Pound Cake

Pound cake is one of the most classic, simple cakes there is, and everyone needs a recipe for one in their baking repertoire. This pound cake is buttery and unfussy, but never boring, perfect for serving as an impressive dessert or decadent brunch. Enjoy it as is or dress it up for special occasions and holidays all year long. Here’s everything you need to know to make it the best it can be, every time.

What is pound cake?
Originally named because of their short list of just 4 ingredients—a pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour—pound cakes today are still just as dense and rich, but with added elements for modern bakers. Ours includes baking powder to guarantee a nice rise, as well as sour cream for added moisture. We also combine almond and vanilla extracts to give it extra depth, but feel free to try swapping them out for others (lemon or orange would be so good).

Since a pound cake only uses a few ingredients, how they are used is important. For the best results, make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. When your ingredients are the same temperature, they will emulsify (that is, mix) together more easily and are less likely to separate, which helps to ensure your pound cake will come out with a perfect texture.

What causes a pound cake to be dry?
To keep your pound cake from getting dry, measure your flour properly with either a kitchen scale or by spooning flour into your measuring cup and leveling the top off with a knife. The alternative, just scooping your measuring cup into the flour, often leads to using too much, which can lead to dryness. Overbaking can also cause it to dry out. Test the center with a toothpick; it shouldn’t look like batter, but you don’t want the toothpick to come out dry either, since that means it’s likely overbaked; instead, look for it to come out with a few moist crumbs.

What can I serve pound cake with?
While this pound cake is good enough to stand alone, it can also be served in so many different ways. The simplest options are to give it a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar, to serve a warm slice with some raspberry jam, or to add a lemon glaze overtop for a bit of sweet tartness, but the sky’s the limit with what flavors you can add here. Some whipped cream and strawberries would be a great take on a strawberry shortcake, a little custard and chocolate sauce could spin it into a Boston creme pound cake, some sugared pecans could make it a pecan pie pound cake…get creative, and have fun with it!

Variations:
Once you’ve mastered this basic recipe, there are plenty of ways to experiment and make this dessert your own. Our apple crisp pound cake if a fan-favorite in the fall, our raspberry almond pound cake is perfect for spring, and our glazed lemon olive oil pound cake is a year-round must-have. 

Made this? Let us know how it went (and what you served it with) in the comments below.