Pound Cake
intro
Rich, buttery, tender-crumbed classic vanilla pound cake with a crisp golden crust, perfect served plain, with fresh berries, or a light sweet glaze.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep oven and pan
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F) with a rack positioned in the middle. Grease a 9x5 inch (23x13 cm) metal loaf pan thoroughly with 5 grams of softened butter, then line the bottom and long sides with a strip of parchment paper that overhangs the edges by 5 cm (2 inches) for easy removal after baking.
Cream butter and sugar
Place the 226 grams of softened room-temperature unsalted butter and 200 grams of granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer for 3 full minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula every 60 seconds, until the mixture is pale, fluffy, and nearly ivory white.
Incorporate eggs slowly
Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, beating on medium-low speed for 30 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl thoroughly after adding the second and fourth egg to ensure no unmixed butter is trapped. Mix in the 5 ml of vanilla extract until fully combined, about 15 seconds.
Mix in flour and milk
Whisk the 226 grams of all-purpose flour and 3 grams of salt together in a separate small bowl to evenly distribute the salt. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the batter, mixing on the lowest speed for 10 seconds just until no dry flour remains. Add half of the 60 ml of room-temperature milk, mix for 5 seconds, then repeat the alternating additions, ending with the final 1/3 of flour. Do not overmix—stop as soon as the last streak of flour disappears to keep the crumb tender.
Bake the pound cake
Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top evenly with an offset spatula. Bake on the middle oven rack for 55 to 65 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with 2-3 moist crumbs attached (not wet batter). If the top browns too quickly before the center is set, tent the pan loosely with aluminum foil after 40 minutes of baking.
Cool cake before serving
Once baked, let the cake rest in the pan on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes, then use the overhanging parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan. Let it cool completely on the rack for an additional 45 minutes before slicing into 2 cm (3/4 inch) thick slices to serve.
Tips
2.Avoid overmixing once you add flour: overworking the batter develops excess gluten, which makes the pound cake chewy instead of tender and soft.
3.Resist slicing the cake until it is fully cooled: cutting warm cake compresses the delicate crumb, leading to ragged, dense slices instead of clean, even cuts.
OMG this vanilla pound cake was such a hit at my church potluck last Sunday! I added a tiny lemon glaze on top per my grandma’s tip and people were coming back for thirds. So moist, not too sweet, perfect with a cup of coffee in the morning too. 10/10 will make again for my kid’s soccer team snack next week!
Baked this last night for my roommate’s birthday and he said it’s better than the store-bought pound cake we get from the fancy bakery downtown. Didn’t even have to run to the store for special ingredients, everything was already in my pantry. Super easy for a guy who barely bakes, ngl.
This is exactly the pound cake recipe my mom used to make back in the 60s! I’ve been searching for a no-fuss version that doesn’t require sour cream or weird add-ins for years. It came out with that perfect crisp crust and soft, buttery crumb just like I remember. My grandkids devoured half the loaf before it even cooled all the way.
Game changer! I’ve messed up so many pound cakes before that came out dry or dense in the middle, but the easy instructions here made it foolproof. I did use salted butter because that’s what I had on hand and cut the added salt a tiny bit, turned out perfect.
Made this to bring to my in-laws for Sunday dinner and my mother-in-law asked for the recipe before I even left. Win for me! The vanilla flavor really shines through, not artificial tasting at all because I used good quality vanilla extract like the recipe said.
Perfect for weekly meal prep! I slice the whole loaf up and freeze individual slices, then pop one in the microwave for 30 seconds when I want a quick breakfast on my way to work. Tastes just as good as fresh even after a week in the freezer.
Wait, has anyone tried making this in a bundt pan instead of a regular loaf pan? I only have bundt pans right now and don’t want to run to the store for a loaf pan before my friend’s brunch tomorrow.
SO good. I’m not a big baker but this was so straightforward, I didn’t even have to pull out my stand mixer—just used a hand mixer and it came together in 10 minutes flat. Served it with fresh strawberries and whipped cream for date night, my girlfriend loved it.
Took this to my neighborhood block party last weekend and not a single crumb was left. Everyone kept asking if I bought it from a fancy bakery! The texture is so velvety, I think the trick is letting the butter come to room temp first like the recipe says, don’t skip that step y’all.
Made this in my tiny dorm oven and it actually turned out! I was worried because my oven is super janky and never cooks evenly, but I rotated the pan halfway through and it was perfect. Way cheaper than buying baked goods from the campus coffee shop every week.
I was a little underwhelmed? I followed the recipe exactly but it felt a little plain for my taste. Next time I’ll add some almond extract and maybe a handful of blueberries to jazz it up, I think.
My kids loved it! I let my 7 year old help me measure the ingredients and stir the batter, and she was so proud to serve it to the whole family after dinner. It’s such an easy recipe to make with little helpers, no super complicated steps.
Just pulled this out of the oven and my whole house smells like warm vanilla heaven! I can’t wait to slice into it after it cools, the edges already look perfectly golden and crispy. Already know it’s gonna be good based on how the batter tasted (don’t judge, I always lick the spoon).
Can I use vanilla bean paste instead of extract? I have a huge jar of it I got for Christmas and want to use it up, but I don’t want to mess up the ratios.
Game changer for my weekend brunch rotation! I served this alongside scrambled eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit last weekend and all my friends were raving. It’s not overly sweet so it works for breakfast or dessert, which is so versatile.
Made this for my abuela’s birthday and she said it tasted just like the ponqué she used to eat growing up in Puerto Rico! I added a tiny bit of rum to the glaze on top and it was chef’s kiss. Will absolutely be making this again for every family gathering from now on.
I thought I messed this up when my batter looked a little lumpy after mixing, but I kept going and it came out perfect! Don’t panic if your batter isn’t perfectly smooth, I guess the lumps melt right in while it bakes. Saved me from throwing out a whole batch of batter for no reason.
How long does this stay fresh for? I want to bake it a day in advance for my book club meeting, will it still be moist if I wrap it tight on the counter overnight?
I added a chocolate swirl to mine and it was insane. Just melted a half cup of semi-sweet chocolate, dolloped it on top of the batter in the pan, and swirled it with a knife before baking. Tasted like those fancy pound cakes they sell at the grocery store bakery for $15 a pop.
SO good with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top for a quick weeknight dessert! I didn’t even make a glaze, just served it warm with ice cream and a little drizzle of caramel sauce, and my whole family cleaned their plates. So easy to throw together after work even on a busy night.