Easy Pound Cake Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, (no cost to you).

Home » Recipe Index » Dessert: Cakes and Cupcakes » Easy Pound Cake Recipe

June 3, 2019 by Kara Cook 64 Comments

Jump to Recipe

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
Homemade Chocolate Cake
Yellow Sheet Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Oatmeal Cakewith Broiled Icing
Butterfinger Cake
Lemon Cake Bites
Heath Bar Cake
Reese’s Cake
Flourless Chocolate Cake

Yield: 10 servings

Easy Pound Cake

Simple but delicious pound cake made in a loaf pan. Perfect for strawberry shortcake and trifle!

Prep Time12 minutes

Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time1 hour 42 minutes

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

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Prepare a 9x5" loaf pan by spraying with non-stick spray and lining the bottom with parchment.
Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl till light and fluffy. Blend in milk and almond extract.
Sift dry ingredients together and add to the butter mixture. Beat till smooth.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.
Bake at 300° for about 90 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack. Cool completely.

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a comment below and pin the recipe to Pinterest!

Post updated June 2019, originally published 8/19/13.

Previous Post: « Lemon Sugar Cookies with Lemon Frosting

Next Post: How to Make Homemade Pigs in a Blanket »

Reader Interactions

Comments

Sharon
November 11, 2023 at 2:31 pm
I made this yummy cake yesterday ,for strawberry shortcake .The cake is wonderful I put parchment in the bottom of my pan but it still stuck to the sides ,I really had to work to get it out and it was in several pieces as it was stubborn. I will be making this again but will line the whole pan so I can just lift it out. My husband said it’s so good it doesn’t even need frosting or anything. He is a man that loves frosting ,coconut , caramel chocolate nuts etc. he usually will not eat a plain cake but he does this one !!!
Reply
- Kara Cook
  November 18, 2023 at 8:25 am
  Sorry you had so much trouble with it coming out of the pan. Parchment will definitely help with that. Glad it was still tasty and that your husband loved it so much! 🙂
  Reply
Sherri
July 26, 2023 at 10:21 am
This is the only pound cake recipe I use. My husband loves it. Thank you, it delicious!
Reply
- Kara Cook
  August 11, 2023 at 12:38 pm
  Yay! Glad it’s become a favorite at your house! 🙂
  Reply
  See Also
  The Best Chocolate Drop Powdered Cookie Recipe Homemade Nutella Recipe S'mores Whoopie Pies Recipe 40 Crumbl Cookie Recipes to Recreate at Home
Abigail Eckstein
August 10, 2022 at 2:37 pm
This is soooo good I made it for my family and they loved it yum yum
Reply
- Kara Cook
  September 3, 2022 at 9:33 am
  So happy to hear that Abigail!
  Reply
Nikki
July 4, 2022 at 6:51 am
Hi! I saw in your comments that you use regular salted butter in your recipes. Sorry, I have been taught that if the recipe doesn’t specify, then you should use unsalted butter so I just want to make sure that wasn’t a typo before I make this yummy sounding cake 😁. You use salted butter and still add a teaspoon of salt, correct? Thank you!
Reply
- Kara Cook
  September 3, 2022 at 10:11 am
  Yes, I don’t like the hassle of keeping two types of butter in the fridge. I learned from sad experience that it’s the worst when a kid puts unsalted butter in the dish and you spread it on your toast. Haha. I like things on the salty side, but if you prefer, you can just use 3/4 tsp of salt with the salted butter. 🙂
  Reply
Cheryl
January 30, 2022 at 8:58 am
Waiting patiently for the timer to hit 90 mins. I poured half the batter, then a healthy drizzle of homemade strawberry jam and then the rest of the batter on top. Fingers crossed 🤞
Reply
- Kara Cook
  February 10, 2022 at 7:23 pm
  Well that sounds delicous! How did it turn out?
  Reply
Cheryl
June 20, 2020 at 11:16 am
Does 2% milk work?
Reply
- Judy
  July 28, 2022 at 12:55 pm
  I used almond milk waiting to see how it turns also had to use regular vanilla.
  Reply
Jennifer
May 24, 2020 at 6:50 pm
Does it need be in refrigerator?
Reply
Erin Yurchenko
November 25, 2019 at 1:03 pm
I tried quite a few this week and they were all fails. Then I came across your recipe and YES thank you thank you!!! I was really discouraged because I dislike/am not good at baking and this was a WIN. I plan to try it with vanilla rather than almond this time- and maybe even experiment with pumpkin if I can find the patience!
My oven seems funny with temperature- I have an electric stove and had to add 15minutes to the bake 🙂
Reply
Chev
October 20, 2019 at 11:31 am
