Old-Fashioned Pound Cake (with whipping cream)

If you’re looking for a classic pound cake to serve at your next get-together, you can stop looking! I’ve got a luscious butter pound cake recipe for you that’s going to thrill and delight your guests and make you proud to serve it!

The Best Recipes Are Passed Down from Grandma

And that’s the case here. I was at my sister-in-law’s house the day before Easter and she served a luscious golden pound cake. The kids couldn’t get enough of it.

When I asked my sister-in-law about it, she said, “Oh, that’s Moggie’s recipe.” (Moggie is her grandmother, who just celebrated her 100th birthday!)

I knew at once that I needed to add Moggie’s Pound Cake recipe to my blog as a reminder to us all that the best recipes truly are the ones that have been around for ages. (Thanks, Moggie! This one’s so delicious!)

Turns out, Moggie borrowed the recipe from the back of the Swan’s Down Flour box. She just substituted Crisco for their recommended three sticks of butter. (I decided to go with the butter because, well. . .butter.)

I know what you’re wondering: Can I use all-purpose flour? Only if you plan to turn it into my DIY Cake Flour!

The History of Pound Cake

Before we talk about what goes into this luscious cake let’s stroll down memory lane to discuss the history of pound cake.

This style of cake dates back to the early 18th century in Northern Europe. Back in those days pound cakes weighed in at four pounds. The ingredients that went into the cake were all weighed in single pound units: a pound each of butter, flour, sugar, and eggs.

And even though this particular recipe isn’t exactly that ratio, it’s close. The goal is to add equal parts of those four ingredients, no matter how large the cake you’re making.

Most pound cakes are baked in a tube pan (angel food cake pan), a bundt cake pan, or a loaf pan. I opted for the bundt because my loaf pan was too small. Besides, I think a Bundt pan looks fancy.

(I used this pan for my Caramel Banana Cake, as well as my Old-Fashioned Banana Bread with mayonnaise.) I also used it for my Brown Butter Walnut Cake.

This post is definitely making me hungry for cake.

The Secret Ingredients

In case you’re wondering what sets this pound cake apart from all of the others out there, it’s one super-secret ingredient: whipping cream.

I can’t even begin to tell you the difference it makes to add whipping cream to the batter. Once mixed with the sifted flour, the batter was light, fluffy, and oh-so-delicious! (Ask me how I know.)

Wondering what else goes into this delicious pound cake? You’ve probably got most everything in your pantry that you’ll need.

Pound Cake Ingredients:

You will find a full, printable recipe at the bottom of this post, but here’s a quick peek at what you’re going to need. These are such simple ingredients!

• salted room temperature butter
• granulated sugar
• large eggs, room temperature
• cake flour, sifted
• vanilla extract
• heavy whipping cream

Optional: You can make a glaze out of powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla to drizzle over your cake if you like.

For best results, always use room temperature ingredients!

You’ll notice this recipe has no leavening agent! No baking powder. No baking soda. Nothing like that. It’s a dense, rich cake that doesn’t require any leavening!

How to Make this Luscious Pound Cake

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure your butter and eggs are room temperature before you begin. If you need to quickly bring your eggs to room temperature you can always put them in a bowl of lukewarm (or slightly warm) water while you’re creaming your butter and sugar.

Place your softened butter in your mixing bowl. I used the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for this recipe but you can use a large bowl and an electric mixer. You won’t want to mix by hand because it’s important to get everything creamed and smooth.

Once your butter is softened it’s time to add your vanilla extract. An old-fashioned cake calls for old-fashioned vanilla, so I used Watkins brand.

Now work in your sugar. Don’t add it all at once. Make sure you mix it thoroughly.

Time to add your room temperature eggs. Put them in one at a time and beat until creamy and smooth. The batter will be runny at this point, which is just as it should be.

Measure out your whipping cream. You’ll need a cup (half a pint).

Have your flour ready to go. (A little backstory on the flour: even though cake flour is sifted, you will need to sift it again before measuring out three cups. And be sure to measure using the spoon-in method, not by scooping.)

Alternate adding flour, then whipping cream, then flour, then whipping cream…and mix at medium speed until it’s all incorporated.

Don’t over-mix! You don’t want to over-activate the gluten strands. If you do, you’ll end up with a dense, tough cake.

