Classic Pound Cake Recipe

A classic pound cake is the easiest recipe to remember and to prepare. For that reason, plus the fact that it is delicious, everyone should know how to make a classic pound cake. Eat it a la carte with coffee or tea literally any time of day for a special snack or serve it with berries and cream to make a perfect dessert.

May means strawberry season!! My husband and I took our little gang strawberry picking last weekend and came back with two big buckets of berries. Of course we had to make a dessert with them… it was an easy choice!

Why do they call it a pound cake?

Its called pound cake because its made with one pound of butter, one pound of sugar, one pound of eggs, and one pound of flour. There are countless modern variations of this simple recipe, but I really enjoy the classic version and I’m sure you will too!!

Ready for the easiest cake recipe ever…

Ingredients

1 lb butter (2 cups)

1 lb sugar (2 cups)

1 lb eggs (9 large eggs)

1 lb flour (3 cups)

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

the zest of 1 lemon (optional)

How to make a classic pound cake

Preheat your oven to 350° and butter and flour your cake pan. For tips on what pan to use, scroll to the ‘notes’ at the bottom.

For best results, allow your butter and eggs to come to room temperature before mixing. Have I skipped this step before?… yes… it’ll still work, but you’ll end up with a denser cake. Because this recipe doesn’t call for a leavening agent like baking powder or baking soda, we are relying on the air we can trap in both the butter and the eggs to create a fluffier textured cake. So, first, be sure to have your butter and eggs at room temperature if you’re looking for a fluffier texture.

Cream the butter and sugar together and beat until they lighten in color. You can do this in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or in a bowl with a handheld mixer.

Next add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Careful not to over mix at this point. It you over beat the eggs, you’ll end up with a collapsed top.

Add in the vanilla extract and lemon zest if you choose. Now, of course it’s up to you, but I wouldn’t skip this step, especially if you plan to top your cake with berries. The lemon adds a bright note that compliments the fresh berries beautifully.

Add your flour half at a time, being sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl in between so everything gets incorporated.

Put your batter into your greased and floured cake pan and pop it into a 350° oven for about 1 hour, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before removing.

There are lots of ways to enjoy a pound cake. We chose to top ours with the freshly picked strawberries and my homemade whipped cream… YUM!

To make a glaze

If you would like to add a glaze to your classic pound cake, I have 2 options for you:

Vanilla Glaze

Whisk 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 Tbsp of milk until smooth. You can adjust the consistency of the glaze by adjusting the amount of milk you add. Thicker glaze: less milk; thinner glaze: more milk. Wait until your cake has fully cooled to pour the glaze over the top.

Lemon glaze

Whisk 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp of milk, and 1 Tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice until smooth. (You could use 1 tsp of lemon extract instead of lemon juice if you prefer, but adjust your milk content accordingly.) Again, adjust the amount of milk to achieve the consistency you like. Wait until the cake has cooled to pour the glaze over the top.

Notes

This recipe makes a pretty large cake. If you would like a smaller one, instead of using one pound of each ingredient, you could use a 1:1:1:1 ratio… just be sure to measure by weight. A loaf pan is perfect if you choose to make half of the recipe or if you want to to mix up all of the batter, and use two loaf pans to make two cakes… one for now and one for later!

And speaking of “one fore later”… this cake freezes beautifully!!

Storage

I love to have a pound cake in my freezer. Perfect to pull out for unexpected guests, or when you need a quick dessert! I have gotten best results when I wrap the cake in plastic wrap and then again in foil. It’ll last in the freezer for up to six months.

Otherwise store pound cake at room temperature, in an airtight container for up to one week.

Yield: 1 cake

Classic Pound Cake Recipe

Print

A classic pound cake

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Additional Time 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb butter (2 cups)
• 1 lb sugar (2 cups)
• 1 lb eggs (9 large eggs)
• 1 lb flour (3 cups)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• zest of 1 lemon (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Butter and flour a 10 inch bunt cake pan.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together and mix until lighter in color.
4. Mix in the eggs one at a time.
5. Stir in 1 tsp of vanilla extract and the zest of 1 lemon if desired.
6. Add the flour in two additions and mix until combined.
7. Pour the batter into the greased cake pan.
8. Bake at 350° for about 1 hour or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
9. Let it cool in the pan for 20 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack.
10. Serve as is, topped with a glaze, or with fresh berries and whipped cream.