Pound Cake Recipe
After months of research and testing I created Pound Cake Perfection. This is the ultimate old-fashioned, buttery pound cake that melts-in-your mouth. I think this will become your go-to recipe.
How to achieve Pound Cake Perfection
A really great pound cake should have an even crumb with a melt-in-your-mouth texture and buttery, vanilla flavor. It’s beautiful in it’s simplicity.
While I’m not opposed to a little glaze or powdered sugar on a pound cake, I think pound cake is meant to be eaten without any frosting. You want all the richness in the cake itself. If you’ve got a really great cake recipe, there’s no reason to hide it under a pile of sweet frosting.
So why is it called “pound cake” anyway?
Pound cake got it’s name based on the original formula of 1 pound each of butter, sugar, eggs and flour. It’s called “quatre-quarts” (four-fourths) by the French.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Cake Flour – Bleached cake flour makes the softest cake.
- Sugar – A little extra sugar tenderizes the cake.
- Milk – A little milk moistens the cake.
- Baking Powder – To lighten the cake crumb.
- Eggs – Extra egg yolks emulsify the batter so it can hold more moisture. The yolks also enrich the cake.
How to make Pound Cake
- Combine the eggs, yolks, half the milk and the vanilla in a small bowl. Set it aside.
- Sift the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl with the sugar.
- Mix the dry ingredients to combine.
- With the mixer running on low, toss the softened butter into the dry ingredients.
- Mix until the flour is coated with butter.
- With the mixer running, add the rest of the milk.
- Mix on medium high for 2-3 minutes to aerate the batter.
- Add the egg mixture and mix until smooth. Scrape the bowl in between to avoid lumps of thick batter.
- Pour the batter into a buttered and floured loaf pan, Bundt pan or angel food cake pan.
- Use the tip of a small spatula to make a trench down the center of the cake.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool at least 20 minutes before turning out of the pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pound cake is meant to be eaten without frosting so the cake itself needs to be very moist and rich. Pound cake has a high proportion of butter. This gives pound cake a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Adding a little more sugar than the traditional pound cake recipe helps keep the cake moist. Adding milk also moistens the cake.
Cake flour makes a softer and more tender pound cake than all purpose flour. Bleached cake flour allows the batter to hold more liquid for a moister cake and is also slightly acidic. Acidity weakens gluten and makes a softer cake crumb.
The traditional pound cake recipe made with equal proportions of butter, sugar, flour and eggs can tend to be heavy. A little baking powder can be added to lighten the crumb.
Why this is a Better Pound Cake Recipe
There are about a bajillion pound cake recipes out there on the interwebs and, frankly, I’m shocked at how many of them still use the original 1:1:1:1 formula.
Personally, I find that recipe is less than ideal. It’s fairly dense, a little chewy and has a slightly flat taste.
I decided to tweak the traditional pound cake recipe to make it better. I baked 100+ pound cakes over several months of research and testing. I tested each ingredient and how it works in the cake. I also tested various mixing methods, ingredient temperatures and alternative ingredients.
If you’re a baking geek like me, you can read all about how I adjusted the percentages in this comprehensive post about creating a great cake recipe. I used the same formula to make a great Vanilla Butter Cake and White Cake recipe.
If you still haven’t slaked your thirst for all the knowledge about cake batter, go ahead and read through my 7-part Cake Batter Series.
Quick tip: To make an easy petite four cut the pound cake into cubes. Line the cubes onto a clean cooling rack set over a sheet pan. Drizzle Quick Fondant Icing over the cubes and leave them until the icing sets.
Here are some other pound cake recipes for you to try:
- Pistachio Pound Cake
- Key Lime Pound Cake
- Blueberry Pound Cake
- Honey Pound Cake
- Sour Cream Pound Cake
- Marble Pound Cake
- Coconut Pound Cake
- Chocolate Pound Cake
Now that you’ve made this recipe what should you do with all the extra egg whites? Check out this collection of recipes that use extra whites for some great ideas.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please consider leaving a 5-star review.
Perfect Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs (room temp)
- 4 egg yolks (room temp)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 oz whole milk (¼ cup, divided)
- 8 oz cake flour (1 ¾ cups, see note)
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 10 oz granulated sugar (1 ¼ cups)
- 9 oz unsalted butter (room temp)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to at 350 °F. Butter and flour a 9"x5" loaf pan or Bundt pan.
- Combine 3 large eggs,4 egg yolks, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and half the milk in a small bowl, whisk to combine and set aside.2 oz whole milk
- Sift together 8 oz cake flour, ¼ teaspoon table salt and 1 teaspoon baking powder in a mixing bowl. Add 10 oz granulated sugar to the flour and mix at low speed for 30 seconds. Add 9 oz unsalted butter to the flour and mix until combined. Add the other ½ of the milk and increase the speed to medium high. Mix for a full 2-3 minutes. The batter will lighten in color and texture. If your using a hand mixer add another minute or two to the mixing time.
- Scrape the bowl and paddle thoroughly. On low speed, add the egg mixture in 3 increments, scraping the bowl after each addition. Mix just until the eggs are incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth to an even layer. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (about 55-65 minutes).
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn the cake out onto a cooling rack and cool to room temperature.
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Absolutely the best pound cake! I did have to cream the butter and sugar together first though. I just couldn’t incorporate it in to the flour mixture without doing so. I added a 1/2 tbsp lemon zest. Wonderful recipe, thank you!
Thanks, Marcia. You do need to be a bit patient to wait for the butter to mix into the flour. If the butter is on the cold side it takes a bit longer. Glad you liked the recipe. I love it.
I just spent the afternoon reading all your pound cake lessons and I found them fascinating! Thank you so much for your intense curiosity. I plan to use your pound cake recipe. There is one question I would like to ask. Could I replace some of the butter with cream cheese or sour cream, yogurt and get the same results? Thank you for sharing your knowledge with this old lady. If you have any questions regarding nursing, let me know I would be glad to help you out! Sheree Runion Hyde
Here’s a recipe for Lemon Yogurt Pound Cake.
what is volume of a pound cake?
