extra few days, but it really doesn’t extend the life of the cake all that long. But if you like your pound cake cold, this is the way to go.

Can you freeze Pound Cake?

Yes, you can freeze pound cake! Let the cake cool completely before freezing it. Again, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then place the wrapped cake in a freezer bag. You can freeze pound cake for up to 4-6 months.

To thaw, simply let the pound cake come to room temperature overnight, then unwrap and enjoy it a slice at a time!

Does Pound Cake make a good gift?

I love baking and giving my homemade treats as gifts. Pound cake makes a wonderful gift for friends and family! It’s also a lovely hostess gift! I like to wrap it in parchment paper, then use festive gift wrap or ribbon to decorate the loaf.

You can also make this cake in mini loaf pans and give them in a food-safe gift bag or box. Make sure to wrap the pound cake loaf in wax paper first. I love this option when you have a lot of gifts to give.

Top off the pound cake with these delicious toppings!

Stabilized Whipped Cream: How can you say no to a homemade whipped cream recipe? I know I can’t, especially when it’s on a favorite dessert of mine! Mhmmm…

3-Ingredient Strawberry Sauce: Whether you pour it on crepes or use it for something else, this Strawberry sauce is a recipe straight from Heaven! 

Pumpkin Spice: How does that saying go…Pumpkin and spice and everything nice! That’s what this recipe is all about. If only it was acceptable to use it all year round. 

More Pound Cake Recipes

Earlier I said you can probably find a pound cake recipe with your favorite flavors. Well, I’ve been busy trying out a bunch of those flavors. Try one of these delicious pound cake recipes:

Cherry Pound Cake: Take the traditional recipe and add some fresh cherries, and you have this delightful treat! Enjoy it with a cup of coffee or a big glass of milk!

Brown Sugar Pound Cake is an old-fashioned pound cake recipe with an extra depth of flavor. The hint of molasses and vanilla adds an appealing dimension to this moist buttery cake.

This Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake is an easy pound cake recipe made with ricotta cheese, flavored with lemon zest and fresh lemon juice. It’s delicious served on it’s own with a cup of tea or coffee or served for dessert with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

Caramel Apple Pound Cake: Take a pound cake, slice it in half, add chopped green apple, salted caramel, and melted chocolate in the middle, and layer more on top. Oh, and don’t forget the nuts!

Pumpkin Spice Cranberry Pecan Pound Cake – a holiday dessert filled with the flavors of pumpkin spice, fresh cranberries, and toasted pecans. It is the perfect accompaniment to that cup of coffee or tea!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Pound Cake— if someone special needs a gluten-free dessert, make this one! It’s so rich and delicious, you’d never know it was gluten-free!

This recipe is adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook: Thirteenth Edition, p. 571; author, Marion Cunningham; publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, division of Random House; ISBN 0-394-56788-9.

When I was doing my original 365 days of baking and rating the recipes, this Fannie Farmer pound cake recipe: 4 rolling pins! This one’s a winner!! A great and easy dessert to serve to guests or just to eat yourself.

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Keep an eye out for more of my easy recipes each week!

This post was originally published February 28, 2011 and was Day 32 of my original 365 Days of Baking. It has been updated on May 31, 2024 with pictures and in format.

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