The best old-fashioned pound cake with a perfect, crumbly topping and sweet, tender crumb!
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Growing up, my grandmother was iconic of a strong and capable lady. We called her “super Granny” and to us, that’s exactly what she was– our incredible grandmother who could do just about anything. And at six feet tall, even her stature testified to her capability.
Granny fixed our plumbing and was our electrician on call. She pulled up carpets and installed new cabinets. Her skills were impressive and she was always more than generous with her help and her time. While everyday problems and projects showed off her more handyman-esque skills, holidays and special occasions showcased how capable she was in the kitchen.
Holidays at Granny’s house meant chiming grandfather clocks, pot roasts with gravy, and always her famous pound cake.
Her pound cake really is THE BEST.
Best Old-Fashioned Pound Cake
For decades, people have requested Granny’s old-fashioned pound cake by name for parties and dinners with friends. The recipe is a favorite of anyone who has tried it. My grandmother makes this cake, my mom makes this cake, and now, on special holidays, I make this cake.
I brought this cake to our church’s Christmas dinner last week and one of our older members commented that it tasted just like the pound cake his granny used to make. That made me smile. Yep, this cake is a classic.
I am so happy to have this sweet slice of my family’s heritage to share with my family and friends, and now with you.
I’ll be making this cake again along with our traditional frosted tea cakes and date & pecan squares for our family’s Christmas dinner.
When you look at the recipe, it’s not hard to see what inspired its name. Butter, sugar, and eggs in abundance. But my food philosophy is to fill our bellies with healthy, whole foods on a daily basis, to limit excess sugar in the just about everything that we eat, and to approach everything with balance and moderation.
So, a couple of slices of pound cake, enjoyed (and delighted in!) once or twice a year are no problem.
A couple of important things to note about this recipe:
- Cake flour. It’s lighter and will make a difference in your cake. Using regular flour (especially unsifted) will result in a denser cake that takes longer to cook. Use cake flour if you want the BEST old-fashioned pound cake. I actually used regular flour the last time I made this cake and regretted it. Don’t skip the cake flour. Trust me.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Not butter that’s been heated in the microwave to soften. Just take out the ingredients and set them out on the counter 1-2 hours before you are ready to bake your cake.
- The sweating the cake under the cover is one of those “decades of making this cake” tried and true tips to make this cake truly the best.
Watch how to make this cake on YouTube (& my daughter’s first birthday!)
More Holiday Recipe Inspiration:
- My go-to all-purpose pie dough
- Frosted Tea Cakes
- Homemade Dulce de Leche in the Instant Pot
- Rich & Creamy Hot Chocolate Mix
- Chewy Spiced Gingersnaps
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The best old-fashioned pound cake with a perfect, crumbly topping and sweet, tender crumb!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 C butter, room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 3 C sugar
- 6 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- pinch of salt
- 3 C cake flour, sifted
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream together the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy with the mixer on medium speed. (No higher than medium).
3. Add each egg, one at a time, blending after each addition. Add both extracts.
4. Turn the mixer down to low and add the salt and the flour a little at a time until it is all added. Mix for another minute on low until the flour is completely incorporated.
5. Grease and flour a tube pan. Pour the cake batter into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle a couple teaspoons of sugar evenly across the top of the batter.
6. Bake for 90 minutes in preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. (If the cake is not finished at 90 minutes, let it cook for another ten minutes, checking again afterwards).
7. Remove the cake from the oven and set it on the counter and let it rest for 10 minutes. After ten minutes, run a butter knife around the outer edges of the tube pan. Lift the cake out from the pan’s outer piece by pulling up on the center tube (while using a pot holder). Set the cake back down on the counter and cover it with a cake cover and let it ‘sweat’ for ten more minutes.
8. Run the butter knife around the bottom of the cake, separating the bottom of the cake from the pan. Carefully and quickly turn the cake over onto your flat hand or plate, remove the pan’s tube piece, and then flip the cake back right side up on a serving plate.
9. Serve with coffee, hot tea, whipped cream, fresh fruit, or other scrumptious things.
Your cake is beautiful. I’ve cooked this cake for years and it has always been a pleaser. I use salted butter and leave out the extra salt. I have cooked it the other way and really can’t tell the difference. What should I be looking for? One thing I will try is sprinkling the sugar on top and sweating the cake. I’m always looking for a way to make the cake better.
★★★★★
Your cake is beautiful. I’ve cooked this cake for years and it has always been a pleaser. I use salted butter and leave out the extra salt. I have cooked it the other way and really can’t tell the difference. What should I be looking for? One thing I will try is sprinkling the sugar on top and sweating the cake. I’m always looking for a way to make the cake better.
★★★★★
I just took this pound cake out of the oven and out of the tube pan. Sweating it now. Gorgeous! I am not going to cut this till tomorrow but I know it’s going to taste good ( I licked the paddle and bowl) 🤤 I will make this again.
★★★★★
I have made this cake numerous times and my family and friends love it! For me it is a little sweet, so I would like to reduce the sugar. However, my husband says not to change it. Lol. Thank you for sharing this recipe! It turns out perfect every time!
