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Traditional Pound Cake is made with equal parts butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Anything else is just a variation!
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Pound cake gets its name from the weight of each of the ingredients needed to make the cake. Pound cake requires exactly one pound each of flour, sugar, butter, and eggs. The recipe for pound cake was included in the very first American cookbook, American Cookery, published in 1796. Despite these early American origins, it’s thought that pound cake migrated from Northern Europe. The French lay claim to the pound cake as well, though it’s called quatre-quarts or four quarters.
![Traditional Pound Cake (3) Traditional Pound Cake (3)](https://i0.wp.com/thestayathomechef.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Pound-Cake-1-small.jpg)
Pound Cake Variations
Vanilla Pound Cake: Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract to the batter with the eggs. Make a vanilla glaze by whisking together 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons water and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Pour over warm, baked cake.
Almond Pound Cake: Add in 2 teaspoons almond extract to the batter with the eggs. Make an almond glaze by whisking together 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons water and 1 teaspoon almond extract. Pour over warm, baked cake.
Sour Cream Pound Cake: Replace half of the butter with sour cream. 1 cup, or 8 ounces will equal 1/2 pound. Sour cream produces a more moist cake.
Cream Cheese Pound Cake: Replace half of the butter with cream cheese. One 8 ounce package will equal 1/2 pound.
Rum Pound Cake: Add 2 teaspoons rum extract to the batter with the eggs. Make a rum glaze by heating 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup dark rum, and 1/4 cup water over medium high heat. Bring to a simmer. Poke holes in baked cake and drizzle with rum glaze while warm.
Lemon Pound Cake: Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to the batter with the eggs or 1 teaspoons lemon extract. Make a glaze to put on after baking by whisking together 1/3 cup lemon juice with 1/3 cup sugar until dissolved. Drizzle over baked cake
Cornmeal Pound Cake: Replace half of the all-purpose flour with finely ground cornmeal.
Feel free to try any of the above variations to Traditional Pound Cake, or their glazes. Each of them is delicious and allows you to experiment with this classic cake and suite it to your own personal taste preferences.
![Traditional Pound Cake (4) Traditional Pound Cake (4)](https://i0.wp.com/thestayathomechef.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Pound-Cake-3-small-1.jpg)
How many eggs are in a pound?
Eggs vary in weight since not all eggs are the same. Large eggs tend to weigh just short of 2 ounces each. It takes between 8 and 9 large eggs to equal one pound.
Storage Instructions
Pound cake needs to be stored in an airtight container to keep it from drying out. Be sure that it is completely cool before placing it into a storage container or plastic bag to prevent condensation from forming.
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Classic Pound Cake
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Traditional Pound Cake is made with equal parts butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Anything else is just a variation!
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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 1 hour hr
Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Servings: 2 loaves
Ingredients
- 2 cups softened salted butter or 1 pound
- 2 cups sugar or 1 pound
- 9 large eggs or 1 pound
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour or 1 pound
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
Lightly grease 2 (9x5 inch) loaf pans with butter and dust with flour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream butter until light and fluffy. Beat in sugar until smooth.
Add in eggs one at a time and beat until smooth. Slowly add in flour, mixing in between additions.
Pour in prepared pans.
Bake in the preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Tent with aluminum foil to prevent over browning. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
***Cake can also be baked in a bundt pan. Allow approximately 30 minutes more for baking when using a bundt pan.
Vanilla Pound Cake: Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract to the batter with the eggs. Make a vanilla glaze by whisking together 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons water and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Pour over warm, baked cake.
Almond Pound Cake: Add in 2 teaspoons almond extract to the batter with the eggs. Make an almond glaze by whisking together 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons water and 1 teaspoon almond extract. Pour over warm, baked cake.
Sour Cream Pound Cake: Replace half of the butter with sour cream. 1 cup, or 8 ounces will equal 1/2 pound. Sour cream produces a more moist cake.
Cream Cheese Pound Cake: Replace half of the butter with cream cheese. One 8 ounce package will equal 1/2 pound.
Rum Pound Cake: Add 2 teaspoons rum extract to the batter with the eggs. Make a rum glaze by heating 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup dark rum, and 1/4 cup water over medium high heat. Bring to a simmer. Poke holes in baked cake and drizzle with rum glaze while warm.
Lemon Pound Cake: Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to the batter with the eggs or 1 teaspoons lemon extract. Make a glaze to put on after baking by whisking together 1/3 cup lemon juice with 1/3 cup sugar until dissolved. Drizzle over baked cake
Cornmeal Pound Cake: Replace half of the all-purpose flour with finely ground cornmeal.
Nutrition
Calories: 3424kcal | Carbohydrates: 356g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 204g | Saturated Fat: 123g | Cholesterol: 1224mg | Sodium: 1908mg | Potassium: 545mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 201g | Vitamin A: 6740IU | Calcium: 196mg | Iron: 13mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Eurpoean
Keyword: Pound Cake
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77 Comments
Your blog is a consistent source of reliable and insightful details.
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I used this recipe and my family (my daughter, and 2 grandsons as well as my husband) devoured it within 24 hours!!! Good thing I got a slice after it cooled down or I wouldn’t have even tasted it 🥰🥰🥰! Thanks will use it again with a couple of tweaks!!Reply
Super easy and deliciousReply
Love allReply
I made it yesterday for my son’s birthday and we all loved it. I’m making another one tomorrow for their school snack this week. it’s going to be my go to pound cake recipe. i added about 2/3 cups liquid milk. Thank you for sharing.Reply
Super easy cake and it was delicious. I did use 1/2 butter and 1/2 sour cream. Be sure to cream buster sand sugar well. Have all ingredients at room temperature. I used a Bundt pan and it was ready in 30 minutes. Nice Golden color. Keep and eye on your cake after an hour so you don’t over bake. Enjoy!Reply
I made this recipe a few days ago and it was excellent. My family polished off both loaves and that is a testimony to its excellent taste. It was dense but moist and wonderful. I am going to try a lemon blueberry one next. Thanks for the excellent recipe.
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Lemon blue aero sounds like a great twist!
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