A buttery, tender classic pound cake with a golden crust and a soft, melt-in-your-mouth crumb. This old-fashioned recipe uses simple pantry staples and comes together in one loaf pan with no fancy equipment or complicated techniques. Ready in under 90 minutes, it's the kind of cake that tastes like home.
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Why I Keep Coming Back to This Recipe
My grandmother baked a pound cake every single Sunday. I can still picture her standing at the counter in her faded blue apron, creaming butter and sugar by hand with a wooden spoon while the kitchen filled with that warm, vanilla-buttery smell. She never measured anything. She just knew.
The first few times I tried to recreate her cake, I got it wrong. My first attempt came out dense and gummy (I rushed the creaming step). The second one sank in the middle because I opened the oven too early. The third batch turned out dry as sand.
After about a dozen tries, I finally cracked the code. The secret isn't some mysterious ingredient. It's patience. Soft room-temperature butter, slow creaming, and a careful hand with the flour at the end. That's it.
This version has become my family's favorite. My husband says it's the best cake I make, and my daughter asks for it on her birthday instead of layer cake. Once you taste that buttery, tender crumb, you'll see why.
Why You'll Love This Pound Cake Recipe
- Only 8 pantry ingredients you probably have on hand right now
- Ready in about 90 minutes from start to finish (including cooling time)
- No stand mixer required (though it helps) - a hand mixer works perfectly
- Rich, buttery flavor with that classic golden-brown top crust
- Incredibly versatile - serve it plain, with berries, or toasted with butter
- Freezer-friendly for up to 3 months, making it perfect for meal prep
Classic Pound Cake Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make this buttery pound cake from scratch. Check the recipe card below for complete measurements.
- 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter - plus more for greasing the pan (room temperature is non-negotiable!)
- 4 large eggs - also at room temperature
- ¼ cup whole milk - room temperature works best
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract - splurge on the real stuff here
Ingredient Substitutions
- No whole milk? Use 2% milk or half-and-half in a pinch. Skim milk will give you a slightly less rich cake.
- No kosher salt? Use ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt instead.
- Want a flavor twist? Swap half the vanilla for almond extract, lemon extract, or a teaspoon of lemon zest.
How to Make Classic Pound Cake Step by Step
- Bring everything to room temperature. Set your butter, eggs, and milk on the counter at least 60 minutes before you start. This step matters more than people realize (cold butter won't cream properly, and cold eggs can cause the batter to split).
- Prep the oven and pan. About 30 minutes before you're ready to bake, position a rack in the middle of your oven and heat it to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom and two long sides with parchment paper, letting it hang over the edges by a few inches to create a sling for lifting the cake out later.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. Combine the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Whisk them together well so the baking powder distributes evenly throughout the flour.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Add the sugar and salt to your softened butter in the stand mixer bowl. Beat on medium speed with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. The mixture should look pale, fluffy, and almost whipped. DO NOT RUSH THIS STEP. This is where the cake gets its tender texture - you're whipping air into the butter that will help the cake rise.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Crack in one egg and beat until fully combined before adding the next. Scrape down the bowl between additions. The batter will look a little curdled or separated at this point, and that's completely fine. It comes back together once you add the flour.
- Alternate wet and dry ingredients. Add half the flour mixture and beat on the LOWEST speed until just combined. Pour in the milk and vanilla extract and beat briefly. Add the remaining flour and mix only until you no longer see dry streaks. Overmixing here is the number one cause of tough, dense pound cake, so stop as soon as the flour disappears.
- Transfer to the pan. Scrape the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Pick up the pan and gently tap the bottom on your counter a few times. This knocks out any air pockets that would otherwise create tunnels in your finished cake.
- Bake until golden. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until the top is a deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few moist crumbs are okay, but no wet batter). Check the cake at the 50-minute mark - if the top is browning too quickly, tent it loosely with foil for the rest of the bake time.
- Cool completely. Place the pan on a wire rack and let it cool for 30 minutes. Use the parchment sling to lift the cake out of the pan, then let it cool completely on the rack (about 2 more hours). I know the waiting is torture, but slicing too soon will ruin the texture.
Storage and Reheating Tips
This buttery pound cake stores beautifully, which is honestly half the reason I love it so much.
- Room temperature: Wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container. It stays fresh for up to 4 days on the counter.
- Refrigerator: You can refrigerate it for up to a week, but bring slices back to room temp before serving for the best flavor and texture.
- Freezer: Wrap the whole cake (or individual slices) in plastic wrap, then foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight on the counter.
