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If you’re looking for a simple dessert that doesn’t require a lot of fussy ingredients but tastes like a million dollars, Easy Pound Cake is exactly what to make. Enjoy it plain, with a drizzle of chocolate sauce, or stacked with fresh berries and whipped cream to make shortcake.
Melt In Your Mouth Pound Cake
As a classically-trained chef, and perhaps in spite of my extensive baking experience, I believe in keeping dessert recipes simple, flavorful, and easy to follow whenever possible. The secret to this pound cake is the butter. While this pound cake doesn’t actually contain a full pound of butter, even a half pound gives this cake its signature buttery taste and melt-in-your-mouth texture.
While developing this classic pound cake recipe, I tested a few different methods including blending the butter and eggs in a food processor (an America’s Test Kitchen trick). However, at the end of the day, the cake I loved the most was mixed by hand in a couple of bowls, no fancy equipment required.
Serve this pound cake with fresh berries and whipped cream, chocolate sauce, or caramel sauce. Or, add your favorite extract or zest to change up the flavor. It also makes an ideal base for shortcake.
Table of Contents
Pound Cake Recipe Ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
- Cake flour: This finely milled, bleached flour has a lower protein content (about 8%) than all-purpose flour. Making cakes with cake flour gives your desserts a soft, tender texture and an excellent crumb.
- Vanilla: Or substitute almond extract. See Recipe Tips and Variations for other flavor combinations to try.
How to Make Vanilla Pound Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. In a second bowl or a large measuring cup, whisk together the sugar, melted butter (you can use unsalted butter if you prefer), eggs, and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl while mixing.
- Scrape into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean with a few crumbs attached, about 55 to 60 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and peel the parchment from the bottom of the cake. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Pound Cake Recipe Tips and Variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 loaf of Easy Pound Cake, enough for 8 slices or so depending on how you cut them.
- Mixer: If you prefer to use a stand mixer, start with your dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk your wet ingredients together separately, then add to the dry and combine on medium speed.
- Mini pound cakes: This recipe will also make 4 miniature pound cakes. Use four 2-cup mini loaf pans and reduce the baking time to 40 minutes.
- Lemon pound cake: Add 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest and 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice to the sugar before processing in Step 2.
- Orange pound cake: Add 1 tablespoon grated orange zest and 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice to the sugar before processing in Step 2.
- Ginger pound cake: Add 3 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger, 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger, and ½ teaspoon mace to the sugar before processing in Step 2.
- Bundt cake: For a similar cake made in a bundt pan, try my Hot Milk Cake. It also has a light yet tight crumb and a delicious vanilla flavor.
How to Store Pound Cake
Store wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days.
To Freeze
Wrap in plastic wrap and transfer to a freezer bag. Label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
How to Serve Pound Cake
Pound Cake is delicious plain, but it’s heavenly when served with a mound of whipped cream and a pile of fresh strawberries (the pound cake version of Strawberry Shortcake).
Frequently Asked Questions
The secret is the butter. While cakes don’t actually contain a full pound of butter anymore (they used to), they are still made a lot of it and it gives pound cakes their signature buttery taste.
To produce a properly risen pound cake that doesn’t fall, make sure your leavening agent is fresh, not expired. We use baking powder in this recipe, but the same would apply to baking soda. Do not over-mix the cake batter either. Over-mixing can incorporate too much air which gives an artificial lift to the batter while it’s baking but ultimately, it might fall. Last, be sure to keep the oven door closed until the baking time is up. No peaking!
This easy pound cake recipe is made in a standard loaf pan, approximately 8 ½ inches by 4 ½ inches by 2 ½ inches.
Serving suggestions for pound cake
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Easy Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour (see note 1)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter melted (2 sticks)
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (see note 2)
- powdered sugar for dusting, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. In a second bowl or a large measuring cup, whisk together the sugar, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and slowly pour in the wet ingredients, whisking constantly until most of the lumps are gone. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean with a few crumbs attached, about 50 to 60 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and peel the parchment from the bottom of the cake. Cool completely before slicing. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Cake flour: This finely milled, bleached flour has a lower protein content (about 8%) than all-purpose flour. Making cakes with cake flour gives your desserts a soft, tender texture and an excellent crumb.
