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.

An angled shot of easy pound cake slices on a cooking rack.
Table of Contents
  1. Recipe ingredients
  2. Ingredient notes
  3. Step-by-step instructions
  4. Recipe tips and variations
  5. Easy Pound Cake Recipe

Recipe ingredients

Labeled easy pound cake ingredients in various bowls.

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

  1. 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..
An overhead shot of egg mixture being poured onto dry ingredients in a clear bowl.
  1. 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.
An overhead shot of easy pound cake slices on a cooling rack and a blue plate.

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

An angled shot of easy pound cake slices on a cooking rack.

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.
4.99 from 84 votes
ReviewPrint
Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins
Total Time 1 hr 30 mins
Servings 8 servings
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Calories 447

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Lemon pound cake: Add 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest and 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice to the sugar before processing in Step 2.
  4. Orange pound cake: A 1 tablespoon grated orange zest and 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice to the sugar before processing in Step 2.
  5. 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.
  6. 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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Comments

    1. 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

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