Learn how to make the best pound cake from scratch using my Easy Old Fashioned Pound Cake Recipe. This vanilla loaf pound cake is made with sour cream for a moist and delicious butter pound cake that everyone will love!

Easy Old Fashioned Pound Cake (Loaf Pan Recipe)

Hey everyone! Today I’m excited to share one of my favorite classic cake recipes with you – Easy Loaf Pound Cake.

This Old Fashioned Pound Cake is easy to prepare, is made with simple ingredients, and is a moist and delicious cake that is sure to impress!

I absolutely love the sweet vanilla and butter flavor in this yummy, made from scratch pound cake, and it’s one of my go-to’s for making for family, friends, and guests.

Best of all, I’m sharing my best tips and tricks for making the absolute best pound cake that turns out amazing every single time!

If you want to learn how to make this easy loaf pound cake, then keep reading below and watch my full step-by-step video tutorial over here.

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Old Fashioned Pound Cake Recipe

One of the best things about pound cake is the fact that you only need just a few basic ingredients to make it.

In fact, my simple pound cake recipe only uses 7 ingredients total.

The result? A delicious, moist, vanilla butter pound cake that is heaven in a bite.

Pound Cake Ingredients:

Kitchen Tools Needed:

The Best Pound Cake Recipe Tips & Tricks

Making a delicious pound cake is easy, but does require extra care to ensure the texture and taste turns out perfectly.

As I’ve said before, baking is a science and it’s extremely important to follow a few guidelines when preparing this pound cake.

You want your pound cake to turn out AMAZINGLY delicious so follow these easy tips below!

P.S. The more you make pound cake, the better it will get every time. Practice really does make perfect. 🙂

#1 – Use Room Temperature Ingredients

Before preparing your pound cake make sure you plan ahead and allow your butter, sour cream, and eggs to come to room temperature.

Ideally you want your ingredients to be around 70 degrees F and the butter should be soft, but not greasy or melted.

The reason this is so important is because room temperature ingredients easily emulsify with one another creating a light and tender texture, while cold ingredients will not mix together properly resulting in a lumpy, curdled batter.

To bring your ingredients to room temperature, I recommend setting them out on the counter 30-60 minutes before you plan to bake.

The amount of time may vary and will greatly depend on how warm your kitchen is, but in general this is a good rule of thumb.

I also recommend cutting your butter into tablespoons to also help speed up the softening process.

#2 – Set a Timer to Beat Your Butter & Sugar

Creaming your butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy is probably one of the most important steps when making a pound cake.

Pound cake doesn’t use a traditional rising agent like baking powder, so creaming your butter and sugar for the full recommended time is absolutely crucial to ensure your pound cake rises properly.

It is also what gives your pound cake that perfect, tender texture.

I recommend setting a timer in your kitchen or on your phone to ensure you mix for the full listed time.

You’ll notice I recommend creaming the butter on medium speed for 3-4 minutes or until the butter is a light pale color and fluffy.

Next add the sugar gradually, and mix for an additional 2-3 minutes until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

#3 – Add Eggs One a Time Until Just Combined

Just as it’s important to cream your butter and sugar, it’s also important to add in your room temperature eggs one at a time, and NOT overmix.

Overbeating your eggs will result in pound cake that’s dry, crumbly, or tough and/or it can also cause too much air to occur in your batter resulting in an overflowed mess in your pan.

I recommend adding one egg at a time and mixing on low speed until it is visibly mixed into the batter. (this usually only takes 15-20 seconds per egg)

#4 – Measure and Sift Your Flour

One thing that will really help ensure your pound cake turns out amazing is measuring your flour out correctly and sifting it before adding it to your batter.

I personally always measure out my flour by weight using this affordable food scale, and it’s a total must-have if you really want to improve your baking.

If you don’t have a scale, use a spoon to fluff the flour in your container or bag, then use the spoon to add flour into your measuring cup before using a knife to scrape off the excess.

After properly measuring, I also always sift my flour using this sifter.

This helps ensure there aren’t any lumps and improves the texture of your baked goods.

#5 – Grease Your Pan Liberally

To prevent sticking, make sure you spray your loaf pan liberally with non-stick cooking spray or grease with vegetable shortening like Crisco and lightly dust with flour.

After baking, I also always recommend using a knife and going around the edges of the pan to ensure a clean release.

#6 – Bake Low and Slow

Pound cakes should be baked at a lower temperature and typically take anywhere from 40-60 minutes to fully bake.

Although this takes a little bit longer than many cake recipes, it will be well worth it!

Just make sure you keep an eye on it towards the end to avoid overbaking it.

Old Fashioned Pound Cake FAQ’s

What is Pound Cake?

Pound Cake is a delicious homemade cake that has a dense texture and a sweet vanilla and butter flavor.