Sorry, I don’t understand your question.
So…….in reading past posts you stated no butter on sides of cake pans so is that standard for all and when you state butter flour pans do you mean bottom only?
AND I’ve been taught the spoon flour into measuring cup then level with a knife and the scoop method results in too much flour, so now I’m really confused.
Will you clarify these questions for me?
Thanks so much!
I don’t butter the sides of standard round or square cake pans. Specialty pans like loaf pans and Bundt pans do get greased. There is no “correct” or industry standard way to fill a cup of flour. Professional bakers never measure with volume ingredients and always weigh their ingredients. Personally, I find spooning and fluffing flour adds unnecessary time and movement to filling a cup. It’s faster and easier to simply dip it in the bin and fill it. The dip and sweep method will yield too much flour if the original recipe writer used the spoon and fluff method to write their recipe. The spoon and fluff method will result in too little flour if the recipe writer used the dip and sweep method. If you do use volume measurements it’s helpful to know how the recipe writer measures the ingredients so you can be as accurate as possible. As always, if you have a kitchen scale weigh your ingredients for the best results.
Regarding your comment “…frankly, I’m shocked at how many of them still use the original 1:1:1:1 formula.”
Call me old fashioned, but the reason is that the 1:1:1:1 formula is the very definition of a pound cake; it uses a pound of each ingredient. While I’m sure your cake is very delicious and I’ll probably try it, it’s a different cake, despite baking it in a loaf pan.
Hello! If I beat sugar with whole eggs will the proteins be partially “cooked” or yolks prevent this?
The yolks will prevent the whites from “whipping” up.
Is there a different bake time for bunt pans? I used mine left In recommended time and it was so overdone I would like to try this again because it seems it would be great- how should I adjust?
Yes, a bundt will bake faster because it bakes from the center and the sides. Begin checking at 25 minutes then check every 5 minutes until the center springs back when pressed and a toothpick comes out clean.
How many slices do I need to select to bake this pound cake in the traditional pound cake tube pan?
The recipe as it is written could be baked in a tube pan. The baking time will be shorter since the cake will bake from the center and the sides.
It does not to say what to do after it bakes? Let it cool in pan or on rack?
Thanks
I’ve updated the recipe card to include cooling instructions. Thanks for the comment.
Do you have a temperature measurement for doneness? I ask because I’d like to bake this as mini-loaves. Thank you
About 200F.
Oops I meant whole milk
Hi there, I only have 2% milk. What should I add to get the same effect using while milk? Thanks
2% milk will work fine.
To slightly reduce the sweetness, I’m considering reducing sugar to 1C (instead of 1-1/4C)…..will the texture still be okay?
Read through this post about sugar in cake batter.
I’m curious about the 4 egg whites that are not used and the addition of 2 oz of milk. It seems like reducing liquid in one form (egg whites) and replacing with another form (milk). Can you elaborate on what that does compared to using those 4 egg whites and not using milk?
Thanks (I really enjoy your info and approach).
Egg whites are almost entirely made up of water and protein. Milk has water and a little protein but also some fat and sugar. The added fat and sugar changes the flavor of the cake and makes it more tender. The higher protein in the egg whites would add more structure to the cake.
It’s actually the most perfect pound cake I have made and I’ve made many. I made this pound cake for my family three times and we’ve had it with vanilla ice cream or fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Yum! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
I really appreciate you giving the egg amount in weight. I have chickens that lay banty eggs, which are small. I have a zillion eggs, but it’s always a guessing game how many to add. I’ll be sharing your recipe with my chicken friends because this is rarely ever done but soooo nice to have.
Is there a way to make it into a banana pound cake? Love your recipes and insights!
I’m sure there is, but it would take some testing.
@Else Baugh, I love that idea!
Good day … what is the difference between salted and unsalted butter in recepis. Will it be ok if I substitute with salted butter
If you use salted butter you might want to reduce or eliminate the salt in the recipe. I always use unsalted butter so I can control how much salt is in the final recipe. The amount of salt in butter can vary by brand.
Why don’t you whip the egg whites to add extra fluffiness? Or would that not be the result? Also, would a little oil in place of some of the butter add extra moistness? Thanks!
Well, you could do those things but then it would be less like a pound cake and more like a butter cake or layer cake. I have a vanilla cake recipe that has whipped whites and I have a buttermilk cake that uses oil.
@Eileen Gray, In a pound cake wouldn’t beating the egg whites make the cake as tough and rubbery as a basket ball?
First, to clarify. I don’t whip the whites for this recipe. But I do for other cake recipes. Especially my Vanilla Butter Cake. Whipping the whites does not make the cake rubbery. In fact, I’ve found through testing that whipping the whites actually makes a cake quite tender. As I noted in my article about eggs in cake batter, “Whipping egg whites has the same effect as cooking whites- the proteins unfold, reattach and trap water. Since the whipped whites are already partially “cooked” they don’t contribute as strongly to the structure of the cake. In my testing I found that a cake made with the same proportion of yolks and whites had a softer texture when the whites were whipped and folded into the batter.”
Made this for Thanksgiving today. Everyone loved it, best pound cake ever, truly decadent. After 1 hr it was still soggy in the middle, at 70 min it was perfectly done. Start checking at 60 min, it is a thick batter so don’t be alarmed. It will work out.
This recipe is truly Pound cake perfection! Utterly buttery, beautiful crumb & crust. Any skepticism I had about the amount of eggs or the unique reverse creaming method were thrown out after I tasted a slice; super yummy. Rave reviews received as I shared it with a neighbor, saying it was the best cake they’d tasted even better than ones from the bakery. BTW I am an amateur home baker so don’t hesitate to give this recipe a try. Thank you so much Eileen for your well explained blog and perfect recipe. I wish I give you more than 5 stars!
i tried your recipe but not able to get side crust as its visible in your cake what could be the issue?
The type of pan you use can make a big difference. The material and color of the pan affects how it bakes. If you use a dark colored pan you get a darker crust. Glass pans don’t brown as well as aluminum. My loaf pan is a dark colored aluminum so I get a nice brown crust.
