This Classic Easy Pound Cake Recipe is simple to make with only 6 ingredients. My entire family loves it when I make this luscious cake. It is perfect served with berries and whipped cream.
This Classic Pound Cake Recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients. We love that this cake is soft, spongy, and dense and pairs perfectly with fresh berries.
This cake often gets overlooked, but I think it is one of my favorite cakes to serve. If you love chocolate, try Chocolate Pound Cake.
Another delicious cake is Angel Food Cake Recipe and Apple Bundt Cake.
Table of contents
Why is a Pound Cake called a Pound Cake?
A traditional pound cake was named this based on the ingredients that were used to make it. The original pound cake recipe recipe was a 4 ingredient pound cake. It included a pound of each of these ingredients: flour, sugar, butter and eggs.
This is how the name “Pound Cake” was born. However, over time, many bakers have changed this recipe for taste and preference. There are now all sorts of different pound cake recipes available.
See all our Pound Cake Recipes.
Pound Cake Vs Bundt Cake
There is a difference between a pound cake and a bundt cake. Pound cakes are often baked in a Bundt pan, but there is still a difference.
- Pound Cake – It is a thick, dense, and heavy cake.
- Bundt Cake – It is a cake that is baked in a Bundt pan.
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter. Make sure this is softened before using.
- Vanilla Extract. Pure vanilla extract is best.
Scroll to the very bottom and get the entire ingredients.
Variations and Additions
- Use a flavored extract. You can easily use a different extract in this recipe to change up the flavor. Lemon extract, almond extract or mint extract would all work great in this simple pound cake recipe.
- Add in citrus juice and zest. If you want a lemon pound cake, add in some lemon zest and lemon juice.
- Stir in chocolate chips, nuts or fruit. Try adding in some chocolate chips, fresh berries, mashed bananas or chopped nuts to the cake batter.
How to Make a Pound Cake from Scratch
- Step 1. First preheat your oven to 350F. Then generously grease and flour a 10″ bundt pan or tube pan. Shake out excess flour and set aside. You can also use cooking spray.
Step 2. Next place the unsalted butter in a stand mixer or you can use a hand mixer.
Step 3. In the mixer, beat the butter until it is creamy and smooth. Then scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the pound of sugar. Mix the butter and sugar together until they are well combined.
Step 4. Get out a separate bowl. Combine eggs, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and salt.
Step 5. With your mixer on low speed, slowly pour the egg mixture into your batter, allowing it to mix together gradually. Then reduce to low and gradually add the cake flour.
Step 6. Then scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl again and beat for another minute.
Step 7. Now your batter is prepared and ready to be baked. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Use a spatula to smooth the surface of the batter so that it’s evenly in the pan.
Step 8. Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 9. Allow the cake to cool for at least 15 minutes. Then run a knife around the sides of the bundt pan and the center to loosen the cake from the pan. Next carefully invert pound cake onto a cooling rack and allow the cake to cool completely before serving.
Expert Tips
- It’s best to use room temperature ingredients when making this cake recipe so that the ingredients can thoroughly combine together.
- Let the butter softened at room temperature. So not use the microwave as melted butter can cause the cake to become flat.
- Make sure not to over mix when adding in the egg mixture or the flour mixture. Over mixing could cause your cake to become dry and crack when baking. Use measuring cup to measure ingredients correctly.
- I recommend using real butter (not margarine) for this recipe.
Frosting Ideas
This cake is also great topped with frosting. Here are a few of our favorite frosting recipes that we love topping this cake with.
Toppings
- Whipped Cream and Berries – The combination of Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe and berries is delicious.
- Ice Cream – In the summer, I serve No Churn Strawberry Ice Cream over this cake.
Storage
Store any leftover pound cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If you store slices, separate them with parchment paper.
Wrap the cake with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, place it in a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 3-6 months. To defrost out, let the cake sit out at room temperature to thaw out before enjoying it. See Can You Freeze Pound Cake.
FAQs
When I make this pound cake, I use a 10″ bundt pan. This pan is also called a 12 cup bundt pan as well. I love the way this cake recipe turns out in this pan.
Yes, this cake can be made in loaf pans. Pour the cake batter into 2 prepared loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes until a tooth pick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
The sugar and egg combination in this recipe make the cake moist so don’t reduce the sugar amount. Pound cake is supposed to be a dense cake but should not be dry. Over cooking the cake will make it dry so watch is closely when baking it.
Also, over mixing the batter could cause the cake to be dry so just mix the ingredients until just combined.
The key to getting a good pound cake is not overmixing your cake batter and using room temperature ingredients. This cake is supposed to be light and airy. Following these two key points will help you to have the best pound cake.
The reason why your pound cake overflow is because of overmixing the ingredients. Make sure to mix until combined.
We recommend using a toothpick to check if pound cake is finished cooking. If it comes out clean, then it is done cooking.
This pound cake recipe is great with any type of frosting your prefer. You can make your own or use store bough frosting.
Make sure when adding in ingredients that you do not overbeat. This can create large bubbles that weakens the cakes texture.
More Easy Cake Recipes
- Old Fashioned Hummingbird Cake
- Cream Cheese Puffs Recipe
- Hawaiian Wedding Cake
- Orange Pound Cake
- Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
- Easy S’Mores Cake Recipe
It’s your turn to try this wonderful recipe. Don’t forget to come back and leave a comment.
Easy Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsalted butter softened
- 3 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 6 large whole eggs
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F and generously grease and flour a 10″ bundt pan. Shake out excess flour and set aside.
- Place your butter in a standing mixer. Beat the butter until it is creamy and smooth.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the sugar. Beat until the ingredients are well combined and light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, combine your eggs, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Use a fork to lightly beat the eggs until egg yolks are broken up and salt and vanilla are incorporated.
- With mixer on low speed, slowly pour egg mixture into your batter, allowing it to mix together slowly.
- Once all of the egg mixture is incorporated, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then increase speed to medium-high and beat for another 1-2 minutes.
- Reduce mixer speed back to low and gradually, about ½ cup at a time, add flour to the batter until all has been added to the mixer.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl and mix again on medium speed until well-combined for another minute.
- Spread batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan. Use a spatula to smooth the surface of the batter on the top of the pan.
- Bake for 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the thickest part of the cake comes out clean. Do not over bake.
- Allow the cake to cool for at least 20 minutes then run a knife around the sides of the bundt pan and the center.
- Carefully invert the pound cake onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before serving.
- Slice and serve!
Wonderful tasting pound cake, I served it with fresh strawberries this summer! So so good!! Thank you for all the wonderful recipes!!