This classic pound cake recipe is buttery, tender, and perfectly dense with a melt-in-your-mouth crumb and just the right amount of sweetness. Perfect to pair with fresh berries and whipped cream!

Two slices of classic pound cake on a white plate surrounded by fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.

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Perfect Pound Cake Recipe

This classic pound cake stays true to its roots. The original recipe was simple by design, just a pound each of butter, flour, sugar, and eggs. We kept that same rich, buttery base and added a splash of milk and vanilla bean paste for a little extra moisture and depth of flavor.

The result is a dense, tender cake with a golden crust and a crumb that melts in your mouth. Enjoy it as is for breakfast, a snack, or dessert. It also works beautifully as the base for a strawberry shortcake trifle or anywhere you’d use angel food cake.

XO - Jamielyn

Ingredients Needed

Overhead view of classic pound cake ingredients including flour, butter, eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla bean paste, vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt.

Find the full printable recipe below.

  • All-purpose flour: Works better than cake flour here. It gives the cake structure while still keeping a tender, moist crumb. Make sure you know how to measure flour correctly for the best results.
  • Baking powder: Gives the cake just enough lift without making it airy. Fine sea salt: Balances and brings out all the flavors.
  • Butter: Use unsalted butter at room temperature. If you forgot to pull it out, here’s how to soften butter quickly. You can also grate cold butter directly into the bowl.
  • Large eggs: Room temperature eggs are best. Cover cold eggs in warm water for 5 minutes to bring them up to temp quickly.
  • Pure vanilla extract: Use a good quality extract, it really does make a difference.
  • Vanilla bean paste: Adds those beautiful vanilla flecks and a more intense flavor than extract alone.
  • Milk: Whole milk works best but any milk will do. Higher fat means a more moist cake.

How to Make Pound Cake

Start by whisking together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Simple step but don’t skip it since mixing them together first means everything gets evenly distributed in the batter.

Next, cream the butter and sugar together for a full 3 minutes until pale and fluffy. This is the most important step so don’t rush it. Add the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste.

Flour, baking powder, and salt whisked together in a glass bowl.
Butter and sugar in a stand mixer bowl with eggs, vanilla, milk, and flour nearby.

Add the dry ingredients and milk in stages, alternating between the two and starting and ending with flour. Mix until just smooth. Overmixing is the easiest way to end up with a tough cake so stop as soon as the batter comes together.

Scrape every bit of batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 40 minutes, then tent loosely with foil and bake another 10 to 12 minutes. The foil is key since it keeps the top from getting too dark before the center is done.

Smooth classic pound cake batter in a stand mixer bowl.
Pound cake batter spread evenly in a glass loaf pan ready to bake.

Recipe Tips

  • Room temperature ingredients really do make a difference here, so don’t skip that step. If you forgot, cover the eggs in warm water for 5 minutes and grate the cold butter directly into the mixer bowl. Both come up to temp fast.
  • The cake is done when it has domed above the loaf pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I actually prefer a long wooden skewer here since the cake is deep and a toothpick doesn’t always reach the middle.
  • Don’t be alarmed if the top cracks. That’s completely normal and honestly a good sign. Because pound cake is so dense, the exterior sets first and the center cracks as it rises. If you prefer a cleaner top, bake it in a tube pan instead.
  • Let it cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack. It keeps cooking as it cools so pull it from the oven as soon as it’s done.
  • The key to a dense pound cake with a light crumb is to not overbeat it once the flour goes in.
  • Grease the pan well with cooking spray or butter and flour before adding the batter. There is nothing worse than a perfectly baked cake that won’t release from the pan.
A classic pound cake loaf on a wire rack with two slices cut and fresh berries piled on top.

Variations

Jazz up the taste of this classic pound cake with a different flavor. Replacing the vanilla extract and vanilla paste with almond extract.

Make a lemon pound cake by using lemon extract and lemon zest or orange extract or orange zest, lime extract, and lime zest. You get the idea!

This cake is great as is with just a dollop of homemade whipped cream and fresh berries. But if you want to dress it up a little, a cream cheese glaze, orange glaze, or a simple powdered sugar icing all work beautifully on the top.

A slice of classic pound cake topped with whipped cream and mixed berries on a white plate with a fork.

Other cake recipes we can’t get enough of include pineapple upside down cake with buttermilk, vanilla cake and almond torte cake!

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Two slices of classic pound cake on a plate with fresh berries.

Classic Pound Cake

5 from 5 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Cool Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 10
This classic pound cake recipe is buttery, tender, and perfectly dense with a melt-in-your-mouth crumb and just the right amount of sweetness.
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Ingredients 

  • 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter , at room temperature
  • 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs , at room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
  • ½ cup (165 milliliters) milk

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with floured cooking spray, or butter and flour the pan.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium-high 3 minutes, or until pale and creamy. Turn the mixer to medium-low and add 1 egg at a time until combined. Mix in vanilla and vanilla bean paste.
  • Turn the mixer to low. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Mix in 1/2 of the milk. Repeat, alternating the remaining flour and milk until just combined and the batter is smooth, being careful to not overmix.
  • Spoon the batter evenly into the loaf pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
  • Bake 40 minutes. Loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil to prevent browning. Bake 10 to 12 minutes more, or until the cake is domed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • On a wire rack, let cool in pan at least 30 minutes before turning out onto the rack to cool completely.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Store leftover pound cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Skip the fridge, it dries it out fast.
To freeze, wrap the loaf tightly and store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Freeze it whole if you can since it stays more moist that way. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 365kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 105mg, Sodium: 146mg, Potassium: 94mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 21g, Vitamin A: 671IU, Calcium: 42mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.