What size round tin will this recipe need please?
You could bake it in an 8″ or 9″ round tin. It will probably bake faster so check the oven after about 20-30 minutes.
Can I use bleached all purpose flour? I like my pound just a little more dense and was wondering if the change in flour will make a difference.
Also if I was to try one pound recipe on your page, which one will you recommend? THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE.
Which pound cake recipe is more dense? This one or the sour cream recipe? Thank you.
The textures are very similar.
Hi Eileen!
I’d like to try this pound cake recipe. I live in Colorado, about 6000 ft above the sea level. Do you have any suggestion on what adjust to make this work in high altitudes? Thank you!
Mod
Sorry, I don’t have much experience with high altitude baking. I have a Facebook group for bakers to ask questions like this. Join the group and post the question to see if anyone can help out.
@Mod,
At high altitude, reduce levening agent to 75%
Hi Eileen,
Thank you for your detailed experimentation. I tried your recipe but my cake keeps coming out very soggy. It has a nice top layer (about 1/5 from the top) but the rest is dense and soggy. It still tastes wonderful but texture is wrong. It almost feels like it’s oozing with too much butter.
I tried with reverse creaming, traditional creaming, less eggs, cake flour, AP flour, checked oven temperature. Sometimes it’s slightly less soggy but still somewhat on the soggy side.
What could I be doing wrong?
Since this is a low moisture batter I can’t imagine how it becomes “soggy”. Do you mean that you get dense streaks in the cake? A couple of things to check. Room temperature butter means butter that is about 70F. The butter should be cool to the touch (cooler than body temp), slightly flexible but not at all melty or greasy. Don’t over cream the batter which can compromise the texture. Use an oven thermometer to check your oven temperature to make sure you’re baking at the right temp. Make sure you’re using “large” eggs. Finally, what size pan are you using and what is the material of the pan?
Good morning I wanted to know what is the difference with the amount of eggs used. I use 5-6 eggs and I see your recipe calls for 3. Can you explain if it really makes a difference in the pound cake? Thank you.
There’s a lot of information in this post about eggs in baking and this post about eggs in cake batter.
Hi Eileen!
I stumbled upon your website while searching for a perfect pound cake recipe.
I made it last night and let me tell you it is nothing short of divine!!
Never in my life have I ever tasted a pound cake so perfect!!!
My heartfelt gratitude to you for putting up this Ultimate recipe on the web!
I shall now, take time to read through all your other recipes and start trying them out…
Thank you once again from India!
Truptee
You are quite welcome!
I made this cake today as stated and it came out perfect! I was wondering, though, if I could get away using 2 less egg yolks next time?
You can “get away” with it, but the cake will not be the same.
Thank you very much for your explanations and recipes. I baked this cake yesterday and the texture is heavenly. My only issue is that it was too sweet for me. 125% of sugar results in a tender cake, though. Still tempted to continue playing with the recipe, just by reducing sugar to 100%.
Again, many thanks for a great blog.
Will this recipe work if i want to bake it in a cupcake pan? If yes, how does the temperature and cooking time change? Thank you!
I have had people who have baked this as cupcakes. Same temp and obviously they will bake much faster. I would start checking at 10 minutes.
If I am making a peach cobbler pound cake or any other flavor would I use this recipe as my base and then just add in the other ingredients
You can, but if you add any ingredients that include lots of liquid or sugar keep in mind that will change the balance of the recipe. Visit this post for more information about balancing a cake recipe.
Hi, is great to read your blog full of descriptions and science behind baking a great pound cake. Considering getting your pound cake book after I try this vanilla pound cake.
Before I get into it. I saw the ingredients that you are using pretty alot of sugar. Would this cake be tooo sweet. As I always try to reduce the amount of sugar for all my cakes and also try to mantain the softness of the cakes.
Hi Rachel, reducing the sugar will make the cake less sweet, but also less soft. You can look at this post about sugar in cake batter to find out the science behind why sugar makes cakes softer. You can always reduce the sugar to your taste. But at some point you’ll get more of a bread than a cake.
Thanks for your quick reply and I can start baking it today! I will follow exactly for this round. And see whether I like the sweetness level.
Please tell what should I do when now I don’t have cake flour and only have normal refined or all purpose flour here in lockdown India?
how long would the egg whites take to form soft peaks? approximately?
Hi Ujjaini, For each cup of cake flour you can substitute 3/4 of a cup of all purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons of corn starch. To replace the 1 3/4 cups of flour in the pound cake recipe you would use 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour plus 3 tablespoons and 1 1/2 teaspoons of corn starch. The eggs whites are not whipped for the pound cake recipe.
Thanks a lot dear Ma’am
Hi Eileen,
I have a version of Perfect Pound cake with 4 egg, 3 yolks. I assume you have updated your recipe? I was about to make it when I noticed the difference. Also, the photos of your Pound Cake (and also for the Sour Cream version) look quite white – which is what I’d like to achieve. However as I consider the amount of yolks, I would expect a more yellow cake. Was it your lighting, or is that what I can expect since it states that it lightens in color as mixing.
One final question is regarding the even/solid appearance (minimal air holes) – if you mix for several minutes, doesn’t that add air/holes to the cake? I just wanted to double check before making it – eggs are sometimes in short supply at the supermarket so I’m stingy right now:)
Hi Rosanna, Yes I did update the recipe, as I’m always tweaking and perfecting. The cake will be a little more yellow with the extra yolk, but will still be fairly pale. Especially if you make sure your butter is room temp (not cold, not melty) and mix for the full 2-3 minutes before the eggs are added to get air into the batter. Regarding the even appearance, because this recipe uses reverse creaming you do tend to get a more even texture without large air bubbles. Because most of the aeration is done before the eggs are added you’ll get smaller air bubbles.
In Step 4 where eggs are added to the beaten butter/flour, how much mixing should there be? Should it be stirred until just combined and no visible eggs streaks or should it be beaten until fluffier after each egg addition? Also, how easy is it to over beat the creaming stage in Step 3, is there a lot of head room before a creaming becomes over creamed?
