Classic Pound Cake
This classic pound cake delivers a tight, velvety crumb with a golden crust and impossibly tender, moist interior. Made with just a handful of pantry staples, it's a timeless recipe that proves simple baking is still the best.
Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- 10-cup Bundt pan or 9x5 inch loaf pan
- Large mixing bowls
- Rubber spatula
- Fine-mesh sieve - for sifting and dusting
- Wire cooling rack
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Kitchen scale - recommended for accuracy
- Toothpick or cake tester
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour - 375g, spooned and leveled
- 0.5 teaspoon baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter - 226g / 2 sticks, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups granulated sugar - 600g
- 6 large eggs - at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream - 240ml, at room temperature
- powdered sugar - for dusting, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Generously grease a 10-cup Bundt pan with butter or baking spray, dust with flour, and tap out excess.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until evenly combined. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat softened butter and sugar on medium-high for 5 minutes until pale and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on medium, add eggs one at a time, waiting until each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Add vanilla with the last egg.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. Add one-third of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add half the sour cream and mix. Repeat with another third of flour, remaining sour cream, and final third of flour. Mix until just smooth, then fold batter from the bottom with a spatula.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Tap pan on the counter to release air bubbles. Bake on center rack for 75-90 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for exactly 15 minutes. Invert onto the rack and lift the pan away. Cool completely for 1-1.5 hours before serving.
- Dust with powdered sugar through a fine mesh sieve if desired. Slice with a serrated sawing motion and serve plain or with toppings.
Notes
- Room temperature is essential: Set butter, eggs, and sour cream out 1-2 hours before baking. Cold ingredients won't cream properly and can cause the batter to curdle.
- Measure flour correctly: Always spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off, or use a kitchen scale for accuracy. Packing flour adds up to 20% more than intended, leading to a dry cake.
- Don't rush the creaming: The full 5 minutes of beating butter and sugar is critical for incorporating air that helps the dense batter rise.
- Add eggs slowly: Incorporating eggs one at a time maintains the emulsion. Adding all at once can deflate the butter mixture.
- Avoid overmixing: Once flour is added, mix only until streaks disappear. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the cake tough rather than tender.
- Trust the bake time: Pound cake is dense and requires the full time to cook through. Opening the oven door before 60 minutes can cause the center to sink.
- Storage: Wrap cooled cake tightly and store at room temperature for up to 5 days. It also freezes beautifully for up to 3 months.
- Lemon variation: Add the zest of 2 lemons and 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice to the batter for a bright citrus twist. Finish with a lemon glaze.
- Cream cheese variation: Replace 1/2 cup of butter with 8 oz of softened cream cheese for an even richer, denser crumb.
- To reheat: Warm individual slices in a 300°F oven for 8-10 minutes or microwave for 15-20 seconds until just warmed through.