I just put in oven.Hopefully I will have the same luck as all,since I forgot to put parchment paper on bottom!🤔
Reply
- Kara Cook
  October 30, 2019 at 6:29 pm
  Oh man, I hate it when I do that. Hopefully it came out alright. I actually made it for years just greasing the pan with shortening, but non-stick spray needs a bit of help sometimes. Haha.
  Reply
- Joyce
  May 27, 2020 at 4:56 pm
  Did the cake come out of the pan ok without the parchment paper?
  I’m making this cake tomorrow morning and need to know if I have to have it?
  Reply
Chev
October 20, 2019 at 11:31 am
I just out in oven.Hopefully I will have the same luck as all,since I forgot to put parchment paper on bottom!🤔
Reply
Gen
September 13, 2019 at 2:16 pm
very nice cake ty for saving me from my wedding cake mess last minute it made a great cake. I tried your cake at the 11th hours and thank goodness it was amazing not like the cake I had to through out.
Reply
- Kara Cook
  September 13, 2019 at 4:13 pm
  So glad it turned out for you!!
  Reply
Hhc
August 10, 2019 at 5:44 pm
Y
Reply
Joeann W.
August 3, 2019 at 2:15 pm
Is cake flour better? This will be my first time making a pound cake. Also I have an electric stove. I want to make for my birthday. What temperature for electric stove?
Reply
- Kara Cook
  August 3, 2019 at 2:27 pm
  I didn’t use cake flour for this recipe. The temperature should be the same for both gas and electric. Good luck, and happy birthday!
  Reply
Joeann walker
August 3, 2019 at 2:15 pm
Is cake flour better? This will be my first time making a pound cake. Also I have an electric stove. I want to make for my birthday. What temperature for electric stove?
Reply
See Also
20 Christmas Oreo Recipes
Bob
July 26, 2019 at 7:43 am
We made this yesterday and added 1 1/2 teaspoons of poppy seeds to the batter and drizzled with a simple lemon glaze. Yum!!!
Reply
- Kara Cook
  July 28, 2019 at 9:25 am
  I love that idea Bob! I’m a fan of all things lemon, so I bet I would love it that way!
  Reply
Kathy
May 6, 2019 at 6:04 am
Made this yesterday for strawberry shortcake. It is beautiful and delicious. This will most definite be my “go-to” pound cake recipe! Thank you!
Reply
- Kara Cook
  May 6, 2019 at 3:17 pm
  I am so happy to hear that you made and loved it Kathy! Thanks so much for stopping by to leave feedback, I appreciate it!
  Reply
- Kimberly Osborne
  July 22, 2020 at 12:51 pm
  This turned out better than others I have tried. Easy! If you mix equal parts of Crisco, flour, and vegetable oil, you won’t need parchment paper. I mix and store in airtight contaber. Store in cabinet. I use this to grease all my pans. No need for sprays. I left my cake on a cooling rack for 10 minutes then turned out of pan. Beautiful and tasty!
  Reply
Jewel
April 9, 2019 at 7:05 am
Hey can I make cupcakes with this recipe and how long in the oven
Reply
- Kara Cook
  April 9, 2019 at 9:57 am
  I’ve never tried making it into cupcakes, but I think it would work just fine. Not sure on the time. I’d start with 20 minutes and add more time as needed. Let me know how they turn out!
  Reply
Beverly
April 6, 2019 at 12:57 pm
4th time I made this awesome recipe,I bake a lot always looking for a easier way to make things and still have great taste. This is great and so easy,having it with strawberries and whip cream after church tomorrow can’t wait.Thanks for this fabulous recipe.
Reply
Tammy
March 9, 2019 at 12:11 pm
Omg I made this Friday for strawberry shortcake and it is amazing. This was the first time I have ever made a pound cake. My husband was very impressed. Will definitely be making this again.
Reply
- Kara Cook
  March 13, 2019 at 10:52 am
  Yay, I’m always glad when a first timer has success! So glad you loved it. I haven’t had strawberry shortcake for ages, I need to make it soon!
  Reply
Clive barnard
October 31, 2018 at 3:06 am
How long you put in oven for and what temperature as I have fan oven
Reply
- Kara Cook
  October 31, 2018 at 10:26 pm
  300° for 90 minutes. If you have a convection oven it may cook faster.
  Reply
YOLANDA MORRIS
June 9, 2018 at 6:37 pm
Just took out the oven! Was quute xonxerned at such a low temperature oven for an extended period od time but the house smells nice!!!
Reply
Caroline
May 26, 2018 at 8:32 am
Made this last night. Easy and delicious. Great for strawberry shortcake. Will definitely make this again and again.
Reply
Pam Coleman
April 7, 2018 at 2:47 pm
HI…Just ran across your recipe for pound cake. Do you use butter or margarine? If butter is it salted or unsalted? Can’t wait to try it. My daughter loves pound cake but I haven’t found a recipe that holds up to the toppings we put on them.
Reply
- Kara Cook
  October 31, 2018 at 10:27 pm
  I use regular salted butter in all my recipes. This pound cake does seem to hold up to any toppings we’ve tried. Hope you like it!
