Classic Pound Cake (Printable)
Rich buttery pound cake with tender crumb, golden crust, and pure vanilla flavor. A timeless American classic.
# What You Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, at room temperature
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
08 - 1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
# How-To:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale, light, and fluffy, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Blend in the vanilla extract until evenly distributed.
05 - With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined without overmixing.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface evenly with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.
08 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The crumb is so tender it practically dissolves on your tongue, yet sturdy enough to hold up under a mountain of berries and cream.
- It uses pantry staples you probably already have, which means you can satisfy a cake craving without a grocery run.
- The slice tastes even better on day two, making it the rare dessert that rewards your patience.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter once the flour goes in develops gluten and turns your cake dense and chewy instead of velvety, so stop the mixer the second the last streak of flour vanishes.
- Oven temperatures vary wildly, so start checking with a toothpick at the fifty minute mark because a dry crumb is a sad crumb.
03 -
- All your wet ingredients must be room temperature before you start, because even slightly cold eggs or milk will cause the batter to curdle and you will see buttery lumps that never quite incorporate.
- Run your mixer on the butter and sugar for longer than you think is necessary, because that extra whipping is what builds the tiny air pockets that give pound cake its signature tenderness.