Easy Pound Cake Recipe

Name: Easy Pound Cake
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 42 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2/3 cup butter, softened to room temperature; 1 1/4 cups sugar; 2/3 cup milk; 1 tsp almond, vanilla, or lemon extract; 2 cups flour; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 3 eggs

June 3, 2019 by Kara Cook 52 Comments

Easy Pound Cake Recipe – this simple pound cake comes together easily with ingredients you have on hand. It’s been a favorite for decades, and you don’t need any fancy equipment or pans!

I use this recipe for strawberry shortcake, and for several types of trifle, including my raspberry cheesecake trifle. It turns out perfectly every time.

Best Pound Cake Recipe

I think everyone needs a really good, basic pound cake recipe. I have been making this pound cake for years. It’s the one my mom used to make when I was a kid, so of course it’s my favorite. It doesn’t require any fancy ingredients, so I can whip it up any time.

Even though the recipe doesn’t call for sour cream or buttermilk, it still turns out tender and moist. And you don’t have to run to the store. Always a bonus in my book!

I love using it for trifle because it is dense enough to hold up to the pudding and berry juice without getting all soggy like a cake mix cake does. You can change the flavor by switching the flavor of extract you use. I typically make it with almond extract, but you can use lemon or vanilla extract.

For extra lemon flavor, you can even throw in some lemon zest if you like. No matter what flavoring you use, it always turns out moist and delicious!

How to make Pound Cake

Ingredients:

butter
sugar
milk
almond or vanilla extract
flour
baking powder
salt
eggs

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Prepare a 9×5″ loaf pan by spraying with non-stick spray or Baker’s Joy, or grease with shortening and dust with flour. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper; set aside.

Cream butter and sugar with a hand mixer till light and fluffy. Blend in milk and extract of your choice. Mixture may appear curdled, that is just fine.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; then add to the butter mixture. Beat till smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread with the back of a spoon. Bake at 300° for about 90 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 – 10 minutes in the pan, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Now your cake is all ready to be devoured. You can of course eat it plain or with a scoop of ice cream. But I love using it as a base for other desserts like trifle. Just check it out as the base for strawberry shortcake. Don’t you just want to dig in? It’s amazing!

Why is a pound cake called a pound cake?

The first pound cakes were made with one pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Now there are dozens of variations, but they typically have a thick batter and are more dense than other cake recipes.

What is the best pound cake pan?

It depends on the recipe that you are using, so it’s best to use the pan that is recommended. This recipe just uses a loaf pan. Some pound cakes are made in tube or Bundt pans. Each pan holds a different amount of batter, so you will get best results sticking with the size of pan listed in the recipe.

How long should you let a pound cake cool in the pan?

It’s usually best to let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. I like to place the pan on a wire rack, but you can just place it on your stovetop or on a hot pad. You don’t want to let the cake sit too long in the pan, or the steam will cause the cake to get soggy.

How long should you beat a pound cake?

You want to make sure the ingredients are well incorporated and that the batter is smooth, but you don’t want to overbeat. Each recipe is different, so follow the directions as listed and you’ll get the best results.

How long can pound cake sit out at room temperature?

A basic pound cake will be just fine for two to three days at room temperature if it is covered well.

Why do pound cakes crack on top?

Batter for pound cakes is much more dense than other types of cakes, so they usually take longer to bake. The exterior of the cake bakes faster than the middle, so the batter can rise up and then crack.

MORE RECIPES USING POUND CAKE:

Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle
Strawberry Banana Trifle
Lemon Berry Trifle

MORE EASY CAKE RECIPES:

Super Easy Pineapple Cake
Lemon Pound Cake
Yellow Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Icing