Pound cakes can be made in either a loaf or bundt pan and can be eaten plain or topped with a simple icing, glaze, or fruit.

What’s the difference between pound cake and regular cake?

In case you are wondering where pound cake gets its name and how it differs from regular cake, it’s actually quite simple.

Traditionally, pound cakes were made with one pound each of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs for a more dense cake.

What is the secret to a good pound cake?

The secret to a good pound cake is all in the process.

Pound cake isn’t complicated, you just have to follow the instructions. (aka don’t try to wing it!)

Using room temperature ingredients, measuring out your flour, creaming your butter and sugar properly, not overmixing the eggs or flour, and not overbaking will all ensure your pound cake turns out great.

What is the best flour to use for a pound cake?

Although I’m a huge lover of self-rising flour and use it in many of my baked goods including my best chocolate chip cookies, 3-ingredient biscuits, and homemade pizza dough, the best flour to make pound cake with is all-purpose flour.

Pound cake doesn’t use baking soda or traditional rising agents, but instead relies on the emulsion process of butter and sugar for natural rising.

What makes a pound cake rise high?

Since this recipe doesn’t use baking powder, beating your cream and sugar for the proper amount of time is crucial to ensure your pound cake rises properly.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, it’s important to not overbeat your eggs in your pound cake batter, otherwise your cake will rise too much and/or will become tough, dry, and crumbly in texture.

Do you sift flour for pound cake?

Yes, I personally always sift my flour for my baked goods such as cakes, muffins, brownies, and cookies using this affordable sifter set.

It takes just a couple extra seconds and results in a lighter, fluffier texture with no lumps.

How do you make pound cake moist?

The secret to making moist pound cake is sour cream.

This simple ingredient will give your pound cake a perfectly tender texture.

If you don’t have sour cream you can substitute Greek yogurt or something similar.

Southern Loaf Pound Cake Topping Ideas:

One of the best things about pound cake is it’s extremely versatile and it can easily be dressed up with your favorite topping to make it even more delicious.

Below I’ve included a few simple ideas.

Powdered Sugar

One of the quickest and easiest ways to dress up a pound cake is to use a sifter like this to dust on a light layer of powdered sugar.

This looks so pretty for entertaining and also tastes yummy!

Fresh Fruit

Love fruit? Try serving your pound cake with your favorite fresh berries such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries.

Whipped Cream

Add a simple dollop of whipped cream on top of each slice of pound cake.

You can also combine it with fresh fruit to make it even more delicious.

Glaze

Glazes are so easy to make with just a few, simple ingredients, yet they add so much flavor!

Some of my favorites include strawberry, blueberry, lemon, chocolate, maple, or vanilla.

You can grab my easy recipes for vanilla, chocolate, and maple glaze over here.

Pound Cake Storage Instructions

How to Store Leftover Loaf Pound Cake:

Any leftover pound cake should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

It will remain fresh for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze pound cake?

Yes, pound cake freezes up wonderfully and you can freeze it as a whole loaf or in individual slices for up to 6 months.

To freeze as a loaf:

Let cool completely, double wrap with plastic wrap, and wrap with aluminum foil.

Once ready to eat, thaw at room temperature overnight, unwrap, slice, and serve.

To freeze slices:

Let cool completely, slice, and wrap individually with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, or store unwrapped in a freezer safe container or bag.

Once ready to eat, thaw at room temperature for a few hours, and serve.

How to Make Old Fashioned Pound Cake from Scratch + Video Tutorial

Easy Old Fashioned Pound Cake (Loaf Pan Recipe)

Print Recipe

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Author: Kindly Unspoken
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40-60 minutes
Total Time: 0 hours
Yield: 12 servings 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Oven, Baking
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

**For best results use room temperature ingredients as listed

2 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature or 70 degrees F)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup sour cream (room temperature)
4 large eggs (room temperature)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and liberally spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or grease well with shortening.
In a large mixing bowl beat butter for 3-4 minutes on medium speed with an electric hand mixer until the butter is a light pale color and fluffy.
Next add the sugar gradually, and mix for an additional 2-3 minutes until the mixture is smooth. Add in sour cream, salt, and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.
Next, begin adding in room temperature eggs, one at a time, and mix on low speed until just incorporated. This usually only takes 15-20 seconds per egg. **Don’t overmix
Lastly, add in sifted flour in increments and mix on low speed until just combined. Again, don’t overmix.
Pour batter into greased loaf pan and smooth the top out with a spatula, ensuring it gets evenly in all four corners of the pan. Bake in the oven for 40-60 minutes.
Let pound cake cool in pan for 10 minutes before releasing.
Serve pound cake warm and add toppings or glaze if desired.