★★★★★
I made this cake last week. Not sure what I did wrong, but I had a huge mess. Cake was running over the edge of the.pan, smoke pouring out the oven. Probably enough to make another cake. Anyway, what was left was quite delicious. Any ideas on what went wrong?
★★★★★
I’m sorry that happened! It sounds like an issue with your pan– either it was too small, or if you are using a tube pan that separates, it could have a dent in the bottom, giving the batter a place to leak out. That happened to me before and I needed to replace my tube pan.
Can you bake the cream cheese pound cake in two loaf pans ?If so, what are the cooking instructions?
Thank you
Change the recipe to say unsalted butter please
Hi Lisa! This is a wonderful recipe. My family loves it!
I am a bit confused about a previous question/comment and hope to get this straight: On 8/20/22, Helen commented, “I don’t understand what 11/2 butter equals to,” and you replied, “One and a half cups butter, or 12 tablespoons.” I’ve always used three sticks of butter. Do you use three sticks of butter or one and a half? The recipe reads 1 ½ cups butter, which is three sticks of butter. I just want to get it right, although it has been great with three sticks. Thank you!
★★★★★
I apologize for the confusion. It is 3 sticks, which should be 24 tbsp not 12.
Brilliant! Thank you so much!
This had to the most delicious pound cake. Took to party sliced it, served a dollop of fresh whipped cream
and placed strawberries and blueberries on the side. It was absolutely beautiful and delicious.
★★★★★
I plan to make this recipe very soon, however I do not have cake flour. Can I use unbleached AP flour instead? Will the cake get a crunchy top if I use a bundt pan?
Thanks for your reply.
★★★★★
Love this pound cake! Have made it before, but today I spooned some of the batter in a silicone mini muffin tray and baked for 15 minutes…..mini pound cake bites!
★★★★★
That’s brilliant!
Is there a gluten free versiN? I can’t have cake flour.
I do not have a GF version for this cake.
Try Jules GF all purpose flour sifted 🙂.
What do I use if I don’t own a cake cover? And, my tube pan doesn’t come apart. It’s all one piece.
You can use a one piece tube pan. The cover is not absolutely necessary, but helps to keep the cake more moist.
Do you have to use the cream cheese.. can I make it without it
The cream cheese is an important part of this recipe.
I made this cake a few hours ago, turned out fantastic! I love the texture and taste, it’s so moist! I only used 2 1/2 cups sugar and it was just right. This is a stand alone cake, no frosting needed. Thanks for a easy, delicious cake.
★★★★★
Great recipe!!!!
The almost perfect pound cake!
It was too sweet for my taste. For me 2 cups of sugar
would be enough.
I will make it again with less sugar.
★★★★★
I made the cake this weekend. This really is an excellent pound cake. The texture is exactly what you want from a pound cake and so delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
★★★★★
I only have salted butter, will that work for this recipe?
Is the butter salted or unsalted?
Unsalted
Is it ok to use salted butter in this pound cake?
I would recommend unsalted.
Great cake love pounds cake thank you for sharing
Love the recipes I have been finding. Making this for my daughters birthday since she isn’t fond of frosting!
★★★★★
I have made many pound cakes in my lifetime. But this is a very moist and delicious pound cake. Thanks for sharing. All my family loved it.
★★★★★
Any recommendations for cooking in loaf pans?
Made this
Made this cake many times, it comes out great each time. Keeps great for a long period of time, if you have any left. I have also frozen it, take out and defrost, put into microwave a few seconds and tastes great
Love the crunchy topping. My husband loved it!!❤❤❤
★★★★★
I made this cake yesterday, it was a hit with our small group! I made it in a Bundt pan and so “sweat” it after removing from the pan.
★★★★★
If I “sweat” the pound cake will it still have the crunchy top??? That Is my favorite part!
Yes, it will still be crisp on top.
Can you provide the nutritional facts for this recipe. Especially the carbs. Thanks!
Going to make this weekend. Yummy.
I have made this cake many times. It gets better and better. I have been making the cream cheese icing and my family loves it.
★★★★★
Would I make any changes if I made the cake in a traditional Bundt pan? Thanks, Laura
I used a regular Bundt pan today, it cooked faster than the 90 minutes, however, I always butter my pan, and sprinkle really fine sugar over it; I process my sugar in a Cusinart food processor for a couple of seconds, around three times. The sugar keeps it from sticking , helps with release, and you have no funny after taste. So, for me, whichever pan you have ready, will work. Great recipe. Happy 4th of July!
carolintallahassee
★★★★★
This recipe sounds so delicious but the story about the pound cake is even sweeter! What a treasure your Grandma is!
Remind me to tell you about my grandma’s molasses cookie recipe and their time in Africa! 🙂
I would love to hear about that story Alysa!
Can I use salted butter in this pound cake ?
I have never heard of sweating the pound cake. What does that do for the cake?
It helps it to be more moist 🙂
Hi Lisa, Thank you for sharing this “vintage” recipe. Do I need to use baking soda or powder? I see you didn’t list it, but before Iake it I wanted to be sure.
Thank you so much!!
Katie
I don’t understand what 11/2 butter equals to
You don’t need either. The eggs help to provide the lift it needs.
One and a half cups butter, or 24 tablespoons.