Classic Southern Pound Cake Recipe

Classic Southern Pound Cake Recipe

A pound cake's beauty is its simplicity. It isn't as showy as a tall, frosted layer cake or as dramatic as a fruit-crowned upside-down cake or as cute as a cupcake. But this humble, comforting treat rises to nearly every setting, occasion, and crowd, whether served on a paper plate or on grandmother's heirloom china.

Ingredients

  • superfine or granulated sugar
    3 c
  • unsalted butter

    at room temperature

    1 ½ c
  • cream cheese

    at room temperature

    6 oz
  • eggs

    at room temperature

    4 large
  • egg yolks

    at room temperature

    2 large
  • 25 cup half-and-half
  • vanilla extract
    2 tsp
  • all-purpose flour
    3 c
  • salt
    1 tsp

Directions

  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 300ºF with oven rack in center of oven. Grease and flour a 10-inch (14-cup) Bundt pan.

  2. 2

    Beat sugar, butter, and cream cheese with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment on medium-high speed until very fluffy and pale in color, 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs,1 at a time, beating on low speed just until yellow disappears after each addition. Add egg yolks, half-and-half, and vanilla, and beat on low speed just until blended.

  3. 3

    Stir together flour and salt in medium bowl; gradually add to butter mixture in 3 batches, beating on low speed just until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Remove bowl from stand, and scrape batter from paddle. Using a spatula, stir batter once by hand, scraping sides and bottom to incorporate any unmixed batter. Spoon batter into prepared pan, and gently tap pan on counter to release any large air bubbles.

  4. 4

    Bake in preheated oven until cake is golden and a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove cake from pan, and cool completely on wire rack before slicing and serving, about 2 hours.

Classic Southern Pound Cake Recipe

Classic Southern Pound Cake Recipe

Similar Recipes

Southern Pound Cake

Southern Pound Cake

Southern pound cake with a moist and velvety crumb!

95 minutes12 servings
Easy Paula Deen Pound Cake

Easy Paula Deen Pound Cake

This delicious pound cake recipe is the perfect southern cake for summer! Make it for an everyday treat or dessert to share.

100 minutes
The Perfect Pound Cake Recipe

The Perfect Pound Cake Recipe

A true classic, my Pound Cake recipe is simple (only six ingredients) and satisfying! This cake is so moist and buttery, and it pairs beautifully with fresh fruit. This recipe includes a how-to video--keep scrolling to watch!

95 minutes696 kcal
Old Fashioned Pound Cake

Old Fashioned Pound Cake

This Old Fashioned Pound Cake recipe is one my mother made often throughout my childhood.  Dense and buttery, this traditional pound cake is the perfect blank canvas for a fruit glaze or whipped topping.

75 minutes371 kcal
Southern Butter Pecan Cake

Southern Butter Pecan Cake

Moist Southern Butter Pecan Cake loaded with pecans and frosted with a pecan brown sugar cream cheese frosting!

58 minutes10 servings
Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

4 hours0 12-14
Chocolate Church Cake

Chocolate Church Cake

Layer cakes are formative for Southerners: They grace wedding tables, shiva gatherings, quinceañeras, baptisms and funerals. Because of this — and because layer cakes may be as close as some will ever get to a holy experience — they’re often called church cakes. This chocolate one is a perfectly moist and stacked rendition of a pudding cake, with just the right amount of richness from the frosting. This formula needs no alterations, but there’s no sense in breaking the tradition of Southern bakers, who personalize recipes as a point of pride. Add pulverized praline to the center, or cinnamon or instant-coffee granules to the batter. Don’t be afraid to make it your own. To make it a true church cake, serve it to those you hold in the highest regard, for celebrations or to simply indulge in the good glory of company.

Southern Pecan Praline Cake Recipe

Southern Pecan Praline Cake Recipe

Southern Pecan Praline Cake is about as southern as you can get and if you like pecans and pralines you will love this easy to make, decadent and delicious dessert.

60 minutes15 servings

Ratings & Reviews

Be the First to Rate

Your rating helps others discover amazing recipes. Share your experience and let others know what you think!

About this Recipe

Craving that timeless, comforting slice of Southern charm? Our Classic Southern Pound Cake delivers on every front, offering simple elegance that's perfect for any occasion. What sets this pound cake apart is the luxurious combination of generous amounts of butter and cream cheese, along with extra egg yolks and half-and-half. This careful balance ensures an incredibly rich, moist, and tender crumb that truly melts in your mouth, defining what a classic pound cake should be. You'll be greeted with a golden-brown crust and an interior that's dense yet delightfully tender, with a fine crumb that's the hallmark of a truly well-made pound cake. Each bite offers a harmonious balance of sweet, creamy richness, enhanced by the warm notes of vanilla, making it a pure, unadulterated pleasure. This isn't a showy cake, but rather a profound comfort, reliable and utterly satisfying. Its straightforward elegance means it pairs beautifully with anything, or simply shines on its own. While this Classic Southern Pound Cake is perfect as is, you could experiment by adding a touch of citrus zest, like lemon or orange, to the batter for a brighter flavor twist. For an even deeper vanilla aroma, consider using a high-quality vanilla bean paste in place of extract. This versatile pound cake is truly ideal for Sunday dinner, a special brunch, or simply an afternoon treat with coffee. Serve it plain, with a scattering of fresh berries, or a dollop of whipped cream for a touch of added indulgence.

Frequently Asked Questions