- Vanilla: Or see Recipe Tips and Variations for other flavor combinations to try.
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 loaf of Easy Pound Cake, enough for 8 slices or so depending on how you cut them.
- Storage: Store wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days.
I tried to watch the video to see the consistency of the batter (mine seemed like there wasn’t enough flour) but it cuts off while you are still mixing it and goes to commercial. When the commercial is over, you are making cinnamon rolls.
Hi Ann, thank you so much for your comment, I’m sorry the video is giving you trouble. There is a button that shows on the right side to either go to the next video or stay on the current. I also checked on mobile to make sure it wasn’t just on the browser. Here’s the link to the video on YouTube incase you would find it easier to watch it from there. Sorry again and I hope you love this pound cake! – Meggan
https://youtu.be/lcmq0NBqZ7I
I can’t wait to try this! I’ve been looking for a great pound cake recipe for a very long time and from reading all the comments this looks like the one! One question though, from the video I saw you used a light colored loaf pan. I only have a dark colored one. Would the baking time and temp change? I ask because I’ve had problems in the past with baking banana bread using a recipe where the baker also used a light colored pan. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Hi Dalia, thank you for your comment! I hope you love this pound cake! Since you’ve had trouble with baking in a dark loaf pan before, I would try decreasing the baking temperature by 25 degrees and checking it about 10 to 15 minutes early, so about 35 – 40 minutes into baking. Hope this helps! Please let me know how it turns out! – Meggan
Came you use. Al purpose. Flour.
Hi Shirley, I don’t see why not! I have used this substitution in other cakes, but I haven’t tested it in this one specifically, so I hope it works and your cake isn’t ruined.
Take 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, and 3 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Begin with 1 1/2 level cups of all-purpose flour. Then remove 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, and add the 3 tablespoons of either cornstarch or arrowroot powder to the flour. Sift together until well blended. (Note: using arrowroot powder may make the cake bake quicker, so keep an eye on the oven.) – Meggan
Simple and easy cake recipe. My 10 year old daughter baked 2 times and it results are amazing. The end product is buttery, spongy and delicious.
Prep time is less than 15 mins. What I liked it no use of mixer and not lot of ingredients.
Hi Vaish, thank you so much for your comment. I love that your daughter baked it! – Meggan
It tasted just like my mother’s pound cake – brought back good memories of a lovely lady. It was easy to make and absolutely delicious. I made it in a stand mixer because I am lazy and it was perfect.
Hi Neil, so glad you loved it! No shame in using a stand mixer! I do as well sometimes. Take care! – Meggan
I’m going to make me a cake 🎂 I was looking for some help with finding a recipe that doesn’t use milk because I don’t have any. I’m going to use water instead.
Hi Teresa, happy to have been able to help! Take care! – Meggan
I made this cake in an hour and a half. I made 1/2 recipe (halfed everything) as it’s only me. I also used 4 slots of an 8-slot mini muffin pan. I added lemon zest and juice. My 4 mini pound cakes are PERFECT. This recipe rivals the exquisite pound cakes my mother used to make. This recipe is simple, quick, and absolutely delicious! I’ll be making this to have with tea and give to neighbors – it’s so easy and tastes terrific. I highly recommend it. It’s a great cake for simple or special occasions 💜
Hi CeCe! I’m so happy you loved it! I love the addition of lemon zest and juice, delicious! Thank you for taking the time to leave such a nice comment. Take care! – Meggan
Third time making this recipe, and at this point I double it and freeze one and it’s still delish.
I’ve added lemon juice and it’s the best and this time I tried with rum flavoring, I think it will be great.
Highly recommend this recipe!
Thanks Esther, so glad you love it! – Meggan
Great recipe, very easy to prep and delicious results. I never bake because I’m terrible for it, first time I manage to make a great cake without dramas. Saving this recipe for my family’s future birthdays and celebrations.
Thanks Vanessa, so glad you enjoyed! – Meggan
Hi, Can you please tell me cooking time if using one cup mini-loaf pans? Thank you!
Hi Lynn, I haven’t tested this myself but one reader cut the recipe in half and baked it in 2 mini loaf pans for 35 minutes and they said it turned out great! Hope this helps. – Meggan