Perfect Pound Cake

Why is it called Pound Cake?

Pound cake originated in the 1700’s and traditionally called for a pound of butter, sugar, flour, and eggs. While this recipe deviates somewhat from the traditional method, it still includes the classic ingredients. Our recipe also includes sour cream resulting in a cake that is a bit lighter and more moist.

Perfect Pound Cake Process

Even though we provide detailed instructions in the recipe below, the following is a general overview of the process along with some tips.

Prepare Pan

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 10-12 cup Bundt pan generously with melted shortening or nonstick spray (the kind with flour in it).

Mix Cake Ingredients

Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. It is important to beat the butter and sugar fully until it lightens in color. The sugar aerates the butter creating bubbles that are then used in the leavening process.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. By adding the eggs slowly, it helps liquids and fats disperse evenly creating a smooth suspension. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add half to the butter mixture, beating gently on low until just incorporated. Then, add sour cream, vanilla, and the remaining half of flour mixture. Mix just until combined. Take care to not over-mix. The batter will be thick.

Bake Cake

Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake for 60-75 minutes or until wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack or serving dish. Cool completely before serving with optional whipped cream and fresh berries.

Why is it important to not over-mix pound cake?

It is critical with pound cake (and most other cakes) to not over-mix the eggs and dry ingredients in the batter. When batter is over-mixed, too much air is incorporated into the batter resulting in a dry cake. Additionally, over-mixing causes gluten development which can lead to a tough and rubbery texture. When incorporating the eggs and dry ingredients, always mix just until combined.

How Do You Test A Bundt Cake For Doneness?

Testing a bundt cake for doneness can be a little tricky due to its large size and density. Regular toothpicks are okay but do not test all the way through. I keep wooden skewers on hand specifically to test bundt cakes and they are super convenient.

How should I store pound cake?

Store covered cake at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. Pound cake may be frozen in plastic wrap and aluminum foil for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw (still wrapped) overnight in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature prior to serving.

Tips

Measure correctly – I highly recommend using a kitchen scale when baking. Because baking measurements need to be exact, using a scale helps to measure as precisely as possible. It quite honestly was a complete game changer for me when I first started using one! I would be lost without it now.
Room temperature is important! When certain ingredients (eggs, cream cheese, butter, etc.) are listed as room temperature, there are scientific reasons behind this. At room temperature, these ingredients blend together better and result in a smoother batter. Ultimately, you will end up with a better final product!
Over-mixing – Take care to not over-mix the cake batter once the eggs and dry ingredients have been added. When batter is mixed too much, it results in the gluten being activated. If this occurs, the cake may be dense and chewy.
Checking too early – Try to not open the oven door too often while baking as this could cause issues with the cake rising. The sudden influx of cool air could actually stop the rising process and cause the cake to collapse.
Keeping cake fresh – To keep cake that has been cut fresh, stick a piece of wax paper on the exposed section prior to covering and storing.

My Preferred Tools

You may already have many of these items in your kitchen. I recommend the following for this recipe:

Kitchen Scale – precisely measure ingredients
Stand Mixer – to mix batter
Bundt Pan – to bake cake
Wooden Skewers – to test bundt cake for doneness
Cooling Racks – to cool cake and dishwasher friendly!!
Cake Turntable and Spatulas – excellent for decorating cakes
Wilton Decorating Kit – piping tips, bags, couplers, and more for decorating cakes
Master Decorating Kit – ultimate cake decorating tip set
Cake Scraper Set – use these to scrape icing and create fun, easy designs on your cakes
Cake Boards – sturdy, cardboard cake boards used to pick up your cake

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February 14, 2024

Servings: 12

Prep: 20 min

Cook: 60 min

Total: 80 min

Difficulty: Easy

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This Perfect Pound Cake is moist, rich, tender, buttery, and is excellent on its own or as the base in other recipes.

By: The Kelly Kitchen

Ingredients

CAKE:
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) salted butter, softened
2 ½ cups (495 g) granulated sugar
3 eggs, room temp
3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 ½ cups (341 g) full-fat sour cream, room temp
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
TOPPINGS:
Fresh berries, optional
Whipped cream, optional

Directions

Step 1 PREP: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 10-12 cup Bundt pan generously with melted shortening or nonstick spray (the kind with flour).
Step 2 CAKE: Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl as necessary.
Step 3 Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add half to butter mixture, beating gently on low until just incorporated. Then, add sour cream, vanilla, and the remaining half of flour mixture. Mix just until combined. Take care to not over-mix. Batter will be thick.
Step 4 BAKE: Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan and bake for 60-75 minutes or until wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes before inverting onto wire rack or serving dish. Cool completely before serving with optional whipped cream and fresh berries.
Step 5 OTHER SIZES: I love baking this cake in other pans as well. Keep temperature the same at 350 degrees. Then, for three 9-inch pans, bake 23-25 minutes. For two 9-inch pans, bake 33-35 minutes. For two 8-inch pans, bake 38-40 minutes. For two 6-inch pans, bake 31-33 minutes.
Step 6 STORAGE: Store covered cake at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. Cake may be frozen in plastic wrap and aluminum foil for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw (still wrapped) overnight in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature prior to serving.

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