My grandma’s recipe for traditional pound cake is the only one you’ll ever need. Dense, sweet, buttery, incredibly moist cake with a crunchy top. The perfect dessert for any occasion.
This beloved recipe has been in my family for generations. When I was a little girl, I remember pulling up a chair to the kitchen counter to watch my Grandma Blanche make her famous pound cake. We had it for pretty much all special occasions – Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or any “just because” family get together. It’s the best pound cake recipe ever!
Classic Southern pound cake is made with a pound of butter, a pound of sugar, a pound of eggs and a pound of flour, that’s why it’s called a pound cake! It’s a moist, dense cake with a tight crumb as it doesn’t use any leavening agents like baking soda or baking powder. It’s super easy to make with pantry staples and always a crowd pleaser!
For more of my favorite desserts, be sure to check out these big fat chewy chocolate chip cookies and this reader favorite, my carrot cake recipe!
This post is brought to you in partnership with my friends at Bob’s Red Mill. I used their Organic Unbleached White All Purpose Flour in this recipe and I absolutely love to bake with Bob’s! Thank you for supporting the brands that help bring new content to Big Delicious Life.
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Why you will love this recipe
- It’s easy to make, all you need is six simple ingredients!
- You can easily customize the flavor with different extracts or toppings
- It’s the perfect classic pound cake recipe for any occasion!
Ingredient notes
Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature before you begin.
- Bob’s Red Mill Organic Unbleached White All Purpose Flour – my go-to for all of my baking needs. Substituting with cake flour or an alternative flour is not recommended in this recipe.
- Butter – I always use salted butter in this recipe.
- Sugar – Plain, granulated sugar.
- Eggs – 6 whole large eggs, separated.
- Milk – Whole milk only. Do not use reduced fat or dairy milk alternatives.
- Extracts – Vanilla extract is a must. You can do all vanilla or mix it up with half vanilla, half butter flavor, lemon, coconut or almond extract.
Step by Step Instructions
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy.
2. Add egg yolks and mix until well combined.
3. Add in extract and mix.
4. Alternate adding flour and milk in 2-3 rounds, mixing on medium speed in between each round.
5. End alternating rounds of mixing with milk.
6. Using the same beaters in a separate bowl, lightly whip egg whites until foamy.
7. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add in egg whites and mix until everything is just incorporated. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
8. Prepare 12-cup bundt pan or tube pan by greasing with butter and dusting with all purpose flour to prevent sticking.
Spoon cake batter into prepared pan and bake at 325 degrees for about 90 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes before inverting onto rack to cool completely.
Tips for Making the Perfect Pound Cake
- Start with room temperature ingredients. This will help everything incorporate evenly and prevent gluey streaks throughout the thick batter.
- Use the spoon and level method to measure the flour. Do not scoop it directly from the bag as that tends to pack the flour down and could result in a dry cake.
- Make sure to prepare your cake pan to prevent sticking. Grease it with butter and and sprinkle generously with flour. Tap the flour around the pan until it coats all sides. You can also check out my friend Jocelyn’s recipe for homemade no fail cake release!
- Tap the cake pan gently on the counter once filled with the cake batter before you put it into the oven. This will help remove any air pockets in the batter.
- For best results, use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness. When the temperature reaches 210 degrees, you can be confident that your cake is perfectly done.
What to serve with Pound Cake
Simple and delicious, pound cake is just perfect the way it is. Sprinkle the top of the cake with some powdered sugar and serve it in thick slices with some fresh berries, whipped cream or ice cream to jazz it up a little bit. It’s also wonderful to enjoy in the morning with a cup of coffee or tea!
How to store pound cake
- Store leftover, uncut cake in an airtight container on the countertop for up to five days. Do not refrigerate as that has a tendency to dry the cake out.
- Pound cake can also be frozen whole or cut into slices, wrapped tightly in a layer of plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and stored for up to three months. Thaw on the counter to enjoy!
More favorite dessert recipes to try
Grandma Blanche’s Famous Old Fashioned Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 4 cups Bob's Red Mill Organic Unbleached White All Purpose Flour
- 1 pound butter 4 sticks
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 6 eggs yolks and whites separated
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees f.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed, cream together butter and granulated sugar. Or use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Add egg yolks to butter and sugar mixture and mix until well combined.
- Alternate adding flour and milk in 2-3 rounds, mixing until just incorporated after each round.
- Add in vanilla extract.
- Lightly beat the egg whites until they become light and foamy.
- Gradually add in whipped egg whites with the mixer on low speed until everything is just combined. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Spoon cake batter into a prepared tube pan or bundt pan and tap on the counter to remove any air pockets.
- Bake at 325 degrees f for approximately 90 minutes.
K Fry
Why don’t I see the amounts on the ingredients ?
Jessica
Hi there! The full recipe and ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. If you want to jump to the full recipe, just hit the “jump to recipe” button!
Liz
Wow, just wanted to comment this was a delicious recipe. I used duck eggs (which are of course larger than chicken), same amount, and mostly vanilla with just a dash of almond.
It turned out amazing! Some people have commented it was quite sweet, but I thought it was just right. Perfect with both coffee and tea!
And it makes a lot, I think it tastes even better the second day, but still SO GOOD even on day 1.
I was thinking about adding poppyseeds next time I make this…because there will definitely be a next time!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Betty Thornton
Don’t be like my sister and assume you can use self rising flour instead of going to the store and getting plain flour 🙃🤣. She had batter for days cooking over the sides and to bottom of oven . 🤪
Jessica
OMG! We all have to make that mistake once!
Sheila
Should this cake have baking powder or baking soda as an ingredient? I got my pan greased and floured and all the listed ingredients, but wondered what will make it rise.
Jessica
Hi Sheila! Pound cakes typically don’t have leavening agents. It’s a dense moist crumb and the best way to achieve great texture is to make sure that you adequately cream the butter and sugar as this creates enough air to get the right amount of rise for a pound cake. Hope this helps and that you enjoy the recipe! – Jessica
Thom Kelly
This is without a doubt the best old fashioned pound cake recipe ever. Simply scrumptious! Just follow the directions. FYI, Bobs flour not available in my market so I used King Arthur’s. It taste exactly like my grand mother used to make. Dense, buttery, slightly crunchy top….. so glad I found this.
Jessica
Thank you so much for letting me know you loved it. This recipe is so special to me. xoxo – Jessica
Robert And Beth Anne Hering
I have a problem with pound cakes but this one looks so delicious that I want to make it! My pound cakes come out of the oven so beautifully and then the middle sinks and/or the whole cake sinks! What am I doing wrong?
Monica Payne
What do you think about the cold oven method not preheating ?
Jessica
I’m not familiar with this method for baking! This is how my grandma always made it.
Kathy H
Taste was good. It was too sweet for me but we ate it all. If I would have known the cake was so sweet, i would not have put a little bit of sugar in my strawberry topping. Tips were very helpful and I followed them. Crust looks just like the picture. I made 6 mini loaves. How full would you say to fill the tin? I filled 75% and they came out great.
Emily
This is the best pound cake I’ve ever had!
Jessica
Thank you so much. That means so much to me ; )
Karolina
Easy and decadent pound cake to wow your guests!