A homemade pound cake is an easy dessert that uses just a few pantry staples!
When looking for a sweet treat that doesn’t need a lot of ingredients, pound cake is perfect. With four main ingredients and a little vanilla and salt for flavor, it’s ready for the oven in no time!
What Is Pound Cake?
Traditionally, pound cake is called that because the recipe takes a pound each of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. This recipe hasn’t strayed far from the classic, I’ve just added vanilla and a pinch of salt.
Most pound cakes are baked in a loaf pan or a pound cake pan (a bundt cake mold) and are served with powdered sugar or a glaze.
Ingredients & Variations
BATTER
While this recipe doesn’t measure in pounds, it does keep the traditional pound cake ingredients of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs.
VANILLA EXTRACT
Vanilla is a classic flavor and while simple, it’s so delicious!
To switch up the flavor try a lemon pound cake or cream cheese pound cake instead. Use almond extract and top a simple glaze with slivered almonds. Or try peppermint and topping it with a peppermint glaze and crushed candy canes for winter!
How To Make Pound Cake
To make a perfect pound cake from scratch, have all the ingredients prepared and ready and the oven preheated.
- Beat butter, vanilla, and sugar with a stand mixer (or hand mixer) until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time. Finally mix in flour & salt.
- Bake until golden on top.
Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
Tips for Success
Ensure the ingredients are at room temperature before starting.
To make the perfect pound cake, beat the butter until the mixture is very light and fluffy. This takes about 8 minutes with a stand mixer.
Mix in flour just until combined.
To Glaze a Pound Cake
Cool completely. Pour warm glaze on top and sprinkle with chopped nuts or coconut if desired.
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- For a bundt cake, pour the glaze slowly on the top of the cake in a circular fashion.
- For a loaf pan, pour the glaze in a side-to-side fashion from one end to the other.
To store a pound cake, keep it in a covered container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can freeze it too!
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- To freeze a whole cake, wrap it in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and label with the date. Place in the freezer.
- To freeze pieces of cake, cut them into slices and wrap in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil and place them in the fridge to enjoy another day!
Remove from the freezer and let thaw in the refrigerator.
Delicious Dessert Recipes
- Pumpkin Dump Cake – 3 simple ingredients
- Classic Coffee Cake – with a cinnamon brown sugar topping
- Hummingbird Cake – light, creamy & sweet
- Buttery Vanilla Cake – made with a boxed mix!
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake – incredibly moist vanilla cake
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake – the best afternoon treat
Did you enjoy this Easy Recipe? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Classic Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 1 ⅔ cups flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease an 8x4 loaf pan.
- Cream butter, vanilla and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 7-8 minutes. Add eggs one at a time and beat to combine.
- Combine flour and salt. Add flour mixture a little bit at a time, beating just until combined.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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I just made this today. I followed it to the wire. I am not certain if I am doing something wrong but it seems that the whole thing was beyond over cooked but the center was not done. What on earth am I doing wrong here?
I am sorry to hear that, Kristi. You will want to make sure you are using a standard metal 8×4 loaf pan for the best results. You can also try tenting your pound cake lightly with foil to trap the heat in and help cook the center.
Holly forgot to put in the Baking Soda into the recipe instructions.
Hi Sharon, this recipe is correct as listed. We do not add baking soda as the pound cake gets its rise from the air that is incorporated into the butter. The butter is mixed for 8+ minutes in step 2, if not that may affect the rise.
Just 1 2/3 cup of flour, does not seem like much for a pound cake. Is it correct?
The recipe is correct as written. This makes one small 8-inch x 4-inch pound cake.
You do not mention the type of flour. Self rising? Or did you use baking soda?
Hi Robin, unless specified, all our recipes use all-purpose flour. For this recipe, we don’t use baking soda.
Turned out wayy to buttery and overtly dry
Oh no, sorry this recipe didn’t turn out well for you Kyra!
This should specify self rising or regular flour.
Hi Paul, unless specified, all our recipes use all-purpose flour.
Super easy recipe and cooked perfectly! Made this for my 75 year old father for his bday because he loves a good pound cake with his coffee. He loved it and said it was sturdy enough to dunk it in his morning coffee (if that’s your thing!). Could easily be paired with berries and whipped cream or a caramel sauce. Make sure to whip the ingredients as the recipe states to get the perfect consistency!
Could I use almond flour for this recipe?
We haven’t tried it with almond flour before, let us know how it turns out if you try it!
wondering if you could use half white and half brown sugar. i love brown sugar in most everying
I have only made the recipe as written Carolyn. One idea would be to add a brown sugar glaze on top! Let us know if you try the pound cake with brown sugar. We’d love to know how it turns out!
You have no leavening in this recipe baking powder or baking soda. Were you attempting to make brownies?
Hi James, for a classic pound cake instead of a leavening agent the cake relies on the air that is mixed into the batter during step 2 for its rise. So it is important to make sure you cream the ingredients until very light and fluffy.
Seems the butter to flour ratio is off here. The cake did not have the velvety texture I expect from pound cake.
Sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy this pound cake as much as we do Lukman. We do find the texture to be lovely. Were your eggs and butter at room temperature? Did you spoon and level your flour? Did you mix in the flour until just combined?
This recipe is very easy and looks beautiful when it’s baked. I sprinkled vanilla sugar over the top before baking and it made a lovely crispy vanilla glaze.
How did you do that vanilla sugar glaze? I would like to try it
Did you use granulated sugar or confectioners?
We used granulated sugar for this recipe.
This was quick and easy but could use more sugar so i put a glaze on the end product.
Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
I use unsalted butter.
I find it difficult when following American recipes as I do not know what is a cup of flour or cup of sugar – what are these in weight please.
A cup is a volume measurement (240ml). You can find online converters that can help you convert to weight measurements. Hope that helps!
8 ounces each
Can I use cake flour instead of AP flour?
I haven’t tried this with cake flour in place of all-purpose flour.
What kind of flour is used in the mix
All Purpose Flour.
Best pound cake ever. Perfect crumb. Just added 1 TBS of vanilla rather than 1 top.
Not big on icings but mixed up 1/4 c brown sugar & 1 tsp of cinnamon – put 1/3 batter & 1/3 sugar mix … repeated twice then used case knife to swirl.
This is officially my go to Pound Cake recipe. The swirl is delicious, but the cake can stand on its own without any swirl or icing
My children are craving for sweets always, This surely goes on to my list!
This looks delicious and simple. I’m thinking of it with your blueberry syrup. Have you tried that? Both will be new recipes to me and I think they would pair nicely.
I think they would be delicious together! Can’t wait to hear how it goes Shannon!