Thanks for the recipe!
You’re not likely to over beat in step 3 (before the eggs are added). There is a lot of room before the batter is over creamed. Unless you let it go on so long the butter melts, etc. After each addition of the eggs, mix just until combined. At this point you’re not looking to add any more air to the batter. With the introduction of more liquid from the eggs this is the point where over-mixing could toughen the cake.
I followed the series, and I must say THANK YOU.
I allways wanted to make an Orange pound cake (Love Orange), but never really liked must of the recipes I´ve come across. So I´ve decided to make my own from scratch, following this recipe.
So what I did was:
* Change Milk for Orange Juice (same cuantity)
* Use a full orange zest (It´s was greenish, so it had a little bitter flavor, really strong, but delicious aftertaste)
* Made my own “Cake Flour”, adding some corn starch to All P.
* The biggest change was the fat: I wanted an oil based cake, so I used Soy (What I had at hand), but didint wanted it to be too “Oily” son only used 200g
* My biggest concern was the eggs, to maintain the Egg-Fat ratio, I used 4 whole eggs, and hope the Lecitin in the Soy Oil workad as emulsifier… It did just perfect
* Finally, just compensate the 60g of Juice with extra sugar…. the sugar ratio was 115%. Sweeter, but not too sweet to overwhelm the orange.
It was perfect: The crumb was soft and light, kinda flexible, and the taste was excellent… Sweet in the mouth and a strong orange aftertaste.
Again, Thank you. God Bless
Hey, that’s wonderful Roy! That’s exactly why I did this series. I have a Facebook Group, Baking Sense Recipe Workshop, to talk about working on recipes like this. Anyone can join if you just send a request. We’d love to have you in the group and hear about how you adapted the recipe.
Your explanations are so well written. You are a very good teacher. I was able to reduce the quantity of everything proportionately following your explanations and make exactly the amount of batter that my three mini loaf pans could handle. And the cake came out exactly as I wanted – dense (I love denser ones) but moist, yellowish and with beautiful crust all around.
Just one question (if you have time) when I add vanilla extract to the butter-sugar-egg mix, every time it looks like the batter curdles a little. Then as I add flour, it becomes kind of ok. Is my vanilla extract bad or is it normal?
That slight curdley look is completely normal. I’m so glad you liked the cake. I think a good pound cake should have a slightly “dense” crumb.
I made a huge pound cake based exactly on this recipe, and everyone loved it at Christmas dinner today.. The texture was perfect and it was not too sweet.! It did not make the crispy crust that I usually get with pound cakes but this is a solid recipe, for sure. The method seemed very unusual but I followed it to the letter, and it was a perfect pound cake.
Anyone can post a recipe- some with wildly varying proportions and off ingredients (like pudding mix), but you are showing the WHY. And also have shown us dozens of experiements. Thanks!!! This is my go-to site for pound cake.
Thanks!
Wondering if I can use this recipe for cipcakes??
I haven’t tried baking the Pound Cake Batter as cupcakes. But I imagine it would work fine. I like using my Vanilla Butter Cake for cupcakes. It’s still a buttery cake but is a little lighter and is nice with buttercream.
I had a few issues….the batter overflowed while baking.. I used a large 9.25×5.25 loaf pan and measured the ingredients exactly by weight so I’m not sure why that happened. I also overbaked it. I kept checking the cake by pressing lightly with my finger and it seemed very soft and jiggly. But apparently it was done long before I finally checked it with a toothpick because it came out clean even though it still “felt” underdone to me. So I ended up with a very ugly, dry cake. I think if I’d pulled it out earlier it would have been very good. I may try again today, splitting the batter into two smaller 8.5×4.5 pans.
Hi Michael. Not sure what happened. I baked this cake, literally, dozens of times and never had an overflow issue. Generally, the pressing test works well, but if you are more comfortable with the toothpick test then you should use that instead.
I gave it another whirl, just pulled them out of the oven. I split into two 8.5×4.5’s like I said above, and even then, the batter was JUST on the verge of coming up over the edge. One or two millimeters higher and it would have spilled over. The cakes settled down quite a bit after coming out of the oven, so I think either my baking powder is super-strength, or more likely, I probably overbeat the batter a little after adding the egg mixture causing a little bit of souffle action. They look 10x better than my poor attempt yesterday and I can’t wait to try one!
I agree that either there is something going on with your baking powder or how the cake was mixed. As I said, I made this cake dozens of times and never had a spill over. Hope it works out.
Thank you for your super quick response. I ultimately made the pound cake with granulated sugar just so I will have a baseline comparison for when I try the superfine sugar. When I try it I’ll post how they compare. Your recipe turned out absolutely delicious and I am SO happy because I have been looking and looking and testing so many pound cake recipes. Thank you for delivering the perfect recipe! Something funny happened however. I replaced the 1 teaspoon of vanilla with 2 teaspoons of lemon extract. In the back of my mind I thought I shouldn’t add it directly to the egg/milk mixture but did anyway. And sure enough, right after I added it, the whole thing curdled and I had little streaks of scrambled egg in the mixture! I had to start over with another set of eggs, but lesson learned! The second time I was careful to add the lemon extract to the flour/butter mixture just before it was done beating.
I can’t wait to see the comparison shots. I guess you lemon extract had a little acid in it to curdle the eggs. My favorite way to flavor lemon cake is to add lemon zest.
Hi, First I appreciate the detail of your explanations! I have tried many pound cake recipes and am attempting yours this morning because it looks like you have gone through great lengths to perfect your recipes.. I am wondering how using superfine sugar in this recipe would affect the outcome. I’m always looking to make things the best they can be and i think i understand that superfine sugar is sometimes used in some baked goods. Will it possibly give the cake a finer crumb or maybe make it more tender? Thank you.
