The Perfect Pound Cake
This recipe for making the perfect pound cake gives you a soft, rich, and buttery cake with the perfect amount of sweetness.
The texture is dense, yet tender, with an incredibly delicious buttery crumb. Enjoy it with whipped cream and berries or serve it with a nice cup of coffee.
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Pound cake is such a versatile dessert that can be enjoyed all on its own or paired with fresh fruit, whipped cream, or ice cream.
This particular recipe has beautiful notes of vanilla but you can also add other ingredients like lemon zest, orange zest, or blueberries to add different layers of flavor.
Ingredients Needed For Making The Perfect Pound Cake
- Butter. Good quality unsalted butter is used for this recipe to ensure it doesn’t turn out too salty. Make sure it is at room temperature before you use it.
- Sugar. We’ll be using regular granulated sugar to make this perfect pound cake.
- Eggs. The amount of eggs this recipe calls for will give the pound cake structure. Make sure they are at room temperature so they can easily blend into the batter.
- Vanilla extract. I always use vanilla extract, and not vanilla essence to give this cake a subtle, yet irresistible flavor.
- Flour. Use regular all-purpose flour for this recipe. Be sure to measure it properly by spooning it and leveling it in your measuring cup.
- Baking powder. Only a small amount is used to make this cake a bit less dense. The eggs will do most of the work to give it volume.
- Salt. As with many dessert recipes, a tiny amount balances its sweetness.
- Milk. Whole milk makes this cake super moist and less dense. Sometimes I use sour cream instead, but since I don’t usually have it on hand, I end up adding milk instead.
How to Make The Perfect Pound Cake
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
- Cream the butter and the sugar in a big bowl. You can use a handheld mixer, a stand mixer, or cream it all by hand using a wire whisk.
- Add the eggs one at a time while mixing.
- Add the vanilla extract until it is incorporated.
- Now you can add the flour mixture and mix until well combined.
- Slowly add the milk without overmixing.
- Pour batter into a prepared loaf pan and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the pound cake cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Tips For Making The Perfect Pound Cake
- Don’t over cream the butter and sugar. Cream just until light and fluffy. Overdoing this step will give you a very dense cake.
- Don’t overmix the flour. It sounds simple, but that is one of the most common issues when it comes to this recipe. Overmixing the flour will overwork the gluten giving you a dry and dense cake.
- Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature. This will make it easier to incorporate them giving you a smooth batter.
- Add the eggs one at a time so they mix well with the batter.
- Use real butter, not margarine. Margarine has a higher water content and less fat than butter. This completely changes the texture of the pound cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called pound cake?
This cake was traditionally made in Europe with one pound of each of the main ingredients: butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. It was later adapted to use smaller proportions while still maintaining its wonderful flavor and structure.
Why is my pound cake so dense and dry?
Overmixing and overcreaming are usually the main culprits. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. And only mix the flour until it is combined. If unsure how long you should mix the flour, you can fold it in with a spatula.
How do I Serve Pound Cake?
- You can serve it alone or dust it with some powdered sugar to enjoy with a nice cup of coffee.
- Top it with some berries and whipped cream to make it into a wonderful dessert.
- Cut it into small cubes and use it in your favorite trifle recipe.
How do I store leftover pound cake?
- You can store it in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Pound cake also freezes very well. You can slice it and then wrap each slice individually with plastic wrap and keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Don’t let it sit uncovered for too long as air tends to dry it out. If this happens, you can pop it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to make it warm and soft once again.
Pound Cake Recipe Video
Equipment Used For Making This Pound Cake
- Cuisinart Mesh Strainers
- COOK WITH COLOR Mixing Bowls
- KitchenAid Stand Mixer
- Silicone Spatulas
- Wilton Non-Stick Bread Loaf Pan
- SMARTAKE Parchment Paper Baking Sheets
More Cake Recipes
- Tres Leches Cake
- Chocolate Cake
- Blueberry Muffins
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Colombian Mantecada (Sweet Corn Cake)
- Colombian Maria Luisa Cake
¡Buen Provecho!
The Perfect Pound Cake
This recipe for making the perfect pound cake gives you a soft, rich, and buttery cake with the perfect amount of sweetness.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups 210 g all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup 225 g white granulated sugar
- ¾ cup 169.5 g or 1½ sticks unsalted butter
- 3 large eggs
- ⅓ cup 78.6 ml whole milk
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- Cooking spray (Optional)
- Parchment paper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and prepare a 9×5 inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan by greasing and flouring it or by spraying it with cooking spray and covering it with parchment paper.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time while you continue to mix.
- Add the vanilla and mix until it is incorporated.
- Add the flour mixture into the batter and mix at low speed until it is well combined.
- Add ½ the amount of milk and mix. Scrape the bowl down with a spatula. Add the rest of the milk, mix, and scrape the bowl down once again.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a knife or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the pound cake from the oven and let it rest on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing makes this pound cake dry and dense.
- Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature so they incorporate well with the batter.
- If you want to make a bigger pound cake, you can double the amount of the ingredients and bake it in a Bundt pan. Increase the baking time to approximately 1½ hours.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
