This easy pound cake recipe for a classic childhood favorite delivers a moist, tender, buttery cake with a golden crust. Baked with essential pantry ingredients, this recipe, with its easy-to-follow instructions, is perfect with a cup of afternoon tea.
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The simple pound cake holds a place of prominence in the hearts of most Pakistanis. A fresh loaf of pound cake, wrapped in slightly greasy brown paper, was often fetched from the corner bakery to be served with a cup of piping hot evening chai. If you've grown up on this, your mouth is probably watering. If you've never experienced this...you're missing out.
Living in Mississippi has added to my love for this delicious buttery cake by way of the classic Southern variation. Over the past 21 years of living on the Gulf Coast and much trial and error, this easy pound cake recipe is the one I enjoy most often with my cup of tea or coffee.
If you're a fan of nostalgic tea-time recipes from Pakistan, try my bakery-style chicken patties, Nan Khatai (Pakistani Cardamom Shortbread Cookies), shami kebab, or chicken pakora.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Nostalgic recipe - No matter where you hail from, it's likely that pound cake was part of your childhood. This recipe will take you back to your childhood corner bakery, teatime with the family, or the smell from Grandma's kitchen.
- Moist and buttery - The best part about this pound cake recipe is how tender and buttery it is.
- This is the perfect recipe for beginners - The combination of ingredients and ratios guarantees perfect results every time, even for those unfamiliar with basic baking techniques.
- Great for a tea party - A perfect tea party begins with a homemade pound cake. Add chicken tikka sandwiches, aloo samosas, and an apple frangipane tart, and you'll be the talk of the town.
Ingredient notes
- Flour - All-purpose flour works best for this easy recipe.
- Sugar - I like to use granulated sugar for this recipe, as finer sugar can result in a cake with a heavy texture.
- Eggs - This recipe calls for six large eggs. The size of the eggs you use in any recipe impacts the final results. If your eggs are extra large, use 5; if they're medium, use 7; and if they're small, use 8.
- Butter - Use butter high in fat, like Kerry Gold, to get the perfect buttery flavor.
- Sour cream—This ingredient's acidity prevents gluten formation, resulting in a moist cake.
- Milk - Milk helps thin the batter a little. Thinner batter adds some density to the cake so it doesn't lose its authentic pound cake texture.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and recipe instructions.
Substitutions & variations
- Add a topping- I love a plain pound cake, but once in a while, a lemon or orange glaze tastes delicious, and if you're in a chocolatey mood, add a chocolate ganache drizzle. Another option is to pour some custard sauce (orange creme anglaise) over it.
- Use powdered sugar - A dusting of powdered sugar looks beautiful, especially if you bake the cake in a bundt pan.
- Add some mix-ins - Add nuts (I love a Southern pecan pound cake), or serve the cake with a side of strawberries and whipped cream. Better yet, try some blueberry compote or raspberry sauce as toppings.
- Try different extracts - Switch it up and use almond, coconut, or lemon extract instead of vanilla in this recipe.
Step-by-step instructions
First step - Cream the butter and sugar well. This creates air pockets that help keep the pound cake from being too dense.
Second step - Add in the vanilla extract, milk, and sour cream, and mix well.
Third step - Add the eggs and flour, alternating between the two. Mix just long enough to create a cohesive mixture.
Fourth step - Pour into a lightly greased loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes.
Fifth step - Test the cake using a cake tester or a toothpick if you don't have one. Wait until it's completely cool before you slice it.
Expert Tips
- Measure accurately—The first rule of baking is to measure everything precisely. Fill your measuring cup or spoon to the top, then gently tap it on your kitchen counter. Take the flat edge of a butter knife and scrape it across the top for an exact measurement.
- Have your ingredients at room temperature. This results in a batter with a lighter, fluffier texture and a moist cake with a light crumb.
- Don't overmix the batter - Overworking the flour releases gluten, making your cake tough. Mix just enough to blend all the ingredients.
- Stick to a loaf pan—This recipe is for a loaf pan pound cake. You may need to adjust the cooking times if you use a different shape.
- Tent the top - If you notice the top of the cake getting brown but the inside is still uncooked, create a foil tent and cover the top loosely to prevent it from burning.
Recipe FAQS
Butter should always be at room temperature when baking a cake. Chilled or melted butter won't cream properly, making the cake dense and greasy.
A pound cake can be stored in an airtight container on the kitchen counter for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 6 weeks.
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Easy Pound Cake Recipe
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Ingredients
Orange Pound Cake
- 1 cup butter (see notes)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup full-fat milk
- 6 large eggs (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (see notes)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees farenheit.
- Grease the loaf pan.
- Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. (see notes)
- Mix in the vanilla extract, milk, and sour cream untill well combined.
- Next, add the flour and the eggs, alternating the wet and dry ingredients, and mix until everything is combined.
- Pour into a greased pan and bake 30-40 minutes till you can insert a cake tester and it comes out clean
Farzana
Pound cake is my frequent craving, so made this yesterday.Love the easy recipe, and the many helpful hints and tips.I substitued plain yogurt for sour cream.The cake came out awesome!Just the right density, and melts in the mouth!
Already half eaten!
Nosheen Babar
Thank you for trying the recipe Farzana. I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe and appreciate the feedback.
Ayesha
This was easy, fun and delicious.