Learn how to make a delicious, soft, vanilla pound cake with a moist crumb and a golden brown crust, with all the tips and tricks you need to perfect the recipe.
Few things in life are as delicious as a slice of a GOOD pound cake. You know the kind that has a good bite, but still melts in your mouth with the most delicious flavor? Very few things match that experience.
And while store-bought pound cakes aren’t half bad, there’s nothing quite like a homemade one, especially when it’s made right.
For the longest time, I was quite unsure of making pound cake at home as I thought it would not turn out as nice as the store-bought ones, and that seems to be the general thinking. Most people think that pound cakes are hard to recreate at home, but after loads of research and testing, I’ve realized that they’re one of the simplest cakes to make at home; you just need to perfect your technique.
So today, I will take you through everything you need to know about making pound cake, so that you can make the best pound cake at home every time.
What is pound cake?
Now, most of us know what a pound cake is, but understanding it better will help us through the recipe. A pound cake is a heavy, sweet cake that’s served plain with tea or coffee, or as an evening snack. The reason it’s called pound cake is that the original recipe was made with a pound each of butter, sugar, and flour, which tells us that it’s meant to be a very heavy, indulgent cake.
Over time, the recipe for pound cake has evolved from the traditional one-pound each method, but the technique remains pretty much the same.
One of the most important things about a pound cake is that it’s supposed to have a moist but tight crumb – it’s meant to be heavy on your tongue rather than light and airy like a chiffon cake, and this is the result of not adding any raising agents like baking powder or soda into the batter.
So if there are no raising agents in the cake, how does it rise?
This is where the technique comes in. A pound cake relies on the air pockets that have been created in the batter while mixing to give it a slight rise. As we go through the recipe, we will note down all the steps during which these air pockets are created and how we can ensure not to deflate any air from the batter before baking it.
A few newer recipes tend to use baking powder, but I believe that the true pound cake texture comes without it.
Which pan to use for making a pound cake
Loaf cakes are the most popular types of pans for making pound cakes, but you can also use bundt cake pans for a similar result. The key is to use a pan that has good height so that the cake can rise well and have the perfect crumb.
Make sure to use a metal or aluminium pan and not a glass one, as glass does not conduct heat evenly and will result in uneven cooking. Metal pans also caramelize the exterior well for that perfect golden brown crumb.
I like to use a 13.5″ loaf pan with a 3-4 inch height, similar to this one. If you have a smaller or bigger loaf pan, increase or decrease the recipe accordingly.
Science behind making the perfect pound cake
As we discussed earlier, making pound cake is all about the technique. The ingredient list is simple – unsalted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, and flour. It’s about how you bring them together that can make or break your pound cake.
Let’s get into the step-by-step recipe.
STEP 1 – Creaming the butter & sugar
This is probably the most crucial step while making pound cake. It’s not difficult, just important to do right. As we discussed earlier, pound cake does not have any raising agents in it, and depends solely on the air pockets created while mixing to rise while baking.
Most of these air pockets are created at this step. As the softened butter is whipped with the sugar for a long time, the whisking motion aerates the butter and results in air pockets, and as the cake bakes, these air pockets expand due to the heat (think of how a hot air balloon works), and help the cake rise.
To ensure that these air pockets are created correctly, follow these steps:
- Make sure that the butter is soft at room temperature. If it’s too cold, it will not whip well enough to create air pockets, and if it’s too warm or melted, it will not be able to hold any air pockets.
- Whip the butter and sugar for at least 7-8 minutes, even if you think that it’s done before that.
- Scrape the bowl with a spatula at least 5-6 times during the process to make sure that all the butter is whisked properly.
- Make sure that the butter does not become too soft during the mixing process.
STEP 2: Mixing the egg, egg yolks, and vanilla
The next step in the process is to add the eggs and egg yolks to the batter. Not every recipe uses extra egg yolks, but I like to add them as they increase the fat percentage of the recipe, making the cake even more moist. Some recipes like to use sour cream to do the same, but egg yolks result in a smoother, richer flavor.
The best way to mix the eggs and egg yolks into the batter is to whisk them separately and add them gradually while whisking on high speed. This makes the mixing process easier as there are a lot of eggs, and also ensures that they are well incorporated with the butter. I also like to whisk the vanilla with the eggs at this step.
Once all the eggs have been added, continue whisking on high speed until there are no liquid streaks left. It should have a texture similar to buttercream at this step. Remember to keep scraping the bowl every few minutes to make sure that there are no liquid streaks remaining.
This step also creates air pockets in the batter as the egg is whisked, though not as much as the first step.
STEP 3: Adding the flour and salt
This is another crucial step in the process, and how much you mix the batter at this step can determine whether you make a soft, moist pound cake or a tough, crumby one.