- Reheating: A quick 10 seconds in the microwave warms a slice perfectly. My favorite trick? Toast slices in a buttered skillet until the edges turn golden and crisp. It's a total game-changer for day-old cake.
The flavor actually gets better after the first day. The butter and vanilla have time to settle in, and the crumb becomes even more tender.
Expert Tips and Pound Cake Variations
Want to know my biggest lesson from years of baking this cake? Temperature is everything. If your butter, eggs, or milk are cold, the batter won't come together properly and your cake will suffer. Period.
Here are a few more tips from my kitchen:
- Weigh your flour if possible. 1 ½ cups of flour should weigh about 180 grams. Too much flour (from packing your measuring cup) is the fastest way to a dry cake.
- Don't peek. Opening the oven door during the first 45 minutes of baking will cause the cake to sink. Resist the urge!
- Room-temperature eggs crack more evenly. If you forgot to take them out ahead of time, place them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
- Add a glaze. A simple lemon or vanilla glaze drizzled over the cooled cake takes it from classic to show-stopping in under 5 minutes.
- Try flavor variations: Fold in fresh berries, lemon zest, poppy seeds, or mini chocolate chips after the final flour addition for a fun twist.
Ever wondered why it's called pound cake? The original recipe called for one pound each of butter, sugar, flour, and eggs. This modern version keeps the spirit but makes a more manageable loaf size. Isn't it amazing how some recipes stay basically the same for 300 years?
Classic Pound Cake FAQ
Nine times out of ten, a dense pound cake comes from under-creaming the butter and sugar or overmixing the flour. The creaming step should take a full 4 to 5 minutes - you want that butter mixture to look pale and fluffy. When you add the flour, mix on the lowest speed and stop the moment the streaks disappear.
Yes, but you'll want to double the recipe for a standard 10-cup bundt pan. A single batch won't fill it enough. Grease the pan thoroughly (every crevice!) and dust with flour before adding the batter. Bake time will also be slightly longer, about 70 to 80 minutes.
Good news: that crack is a sign of a perfect pound cake! It happens because the outside of the cake sets before the inside finishes rising, so the top splits as the center continues to expand. It's completely normal and, in my opinion, part of the cake's rustic charm.
The toothpick test is your best friend. Insert a wooden toothpick or skewer into the center of the cake - it should come out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. The top should also be deeply golden brown and spring back lightly when touched. If in doubt, an instant-read thermometer should read 200 to 210°F at the center.
Recipes You May Like
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake - Another classic loaf-style cake with a tender crumb and cinnamon-sugar ribbon. Perfect for breakfast or afternoon coffee.
- Caramel Cake with Condensed Milk - If you love buttery, rich cakes, this caramel version will knock your socks off.
- Lemon Poppy Seed Cake - A bright, citrusy cousin to pound cake that comes together just as easily.
- Moist Fruit Cake: Moist Fruit Cake
- Easy Almond Nut Cake
Final Thoughts
This classic pound cake recipe is the kind of bake that makes your kitchen smell like Sunday morning and your family feel loved. Simple ingredients, a little patience, and you've got a dessert that's been making people smile for hundreds of years.
I make this cake at least twice a month. Sometimes plain with tea. Sometimes topped with macerated berries and whipped cream. Sometimes toasted with butter for a quick breakfast. It never gets old, and honestly, neither will you with this in your back pocket.
If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear how it turns out! Leave a comment below and let me know what variation you went with. And don't forget to save this to your Pinterest board so you can find it easily next time a pound cake craving hits.
Happy baking!
Sophie
📖 Recipe
Classic Pound Cake Recipe
This classic pound cake recipe delivers a buttery, tender crumb with a golden crackled top using just 8 pantry staples. Ready in about 90 minutes, this old-fashioned loaf cake is perfect served plain with tea, topped with fresh berries, or toasted with butter for breakfast.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Bring butter, eggs, and milk to room temperature (about 60 minutes).
- Heat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment sling.
- Whisk flour and baking powder in a medium bowl.
- Beat butter, sugar, and salt in stand mixer on medium for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
- Add half the flour mixture on lowest speed. Add milk and vanilla. Add remaining flour. Mix until just combined.
- Transfer batter to loaf pan. Tap pan on counter to release air bubbles.
- Bake 60-70 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Tent with foil after 50 minutes if browning too quickly.
- Cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes, then lift out using parchment and cool completely (about 2 hours).
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
10Amount Per Serving: Calories: 340Total Fat: 20gCarbohydrates: 36gSugar: 20gProtein: 5g
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