Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Cake Recipes Vanilla Pound Cake 4.0 (1,567) 100 Reviews This simple recipe produces a buttery, delicate pound cake. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 20, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 15 mins Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Servings: 8 Jump to recipe For a rich and buttery vanilla pound cake every time, use this easy recipe with a few simple steps. The most important thing when making pound cake is to cream the ingredients really well, especially after each addition of egg, because this recipe has no leavening agents—you’re relying on the air you incorporate into the batter to help the cake rise. Once it goes into the oven, the air will expand and the cake will rise. Using room-temperature ingredients also helps achieve volume as the mixer won’t have to work as hard to incorporate the butter and eggs. Brie Goldman 24 Fun Things to Bake—Including Cake, Cookies, Pretzels, and More What Is Pound Cake? Pound cake got its name because it used to be made with one pound each of butter, sugar, flour, and eggs. The recipe has been improved since then, but it is still a dense, buttery loaf cake that can be made quickly and easily. Pound cake has a much higher fat content than regular cakes, and its texture is more solid and coarse. Where Is the Baking Powder or Baking Soda? You might be surprised, but most pound cakes only use eggs to leaven the batter. When baking a pound cake, it is crucial to take your time mixing to make sure enough air is incorporated into the batter. While the batter bakes, it should slowly and evenly puff up and create a dome. Glazes and Frostings for Pound Cake Some pound cakes are drizzled with glazes or icings. Some are swirled with buttercream or cream cheese frosting. This recipe is sweet enough on its own, but you can always take it up a notch with these additions. This pound cake recipe is a classic, flavored with vanilla. You could add other extracts, like almond, or a bit of lemon or orange zest. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan 1 cup sugar 4 large eggs 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract ½ teaspoon salt Directions Brie Goldman Preheat oven, prep loaf pan, and beat butter and sugar: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 6-cup (8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch) loaf pan; set aside. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Brie Goldman While it's unlikely the cake would stick to the pan with the amount of butter in the ingredients, we like to butter and flour the loaf pan just in case. Add eggs, then vanilla and salt: Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla and salt. Brie Goldman Add flour: With mixer on low, gradually add flour, beating just until combined (do not overmix). Brie Goldman Bake: Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour (tent with aluminum foil if browning too quickly). Brie Goldman Cool in pan and on rack: Let cool in pan 15 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack, and turn upright to cool completely. Brie Goldman 4 Ways to Serve Pound Cake Perhaps the best way to enjoy pound cake is simply sliced and served with a cup of coffee or milky tea, but there are other options: Scatter fresh berries, like strawberries, blueberries, or a combination on top of each slice Dollop with lightly sweetened whipped cream or homemade lemon curd Toast slices and spread with salted butter before eating while warm Warmed and topped with a scoop of your favorite ice cream How to Store Pound Cake We recommend storing pound cake unsliced in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. If stored in the refrigerator, the pound cake will dry out more quickly. You can slice leftover pound cake and freeze the slices in sealed freezer-safe bags for up to three months. Thaw slices one at a time at room temperature before enjoying. Frequently Asked Questions Which flour is better for pound cake: cake or all-purpose flour? All-purpose flour is better for pound cake. Most pound cake recipes call for all-purpose flour because they rely on the protein content of the flour to provide structure. Baked goods that are made with cake flour tend to be more soft and delicate. Why does my pound cake fall when I take it out of the oven? Your pound cake may fall when you take it out of the oven because the cake was not cooked through in the center. Always test the cake using a toothpick as directed in our recipe. If batter clings to the toothpick, the cake is not ready and should be baked a few minutes more, then test it again before removing from the oven. Why is my pound cake too dense? A dense pound cake can be the result of over-mixing the batter, using too much flour, or not creaming the butter and sugar enough. Why does my pound cake have a crusty top? Your pound cake has a crusty top because the sugar caramelizes during baking. Some bakers prefer the crusty golden top on a pound cake, but if you prefer a softer top, you can loosely cover the cake with aluminum foil halfway through the baking time. Other Pound Cake Recipes to Try Glazed Lemon Pound Cake Chocolate Vanilla Marble Pound Cake Blueberry-Sour Cream Pound Cake With Lemon Cream Tutti-Frutti Pound Cake Cream Cheese Pound Cake Buttery Pound Cake With Salty Caramel Glaze Pound Cake With Peaches and Cream Originally appeared: Everyday Food, September 2008 Rate It PRINT Updated by Riley Wofford Riley Wofford Riley Wofford is a recipe developer, food stylist, and writer with over 15 years of experience and holds a Professional Culinary Arts diploma from the International Culinary Center. In addition to MarthaStewart.com, Riley's work can be found in TODAY.com, Delish, Food52, and Marley Spoon.