  Reply
Nicole Davis
March 27, 2018 at 7:42 pm
Will this rise quite a bit?
Reply
Teresa
May 20, 2017 at 10:36 pm
I just made this. Oh my was it delicious! I made mine in a square stoneware baking dish and baked it at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. I made mine with the lemon extract and it was perfect with our fresh strawberries.
Reply
Brenda Marie
May 4, 2017 at 8:56 am
Mine is in the oven right now. I’ll let you all know how it comes out!
Reply
- Brenda Marie
  May 5, 2017 at 11:05 pm
  Update: It came out FANTASTIC! VERY happy with this recipe (making 2 more tomorrow)!
  Reply
Kathy
April 17, 2017 at 4:50 pm
Made this pound came for Easter dessert, strawberry short cske. It is the EASIEST & best tasting pound cake I have ever had! So buttery, moist & yummy. Went well with the strawberries & whipped cream! You gotta try it!
Reply
- Kara Cook
  April 18, 2017 at 7:46 am
  So glad to hear you liked it as much as we do Kathy!!
  Reply
angel peoples
September 19, 2016 at 6:24 pm
Does it use self rise?
Reply
- Kara
  September 19, 2016 at 9:45 pm
  Nope, just regular all purpose flour.
  Reply
Jackie
July 27, 2016 at 2:16 pm
Could I use a bunt cake pan instead of a bread pan?
Reply
- Kara
  August 2, 2016 at 10:44 pm
  Sorry I just saw your question. I don’t think it would be enough batter for a bundt cake pan. Maybe if you made 1 1/2 times the recipe it would work, but I’m not sure how long it would need to bake. You could always try it though!
  Reply
Kathy
July 7, 2016 at 11:19 am
I love how easy this recipe looks and can’t wait to try it. I’ve read comments that it’s moist (which is great) but I want to try to make the Pioneer woman’s ice cream layer cake which uses pound cake, and I thought for that it would have to be more dense because it requires slicing in thirds and then adding ice cream to it? Any thoughts on that? Should I increase the baking time?
I thought pound cake is usually dense anyway.
Reply
- Kathy
  July 7, 2016 at 6:28 pm
  Made it and it held up great. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. So easy.
  Reply
Debbie
March 8, 2015 at 10:16 pm
I made this tonight for strawberry shortcakes and I didn’t want to wait the 90 minutes so I baked it in a 9″x13″ cake pan at 350 degrees for 25 min. It’s so moist and delicious and we haven’t even made the shortcakes yet! Thanks for such an easy, yummy recipe!
Reply
Vicki J
August 3, 2014 at 11:22 am
Fantastic flavor. Bakes and browns beautifully. I increased the extract to 2 teaspoons almond extract and added poppy seeds, glazed it with a powered sugar/almond glaze. Delicious ! This will definitely be my new BEST POUND CAKE EVER recipe. So easy to mix up ! Love it !! Thanks for sharing this beauty = )
Reply
Tabatha
July 1, 2014 at 7:34 pm
Thanks for the recipe! I just made these in cupcake form for strawberry shortcakes. I baked them for about 25 minutes and they came out perfect! It was too hot today to have the oven on for 90 minutes but next time I’ll try it in a loaf:)
Reply
- Kara
  July 22, 2014 at 7:10 pm
  Glad to hear they turned out! I love the idea of making cute little individual shortcakes!
  Reply
April
May 16, 2014 at 5:09 pm
I found your recipe on Pinterest, I used it because hubby was having a craving for simple pound cake, I liked it because it only requires 3 eggs (others are 5+). I love baking but haven’t made pond cake in forever, lol. The recipe is easy to follow. I am currently baking my 4th batch, needless to say it’s a huge hit. Tonight I am trying it with cocoa powder. Thank You!
Reply
- Kara
  May 16, 2014 at 5:47 pm
  So glad to hear it April! Let me know how it turns out with the cocoa. I’ve never tried that. 🙂
  Reply
jen
March 14, 2014 at 1:28 pm
This recipe is great! I made it today, doubling the recipe and it turned out perfect…I am using it to make a trifle, and my husband wanted to taste the cake–three pieces later, he left me the rest for the trifle. (Good thing the trifle only needs one and a half loaves!) Thanks again for a simple, yet incredibly tasty recipe!
Reply
- Kara
  March 17, 2014 at 3:35 pm
  Haha! At least you only had one taste tester. I have to fight off teenage boys! 😉 Glad you both liked it!
  Reply
MPG
October 4, 2013 at 3:58 pm
Could be use for cupcakes?
Reply
- Kara
  October 7, 2013 at 8:06 am
  I’ve never tried making cupcakes with the batter, but you could certainly try. I’d set the timer for 20 minutes, then add more time as needed. Good luck!
  Reply
Doris
October 4, 2013 at 7:55 am
Can you add cocoa to this pound cake?
Reply
- Kara
  October 7, 2013 at 8:02 am
  I have never tried adding cocoa, but I would bet that you could add it with the dry ingredients. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
  Reply

Easy Pound Cake Recipe - Creations by Kara (2024)