As we all know, flour has gluten in it, and when this gluten is mixed with proteins (in this case, the protein that comes from eggs), it forms gluten strands which create a gluten network. The more you mix any batter, the more this network strengthens, and the stronger the gluten development, the firmer the final result.
Which means that in desserts where you want the final result to be soft and moist (like this pound cake), you want the gluten development to be limited, and therefore, you want to mix it very, very less. And when you want a firm texture, like in the case of breads, you mix for a long, long time for strong gluten development that results in that bready texture.
Keeping this in mind, we have to make sure that we mix the flour into the batter JUST until it’s incorporated, and no longer. I like to add the flour in 2-3 intervals and mix for 30 seconds after each interval. Keep scraping the bowl after each addition to make sure all the flour is mixed into the batter. If there are streaks of flour left in the batter at the end, fold gently with a silicone spatula instead of whisking it for a long time.
STEP 4: Baking the cake
And now, the hard part is over, and we bake the cake. Make sure that the cake pan is well-greased with butter in all corners. I also like to dust it with flour for extra insurance.
Pound cakes are hefty, so they take some time to bake. You want to make sure that the exterior gets the perfect golden-brown crust and the center gets cooked evenly at the same time. For this reason, we bake it at a slightly lower temperature for a longer time.
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Fill the pan with the batter, making sure there are no gaps. You can smack it on the counter 1-2 times to fill any gaps. Even it out with an offset spatula and bake for at least 60-75 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center and the top is lightly browned.
If you feel like the outer crust is getting too dark but the center is not cooked yet, place it on a higher rack and lower the oven temperature slightly.
Let the cake cool completely before slicing into it. Wrap them tightly in cling film for storage.
Tips for making the best pound cake
- Use properly softened butter: The butter should be soft enough to press easily but not warm or melted. This helps it whip well and hold the air pockets the cake needs to rise.
- Whip the butter and sugar long enough: Don’t stop early, mix for a full 7–8 minutes. This creates the majority of the air pockets that make the cake rise without baking powder.
- Scrape the bowl frequently: Scraping 5–6 times during mixing ensures the butter whips evenly and no dense pockets remain.
- Keep the butter cool while mixing: If the butter becomes too soft during mixing, it won’t hold air properly, and the cake may sink or turn dense.
- Whisk the eggs separately first: Beating the eggs, yolks, and vanilla together before adding them makes it easier for the batter to absorb them evenly.
- Add the eggs slowly: Pour them in gradually while mixing on high speed to prevent curdling and to help the batter stay airy and smooth.
- Watch the texture after the eggs are added: Keep mixing until you no longer see any liquid streaks and the batter looks creamy, almost like buttercream.
- Avoid overmixing once the flour goes in: Gluten develops quickly, so mix the flour only until incorporated—about 30 seconds per addition. Overmixing leads to a tough, dry cake.
- Fold instead of whisking to finish: If any flour streaks remain at the end, use a spatula to gently fold instead of whisking further.
- Prep your pan well: Grease every corner with butter and dust with flour to ensure the pound cake releases cleanly.
- Bake low and slow: Pound cakes need time. Baking at 170°C allows the crust to brown evenly while the inside cooks through without drying out.
- Adjust if browning too quickly: If the edges darken before the center is cooked, move the pan to a higher oven rack and lower the temperature slightly.
- Let the cake cool fully: Cooling completely helps the crumb set properly and prevents crumbling when slicing.
Classic Pound Cake
Equipment
- 13.5×6" loaf pan reduce or increase batter amount if your loaf pan is bigger or smaller
- Electric or stand mixer with whisk attachment
- Silicone spatula
- Offset spatula
Ingredients
- 225 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 300 grams granulated white sugar
- 3 whole eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 225 grams all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Grease the pan with butter on all edges and dust with flour to avoid sticking.
- Cream the softened butter and sugar together for 7-8 minutes until the mixture is very light and fluffy, scraping the bowl several times as you mix.
- Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla in a separate bowl, then add them gradually to the butter mixture while mixing on high speed until the batter is smooth with no liquid streaks.
- Add the flour and salt in 2–3 additions, mixing on low speed for about 30 seconds each time, just until the flour is incorporated. If you see any streaks, fold them in gently with a spatula. Do not overmix at this step, or the cake will come out tough.
- Pour the batter into the pan, smooth the top with an offset spatula, and tap the pan on the counter to remove air gaps. Bake 60-75 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean, then let the cake cool completely before slicing.
Notes
If you give this recipe a try, don’t forget to let me know how you liked it in the comments. And of course, share it with me on Instagram!
Until next time!