Hi Chris, I didn’t test my pound cake recipe with superfine sugar, but I did test it using powdered sugar. Honestly, there wasn’t a huge difference in texture between the cake made with granulated sugar and the cake made with powdered sugar. It’s possible that there would be a greater difference if the cake was made with the traditional creaming method since the larger sugar crystals would cut through the butter and incorporate more air bubbles. Smaller crystals also dissolve more quickly than larger crystals and that could have a negligible affect on the texture. But I don’t think buying special sugar or taking the step of grinding the granulated sugar would be worth the trouble for a barely noticeable affect. If you try using superfine sugar compared to granulated let me know if you find a difference.
I am making the pound cake now and I have a glass 9×5 baking dish. I baked for 55 minutes and the center was batter. The sides were great. So I baked another 10 minutes – pulled it out and again center was batter. So now I’m putting it in for another 15 min. What would the problem be? I usually use aluminum pans but I had the dish so I used it. Need a hint please.
Hi Donna, as you’re discovering, the pan you use can make a big difference in how a recipe bakes. Glass does not conduct heat as well as metal, but once it heats up it retains heat better. So a cake baked in a glass container will tend to brown more on the outside and bake slower in the middle. I like to bake pound cakes in a light-colored aluminum pan. But my favorite pie plate is a pyrex glass pan because I get a nicely browned crust for the pie. HOpe it turned out ok.
Hi Eileen,
Pound cake turned out great!! Delicious! After the 15 minutes it was fine! Everyone loved it and they would like me to try it with lemon extract next time. Sooo good! Thanks for your reply.
QUESTION: If I double the recipe, does that mean I must use 8 eggs and 6 egg yolks? Is there any other combination of egg that would not require so many extra yolks, maybe adding more whole eggs and subtracting some yolks? If not, I will make it like this, but just wondered. (I am a pound cake fanatic and am always looking for good recipes.)
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. A really good light and delicious pound cake recipe are very hard to find. I was unfortunately short on egg yolks so I used 4 eggs and 2 egg yolks and I thought it wouldn’t be sweet enough with 1 1/4 cup of sugar so I used 1 3/4 cup of sugar and it was too sweet. I think that might have also thrown off the texture slightly because it was just a bit too buttery (too much of a buttery feel might also have been because I had the butter a bit too soft). I should have stuck with the exact recipe. The cake did have a nice airy quality. Thanks again. i will check out more of your recipes.
Hi Charmian, Glad you were able to experiment a bit and see how balance is important in a cake recipe. Too much sugar makes the cake too tender and is probably why you got a poor texture. If you read the Sugar in Cake Batter post you’ll see how the amount of sugar can make a big difference in the texture of the cake. In the future, I would suggest that if you like the cake a bit sweeter try making a glaze for the top. Mix powdered sugar with just enough milk to get a texture like pancake batter. Pour the glaze over the cake while it’s still slightly warm then let it dry while the cake finishes cooling.
Hi Eileen,
I saw the comment about a shorter bake time for a bundt pan but I was wondering if you had an idea of how much shorter? I tried 45 minutes and that was too long—the cake was dry and had a hard crust, but was not burnt. Maybe start with 35? Thanks!
Sorry I didn’t see this comment sooner. If 45 was way too long then I would start checking at 30 minutes.
I made this exactly as directed and it is AMAZING! I cute it into slices and then into finger food strips and served it at a tea party with a variety of curds and every one raced about it. I will be adding this to my little notebook of favorite recipient for sure. Thanks for all the info about they why’s as well I’m a self thought home baker and am fascinated by the whole science behind why things do and do not work and his was illuminating to say the least.
Well thank you, Laura. I’m so glad you liked it.
Lovely recepie. Would surely give it a try.
Thanks for the superb testing to produce this pound cake. Just wondering. If I wanted to add some lemon juice, maybe 2 teaspoons and zest to make it a lemon pound cake, would I add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to neutralize the acid? At least that’s how I understand it from your leavener class.
Hi Ken, you’ll get the best lemon flavor from lemon zest and lemon extract. The juice is acidic, but doesn’t have as much “lemony” flavor as the zest, because the zest has the lemon oil. My favorite way to make lemon pound cake is to add the zest and extract to the batter, and then use the juice to make lemon syrup. Mix the juice from one lemon (about 2 tbsp), with 2 tbsp water and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Warm the syrup in a small saucepan until the sugar is melted. Pour the syrup over the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven and it will soak into the cake as it cools.
Another option would be to use the juice to make a lemon glaze. Mix the juice with powdered sugar to make a glaze with the texture of heavy cream. Take the cake out of the pan and let it cool a little bit. When the cake is still slightly warm, pour the glaze over the cake. It will set as the cake finishes cooling. Let me know how it works out.
Hi Eileen. Thanks for the reply. This is THE PERFECT pound cake. I must have tried like 4 other recipes and they were always light but dry, dense and dry, dense and soggy etc… I almost quit trying to bake since the only really “edible” cake I made was from a boxed cake mix. The cake mix had a great texture but tasted fake and plastic-ky. I made your cake for a pot luck on Sunday before I read your reply. The only thing I did different was add the juice and zest of 1 regular lemon at the very end. I was nervous since you really can’t tell if a cake is good or not until you cut into it and it would be tacky if I cut into it and brought it to the potluck. Anyway, before I knew it, it was gone!! I didn’t even know desert had started. I had to get a bite from someone else to taste it. It was light, airy and moist. And the flavor was delectable. Every one asked me where I bought it and I was like, “Why you don’t think I can make this?” LOL. The only thing they said was that I shouldn’t have called it a lemon pound cake but more just a lemon cake because it was too light to be a pound cake. I didn’t care, it is the kind of texture I like. It must be the reverse creaming method. That’s the biggest difference. Well whatever made it “store bought” is good enough for me to make again and again. Thanks Eileen!! (now I might invest in a Kitchen Aid mixer since doing any sort of creaming with a hand mixer is messy and crappy!!)
PS: No commented on anything at the pot luck except the the amazing ribs made by the host and…. your pound cake!! And there were like 10 other dishes!!
Thanks for the feedback, Ken. I can tell you that the stand mixer is a good investment if you like to bake. I’ve actually got 2. Glad you liked the recipe.
Hi
What can I use instead of milk? Also where do I get cake flour?
