After six months of baking this is my winning recipe for moist, rich, tender pound cake. Try it with berries, warm chocolate sauce or sweet whipped cream!
I’m a dyed in the wool West Coast girl, born an hour from the ocean, but I love classic Southern cooking! My Daddy was born in the South and the food he cooks has always been a throwback to his roots.
I have always wanted to bake a classic Southern pound cake. Over the years I have tried many pound cake recipes but they all left me annoyed. Dense, tasteless, flat, boring, not rich enough – yeah, I had a long list of complaints. Last fall I decided to tackle pound cake and develop my own Southern inspired recipe.
I read and I baked and I baked and I read. Cakes fell, pans were bought and returned, and there may have been a few tears shed over pound cake… (Can we just chalk that up to pregnancy and not say I’m crazy?!?)
Finally I found the magic. Shorting combined with butter for tender crumb. Vanilla and almond for delicate flavor. The 10″ tube pan big enough to hold the sweet batter. Last week I baked my final three pound cakes in the quest for perfection and I knew it was in the bag! Somewhere angels are singing.
You would think that after the insane number of cakes I baked / we ate that I would be done but I already want to bake another this week to take to my Daddy. And yes, I confess that I want more pound cake for the yummy berries that have been showing up in stores.
Everybody should have an epic pound cake recipe that bakes to impress. Enjoy making this one yours!
Tools In This Post: This is the exact pan I’m using and it is a gem! Calphalon makes great bake ware. This is heavy duty (will last a lifetime) and can go in the dishwasher!
This pound cake is perfect with a warm, rich chocolate sauce or home made whipped cream or both!
Epic Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter
- 1/2 cup shortening plus additional for the pan
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (or 1 teaspoon vanilla with 2 teaspoon lemon extract for more citrus flavor)
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (omit if you are using some lemon with the vanilla as above)
- 5 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for the pan
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
Instructions
- Bring all cold ingredients to room temperature (butter, eggs, and buttermilk).Use shorting to grease a 10-inch tube pan (sometimes called an Angel Food Cake Pan - see note at bottom) and coat it with flour. Tap out excess flour and set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment beat butter and shortening at medium speed for 1 minute. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed, until light, fluffy and very pale yellow in color. This is takes five minutes. You are done when the mixture has about doubled in size. Don't over-mix which can cause the batter to "break" and prevent your cake rising correctly. Scrape sides and bottom.
- Add extracts and eggs, one at a time, beating just until yoke disappears after each addition. Scrape sides and bottom after last addition.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add half of the flour mixture to creamed mixture. Follow by slowly adding the buttermilk and then the rest of flour, continuing to mix at low speed until combined. Scrape sides and bottom.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 75 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in pan. Serve with the top up. The cake is amazing alone but also excellent with whipped cream and berries or your favorite decadent chocolate sauce. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Abby
Hi,
I have to say that I’ve always felt the same way about pound cakes in general…ok–so-so
this sounds different enough for me to try and it sounds like you’ve gone over & above the calling ! and if you’re taking it to your daddy—then we know it has to be good & you’ve found the secret. I will be making this next week & hope that I leave some for the g’kids…LOL
I love your site…. thanks for sharing with us !
Mirlandra
Hi Abby – I hope you guys are having a blast with the pound cake. My Daddy enjoyed his with some early spring strawberries while I was home visiting. Thanks for stopping by!
Pat Mccurry
this looks like a really good southern pound and I am southern born and raised and still live here in South Carolina.I hope to make it real soon.Just got it today from Brandies website.have a blessed night
Mirlandra
It has become a instant family hit around here. My sister in law just requested it today for Thanksgiving dinner. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Diva26
Hi Miranda,
I only have unsalted butter at the moment. If I cream the butter how much salt would you recommend I add?
Mirlandra
Great question! You should add 1/4 teaspoon of salt per 1/2 cup (usually 1 stick) of unsalted butter! Enjoy that pound cake 🙂
Diva26
Thanks Mirlanda!
I made the cake this afternoon. It tastes quite delicious even though it was really high. Because of the volume, it took longer to bake and was a tad darker than expected. I think the amount of baking powder was the culprit so I’ll try this again but use only half of the baking powder. Fingers crossed 🙂
Mirlandra
Hey I’m wondering if your pan was the right size? Getting the right sized pan really matters with this recipe. I’m glad it was still delicious even though your results were a bit different than expected 🙂