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If you’re looking for a simple dessert that doesn’t require a lot of fussy ingredients but tastes like a million dollars, Easy Pound Cake is exactly what to make. Enjoy it plain, with a drizzle of chocolate sauce, or stacked with berries and whipped cream to make shortcake.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Cake flour: This finely milled, bleached flour has a lower protein content (about 8%) than all-purpose flour. Making cakes with cake flour gives your desserts a soft, tender texture and an excellent crumb.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. In a second bowl or a large measuring cup, whisk together the sugar, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla..
- Pour into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean with a few crumbs attached, about 55 to 60 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and peel the parchment from the bottom of the cake. Cool completely before slicing.
Recipe tips and variations
- Mini pound cakes: This recipe will also make 4 miniature pound cakes. Use four 2-cup mini loaf pans and reduce the baking time to 40 minutes.
- Lemon pound cake: Add 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest and 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice to the sugar before processing in Step 2.
- Orange pound cake: A 1 tablespoon grated orange zest and 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice to the sugar before processing in Step 2.
- Ginger pound cake: Add 3 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger, 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger, and ½ teaspoon mace to the sugar before processing in Step 2.
Serving suggestions for pound cake
Fruit Dessert Recipes
Raspberry Coulis
Chocolate Recipes
Chocolate Fondue
Baking Basics
How to Make Whipped Cream
Frosting, Sauce, and Pudding Recipes
Caramel Sauce
Easy Pound Cake
If you’re looking for a simple dessert that doesn’t require a lot of fussy ingredients but tastes like a million dollars, Easy Pound Cake is exactly what to make. Enjoy it plain, with a drizzle of chocolate sauce, or stacked with berries and whipped cream to make shortcake.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour (see note 1)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter melted (2 sticks)
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. In a second bowl or a large measuring cup, whisk together the sugar, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and slowly pour in the wet ingredients, whisking constantly until most of the lumps are gone. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean with a few crumbs attached, about 50 to 60 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and peel the parchment from the bottom of the cake. Cool completely before slicing.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Cake flour: This finely milled, bleached flour has a lower protein content (about 8%) than all-purpose flour. Making cakes with cake flour gives your desserts a soft, tender texture and an excellent crumb.
- Mini pound cakes: This recipe will also make 4 miniature pound cakes. Use four 2-cup mini loaf pans and reduce the baking time to 40 minutes.
- Lemon pound cake: Add 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest and 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice to the sugar before processing in Step 2.
- Orange pound cake: A 1 tablespoon grated orange zest and 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice to the sugar before processing in Step 2.
- Ginger pound cake: Add 3 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger, 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger, and ½ teaspoon mace to the sugar before processing in Step 2.
- Serving suggestions: Serve with fresh berries and whipped cream, a drizzle of caramel sauce or chocolate sauce, or dipped in chocolate fondue.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 447kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 6gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 154mgSodium: 238mgPotassium: 67mgFiber: 1gSugar: 31gVitamin A: 845IUCalcium: 54mgIron: 1mg
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Meggan Hill is the Executive Chef and CEO of Culinary Hill, a popular digital publication in the food space. She loves to combine her Midwestern food memories with her culinary school education to create her own delicious take on modern family fare. Millions of readers visit Culinary Hill each month for meticulously-tested recipes as well as skills and tricks for ingredient prep, cooking ahead, menu planning, and entertaining. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the iCUE Culinary Arts program at College of the Canyons.
Came you use. Al purpose. Flour.
Hi Shirley, I don’t see why not! I have used this substitution in other cakes, but I haven’t tested it in this one specifically, so I hope it works and your cake isn’t ruined.
Take 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, and 3 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Begin with 1 1/2 level cups of all-purpose flour. Then remove 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, and add the 3 tablespoons of either cornstarch or arrowroot powder to the flour. Sift together until well blended. (Note: using arrowroot powder may make the cake bake quicker, so keep an eye on the oven.) – Meggan
Simple and easy cake recipe. My 10 year old daughter baked 2 times and it results are amazing. The end product is buttery, spongy and delicious.
Prep time is less than 15 mins. What I liked it no use of mixer and not lot of ingredients.
Hi Vaish, thank you so much for your comment. I love that your daughter baked it! – Meggan
It tasted just like my mother’s pound cake – brought back good memories of a lovely lady. It was easy to make and absolutely delicious. I made it in a stand mixer because I am lazy and it was perfect.
Hi Neil, so glad you loved it! No shame in using a standing mixer! I do as well sometimes. Take care! – Meggan
I’m going to make me a cake 🎂 I was looking for some help with finding a recipe that doesn’t use milk because I don’t have any. I’m going to use water instead.
Hi Teresa, happy to have been able to help! Take care! – Meggan
I made this cake in an hour and a half. I made 1/2 recipe (halfed everything) as it’s only me. I also used 4 slots of an 8-slot mini muffin pan. I added lemon zest and juice. My 4 mini pound cakes are PERFECT. This recipe rivals the exquisite pound cakes my mother used to make. This recipe is simple, quick, and absolutely delicious! I’ll be making this to have with tea and give to neighbors – it’s so easy and tastes terrific. I highly recommend it. It’s a great cake for simple or special occasions 💜
Hi CeCe! I’m so happy you loved it! I love the addition of lemon zest and juice, delicious! Thank you for taking the time to leave such a nice comment. Take care! – Meggan
Third time making this recipe, and at this point I double it and freeze one and it’s still delish.
I’ve added lemon juice and it’s the best and this time I tried with rum flavoring, I think it will be great.
Highly recommend this recipe!
Thanks Esther, so glad you love it! – Meggan
Great recipe, very easy to prep and delicious results. I never bake because I’m terrible for it, first time I manage to make a great cake without dramas. Saving this recipe for my family’s future birthdays and celebrations.
Thanks Vanessa, so glad you enjoyed! – Meggan
Hi, Can you please tell me cooking time if using one cup mini-loaf pans? Thank you!
Hi Lynn, I haven’t tested this myself but one reader cut the recipe in half and baked it in 2 mini loaf pans for 35 minutes and they said it turned out great! Hope this helps. – Meggan