You can use almond milk if you don’t do dairy. In the US, you can buy cake flour in the grocery store or on-line. If you don’t have cake flour available where you live for each cup of cake flour you can substitute ¾ cup of all-purpose flour mixed with 2 tablespoons of corn starch.
Wow! I made this yesterday with the addition of 1/4 cup of orange juice and zest from 2 large oranges for my husband’s b-day. It was delicate, fragrant, rich, buttery, with a light closed crumb. Perfection! Thank you.
That sounds delicious!
My favorite pound cake used to be a Sarah Lee one (especially when it just was a bakery and sold everything fresh and not frozen.) Since it has been sold , they changed the recipe for it. Now the cake is not only moist but a little wet. The consistency has been changed drastically. I always say if it’s not broke ,don’t fix it! Is your recipe more like new or old recipe?
I’m not sure about the old vs. new recipe. But this recipe makes a cake that is tender and soft, but certainly not wet.
Hello! Just came across your website, LOVE IT and all your amazing useful tips! Can I use your pound cake recipe to make one of these trending alphabet cakes with flowers and strawberries on top? Will it hold well enough? Thanksss 🙂
Hi Dalia, I would think it would work. Would you bake in a shaped pan or cut out the shapes from a slab of cake? You can also take a look at my Vanilla Butter Cake recipe. It’s a little lighter in texture and might be better for this sort of cake.
Hi Eileen! Thanks for this recipe, it looks heavenly! I am preparing to bake it, but was wondering if it a pound cake with a ‘crusty’ top. If so, is it hard crust or lightly crusted? Also, could I add sour cream to this recipe to order to make a Sour Cream Pound Cake? If so, how much sour cream and is it best to add the sour cream when I add the milk to the batter, or should I substitute the sour c. for the milk? Also, (sorry for so many questions) do you have a recipe for Key Lime pie? Thanks again!
* in order
Hi Kay, this cake does get a soft crust, one of my favorite parts of a good pound cake. Here’s a recipe for sour cream pound cake. I have a recipe for “Margarita Pie” that’s really fantastic. If you don’t do alcohol you can leave it out and it’s basically a Key Lime Pie.
Thank you Eileen! Both recipes sounds delicious and I will give them both a try. I have a friend that loves Key Lime Pie…and margaritas also, so perhaps I will try this recipe both ways:) Thanks again for your help!
This cake is so very yummy ! Added almond essence instead of vanilla .
Yum, this would be delicious with almond!
Can I make this with all purpose flour?
Hi Jess, all purpose flour and cake flour are not interchangeable. You can read about the differences in this post about flour, and this post about flour in cake batter, specifically. To exchange all purpose flour for cake flour the rule is for every cup of cake flour use 3/4 cup all purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons of corn starch. For this this pound cake recipe which has 1 3/4 cups cake flour, that would work out to 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour plus 1 Tablespoon plus 1.5 teaspoons of corn starch.
Thank you! I can now finally bake this cake. Cannot find any ‘ cake flour’ here . Thank you for the clear instructions/ conversions.
You’re very welcome, Rita!
Hi Eileen. I totally agree with you, that 1 cup cake flour is equivalent to 3/4 cup all purpose flour and 2 tbsp. cornstarch. I dislike cake flour and I always replace it with all purpose flour using this formula. I am an experienced amateur baker, and this formula always work. D)
My husband wants the perfect poundcake that is dense and moist and lots of vanilla flavor. Will this fit the bill? He is a cook himself and knows what he wants, so I really want the best pound cake ever with a definite vanilla flavor. Should I add more vanilla? We have thought of infusing the sugar with a vanilla bean as well. What are your thoughts? Thanks!
Hi Kari. Well, of course everyone’s definition of “perfect” will vary based on their own tastes. Sure, you could add more vanilla to make the flavor stronger. Vanilla sugar would work well. I would suggest you give it a try and then see how he likes it. If you read through the post you’ll see how you can make changes to the recipe to suit your taste. Want it a little denser and moister? You could try adding a little extra milk and/or sugar until you get the texture he likes. Good luck!
Hoping this gets a reply as I’m sure you’re probably busy with holiday readiness. Does the oven need to be preheated, or does it start off in a cold oven. I’ve seen recipes done both ways and wanted to be sure. Thanks!
Hi Lauren, I always preheat the oven. I’ve changed the recipe directions to include pre-heating. Thanks for the feedback. Hope you enjoy the recipe.
Thanks so much for the reply! Can’t wait to try this on Sunday! 🙂
I definitely want to make this! My question is if I were to make this in 2-8 inch round pans how long do I have to bake them? I just want to be able to put whipped cream between the layers and almost make it into naked cake.
Hi Debbie. I can’t give an exact time for baking in 8″ pans because I haven’t tried it with this specific recipe. I would guess about 25-30 minutes, but I always go more by how the cake looks than the time. The center of the cake should spring back when lightly pressed, or use the “toothpick” test. A toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake should come out clean. My favorite layer cake is this Vanilla Butter Cake recipe. That recipe is made in two 8″ pans and they take about 25-30 minutes to bake. Enjoy!
Thank you! I’ll try the pound cake first, and definitely will try the vanilla butter cake also!
Great! Enjoy!
Just tried this with 2 inclusions….half cup of rum,and a cup of diced strawberries… because hey…. strawberry rum pound cake….also made a dark chocolate rum ganache as a drizzle….. fantastic!
Wow, that sounds delicious!
Really nice cake Great!!
I love learning the chemistry behind successful baking! The reverse creaming method is the best technique I’ve ever heard of. Looking forward to giving it a try with my new stand mixer. Lol Many thanks!
Great, enjoy the new mixer!!
Hi Eileen tried the pound cake didn’t come out like yours . will try again
Hi Tessa, if you have any questions I’d be happy to help.
thank you so much for your recipe I have been trying to remember since I was little how my mom made the perfect pound cake no one could tell me how to make my pound cake not like a cake texture your recipe was just what I’m looking for I tried the pound cake and it is excellent Great Taste and texture thank you.
Thanks so much, Roz. You have no idea how happy I am to hear that.
Can this recipe be doubled, for a high tube pan?
Thanks, can’t wait to bake this
Hi Terry, Depending on the size of the pan you should be able to do 1.5 or 2x the recipe. You’ll just have to adjust the baking time accordingly.
Hey Eileen first I must thank you for sharing your recipes with us. Haven’t try any yet but will do . I just joined I am happy have learn a lot so far the pound looks lovely . much love and abundance
How nice of you. Thank you, Tessa.
Hi there! wanting to make this but wanted to know what needed to be adjusted in order to make this in a bundt pan? (double recipe, bake time, etc)
Hi Austin. You could easily bake this in a Bundt pan. The 9×5 loaf pan that I used for this recipe holds 9 cups. My Bundt pan holds 12 cups. The batter might not totally fill the Bundt pan, but that’s fine. The baking time will probably be shorter so just keep an eye on it and check to see that is springs back when pressed in the middle or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Enjoy!
Hello,
I’m not a baker but I want to try this recipe. Question. Is it 1 1 cup or flour or more? I’m confused since I see 3/4.
Hi Jen! Sorry I didn’t answer this sooner. Somehow I never saw your question. The recipe calls for 1 3/4 cups of flour (which weighs 8 oz).
Hi,
This sounds amazing and I’m going to try it tonight. For he flour measurement is it 8oz (1cup) or do I need to add more? I see 3/4 after the cup but only see exactly 8oz, a bit confused :/ I do not bake often
Hi Jen. I list the ingredients both in volume and weight measurements. You can either use 8 oz or 1 3/4 cups of flour. Some people (especially in the US) like to use volume measurements and some people (me included) prefer weight measurements.
My measuring cup said 8oz is 1 cup. So if I use this cup, what should I go by? 1 3/4 of a cup?
The 8 oz listed on the cup is a liquid measure. 1 cup of water weighs 8 oz. But a cup of flour weighs about 5 oz. You’ll need 1 full cup plus 3/4 of a cup of flour to make 8 oz.
Perfect! Thank you so much
I just made it and it *is* perfection. Lovely light crumb, sweetness that is just right – thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Thanks so much, Ady!! I’m so glad you liked it.
I made this yesterday and it was the best pound cake I have ever tasted. Thank you for sharing the recipe. I would like to double the recipe can you please advise of any of the ingredients would need to be adjusted, like the baking powder for example.
Thanks
Hi Sharma. I’m so glad you liked the recipe! Do you want to double the recipe and bake in two pans? If that’s the case then there are no changes needed to the recipe. Just mix the batter and divide between two pans.
I was never a fan of pound cake – it just didn’t seem “sexy” and worth the calories…until a friend bought me a pound cake from a famous Phila bakery known for their pound cake. OMG is all I can say. Since I like to bake I was determined to find/create a pound cake recipe that is at least close to the OMG pound cake. But alas, while many were good, they just weren’t OMG. I came across your site and loved how you explained the science with techniques/ingredients/ratios I can try. The photo of this perfection pound cake seems to have the characteristics in that OMG cake – tight, minimal air pocket, and lighter in color. But I’m a bit confused from all I have read – adding more yolks I’d expect a less white cake, and I would expect a leavener would create air pockets ( it’s mind boggling how that OMG pound cake, with less air & weighs like a brick, is so light & melts in your mouth!). Before I bake yet another cake, I thought I’d ask if your recipe is close to my goal. Thank you! I may email you photos of that cake or petit fours to see crumb/color.
Hi Rosanna, I know all the information about cake batter is a lot to take in. I’ll try to answer each of your questions. I have added a few extra yolks to help incorporate the liquid from the milk and and extra sugar into the batter (both of these add moisture) but in the overall cake it doesn’t make it super yellow. I add just a tiny bit of leavener to lighten the crumb a little. Sifting the leavener with the flour and then mixing the dry ingredients for 30 seconds helps distribute the leavener so it’s doesn’t make air pockets. I don’t know if you read through any of the other “Cake Batter” classes, but if you look at the “Salt & Leaveners in Cake Batter” post you can see photos of how different a cake crumb will look based on how you add the leavener.
Appreciated Eileen,
Many Thanks
Ali✔️
Looks FAB!
Any special conv’n instruction for UK baker Eileen?
Hi Ali, the ingredients are listed in metric units so you should be able to follow those and get good results. The flour is regular cake flour, not self rising. 350F is 176C for the oven temp. Let me know if you need any other information.
Hi Eileen! This cake looks amazing! Like one of the other commenters, I would like to make in an 8″ round cake pan and I would like to add mini chocolate chips (as per my daughter’s request) besides coating the chocolate chips in flour to keep them from sinking, do you think there is anything else I need to do differently? Thank you very much!
Hi Barbara, You could bake the pound cake in a round pan, no real change to the recipe necessary. If you want a slightly lighter cake that can be iced I would recommend my Vanilla Butter Cake. When I add chocolate chips to a cake batter I find that flour alone doesn’t really keep them from sinking. I toss the mini chips with a little water, just a teaspoon or two, enough to moisten. Then toss in teaspoon or two of flour. This will form a paste on the chips that will help keep the chips from sinking. Enjoy!
have only just gone back to baking after 20+yrs and I am not sure what you mean by Cake flour. Is it plain or self-raising flour.
Hi Marlene. Cake flour is not self-rising flour. It’s a flour made with soft wheat. It will say “cake flour” on the label. Cake flour does not contain salt or baking powder.
I would like to make this cake two to three days early. It will be used in the strawberry lemonade cake found on pinterest. Should I freeze it or how long will it be fresh. Thank you….great class on baking.
Hi Barbara. Thanks for visiting the blog. The pound cake will keep for several days, but for optimum freshness I would freeze it if you’re making it 2-3 days ahead. Just double wrap in plastic or plastic and foil then allow it to defrost in the wrapper. I’d love to see a photo of your cake when it’s done. Please feel free to post and tag Baking Sense on any social media that you use.
Wow you’ve gone into so much detail and gave some amazing tips. The pound cake looks absolutely perfect!
Thanks!
Oh, yeah, I think this is certainly perfection indeed! I adore pound cakes, and yours looks the business! Perfect with everythinf!
I’m more of a cook, but I love the super well explained recipe here, makes me wanna jump to baking! I love to know every little details of the recipe, like the extra egg yolk to emulsify and the equal parts of flour and sugar (although you like a tad sweeter). Got to try my hand at baking now! Yum!
This is food art at its finest! Thanks for sharing your talents with us Eileen!
Nothing can beat a good pound cake. I love your scientific explanation for each ingredient and the proper ratio. I wish I’d been in your testing kitchen during your research phase!
this cake looks mega moist and tasty, plus a good pound cake recipe is always a must, grilled pound cake is awesome with some berries.
Any adjustments for high altitude baking?
I am at about 5100 ft – on Wyoming ‘ s eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains.
Hi Faye, sorry I personally don’t know anything about high altitude baking. I’m checking into it with a pastry school friend from Colorado and will let you know what I find out.
Did you ever find out anything about baking this at high elevation? I have trouble with cakes at 5100 feet as well. Thanks!
Hi Sam, I’m sorry. I reached out to a friend who lives in Colorado but never got an answer. Unfortunately, where I live I can’t do any experimenting for high elevation baking. I found a guide on the King Arthur website. Hopefully this will be helpful.
Wow! This looks amazing. I LOVE a good pound cake. Especially this time a year, with fresh berries on top…. mmmm heaven!
I was never a fan of pound cake because most tasted so dry until I had one that changed my life! I can’t wait to try this recipe out. It sounds and looks perfect!
Your cake looks like absolute perfection. One day I like to think I will have the attention to detail to bake like you!
Great instructions – and tips ! I look forward to trying it as this pound cake looks absolutely perfect!
Was thinking of using your recipe for an upcoming wedding cake….do you forsee any issues with the batter in an 8″, 6″ or 4″round pan? Those are the sizes that will be used. Thanks!!
Hi Samantha, I see no reason that the cake can’t be baked in those pans. The pound cake is a little dense, as it should be. If you’d like a slightly lighter texture for the wedding cake I would recommend my Vanilla Cake recipe. It’s the recipe I used for 10 years in my wedding cake business.
I always love to know the “why” behind a great recipe, and your instructions did not disappoint! This pound cake looks heavenly, I can already picture the endless toppings to go with it! Yummy!
Thanks.
Look delicious an perfect pound cake I’m trying this recipe right now Thank Eileen for sharing ❤️
Thanks, Silvia. I hope you like it. Let me know if you have any questions.
This cake recipe sounds quite rich and there’s nothing better than a rich cake. My son loves cakes and I think I’ll give this one a shot. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Fred. I hope you son likes it.
Hi!! I made this today, and it´s delicious, it has an even crumb with a melt-in-your-mouth texture , I didn´t use vanilla extract I added some pure vanilla bean paste, it came out realy great. The only problen that I had, was that I used a 9”x5” loaf pan and the mix overflows.
Hi Hilda. Hmmm, I’m not sure why your cake would overflow from a 9×5 loaf pan. That’s the size pan I used for all the pound cake tests and the batter never flowed over. Are you sure the pan is 9×5? I have another standard loaf pan that is 8.5×4.5 and that .5 inch in either direction would make a big difference.
I’ll be turning this into a decorated layer cake for my boyfriend’s mom (hopefully soon to be mother in-law) for mother’s day. Cross your fingers she likes it!!
What type of pan will you bake in?
Was going to make this using cup measurements but then noticed they don’t seem right in comparison to the percentages. Used weight measurements and will be putting in the oven now.
Hi Lisa,
Weight measurements are always the most accurate. But the cup measures for this recipe are correct. I measured the ingredients by volume (cups) then by US weight measures and then by metric weight measures. Using any of the three should work. The percentages don’t represent the percentage of that ingredient in the recipe. The percentages represent each ingredient in relation to the weight of the flour.
The flour is always designated at 100%. Since there is 8 oz of flour in this recipe, 8 oz is 100%. The recipe has 10 oz of sugar, so that means the sugar is at 125%. There are 2 more ounces of sugar than flour, and 2 is 25% of 8 which is how the 125% is calculated.
Does this answer your question about the measurements? Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Can this recipe be doubled.
Sure, but you’ll need to bake it in two pans.
How much flour would you substitute with cocoa powder if you wanted to make this recipe chocolate?
Hi Tess, I would substitute 1/4 cup of the flour with cocoa powder. There is a recipe for chocolate pound cake (and 5 other variations not on the blog) in my Pound Cake Perfection eBook.
I baked it up yesterday during the snow storm – added some Meyer lemon zest and took it into work today – rave reviews.
The texture is just perfect!
That’s so great Rebecca. Meyer lemon would be perfect in the pound cake. I’ve published a little eBook with additional pound cake recipes. It’s available on Kindle and I’ll also be posting a link to a pdf version on the front page of my blog.
looks delicious! if only someone baked it for me haha
Hmm, maybe you’ll have to send a link to a friend who likes to bake…maybe they’ll take the hint and make it for you.
Thanks for the terrific information! I love knowing what ingredient accomplishes which result…
Personally, I always have loved the classic pound each poundcake – but the explanation of your changes gives me the tools for another, lighter loaf cake, and the understanding to then make any changes I want or need. So much better than “Just do it this way, trust me!” LOL (Though I do understand why cake recipes often need to be presented that way…)
Thanks, Anne. It’s nice to know how a recipe works so we can make changes to suit our own tastes. Glad you enjoyed it.
This does look perfect! Will definitely be trying this recipe out soon!
Thanks, Madelene! I hope you like it.
Going to try it
So its a total of 7 eggs
A total of 7 eggs, but only using 3 whole eggs. You’ll be left with 4 extra whites. Extra whites freeze really well, and here’s a collection of recipes that use extra egg whites.
I love the science behind baking. This was very interesting and the pound cake looks divine.
Thanks, Patti. It is a good recipe.