Let me just say, if you do it right, this cake batter is the best! It’s light, fluffy, and oh-so-tasty! (I know, I know. . . you’re not supposed to lick the bowl but I couldn’t help myself!)

Prepare a bundt pan or a tube pan (angel food cake pan) by buttering or spraying with cake release spray. If you opt for a loaf pan you’ll probably need to split the batter into two of them. (This recipe makes a lot!)

Put your batter into prepared pan. (A 10-inch tube pan will also work.)

Bake at 325 for one hour and fifteen minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Slow and steady wins the race with this pound cake. (Compare this to my usual bake time on round cake pans. Those are only in the oven for half an hour!)

Remove from the oven when golden brown and set on wire cooling rack for 10-15 minutes or until you can handle the pan.

Flip the cake over onto the wire rack and continue to cool.

If you want to make a glaze, now’s the time! In a bowl mix up half a cup of powdered sugar, a couple tablespoons milk or heavy cream, and a dash of vanilla. Stir until smooth. If you want to thicken your glaze you can add a couple tablespoons room temperature butter, stirred in until smooth.

Wait until cake has cooled a bit before adding glaze. I opted to sprinkle powdered sugar over mine.

This is a delicious cake and it was so easy to make! It’s rich with buttery-goodness, and the crumb is packed tight. My favorite part was the crispy edges.

Just for fun, I buttered a little slice before eating it. I had a vivid memory of my mama doing that.

If you like, you can serve with fresh berries and whipping cream. (Strawberry shortcake, anyone?) Other fresh fruit will work, too. I’m a fan of raspberries and blackberries. Another option would be to serve with vanilla ice cream.

No matter how you serve it, it’s going to be a hit!

How to Store This Cake

Wrap this cake in plastic wrap or place in airtight container. It gets better with time and it freezes and refrigerates well.

Variations on this Pound Cake Recipe

This was my first time to make this delicious cake and I’m so glad I did it!

You know that I’m all about starting with a boxed mix here at Out of the Box Baking. But, y’all. . .this great recipe has changed my thinking about some of those cakes I’ve been whipping up! It might not be an original recipe but this is the best cake I’ve had in ages (and that’s saying a lot).

This came together so easily. You won’t have to save it for special occasions! I can see that this would make a good base recipe for any of the following cakes:

Almond Pound Cake:

Add almond extract in place of Vanilla for an almond cake.

Italian Cream Cake:

Start with this recipe and then add your coconut, pecans, pudding, and so on. It will add a rich, buttery goodness to the Italian Cream Cake recipe!

Cinnamon Sugar Pound Cake

I have a great recipe for this one, y’all! It’s so tasty and takes this recipe up a notch!

Banana Pound Cake:

Yes, please! This pound cake would make a terrific base for a luscious banana cake! Serve with caramel sauce on top. Yum. I have a delicious Bananas Foster Pound Cake recipe that you might want to try!

Pineapple Pound Cake with Berries

I’ve got a great recipe for this one, y’all!

Chocolate Pound Cake:

Add half a cup of unsweetened cocoa powder to the recipe, along with half a cup of floured chocolate chips.

Lemon Pound Cake:

I almost turned my pound cake into a lemon cake by adding lemon zest and/or lemon extract. This would be an easy way to jazz up your pound cake.

Brown Sugar/Pecan Pound Cake:

Add brown sugar in place of half of the white and drizzle maple glaze over the top once it’s done, along with chopped toasted pecans. (Yum!)

Orange-Cranberry Pound Cake:

Add half a cup of diced craisins, along with a tablespoon of orange zest.

Buttermilk Pound Cake:

Use buttermilk in place of whipping cream

Spice Rum Pound Cake:

Add rum and brown sugar to the recipe and drizzle with a rum glaze.

Copycat Sara Lee Pound Cake:

To make this into a copycat Sara Lee just cut back on the sugar a bit, using only 2 cups instead of 3. (I haven’t had one of those in years so I can’t vouch for this claim. I can only imagine this recipe is a thousand times better!)

Coconut Pound Cake with Lime Glaze:

Check out this recipe at Taste of Home!

Sour Cream Pound Cake:

Substitute sour cream in place of whipping cream for a tart flavor and slightly different texture.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake:

Use softened cream cheese in place of the whipping cream.

Questions People are Asking about Pound Cake: 

What is the secret to a good pound cake? 

It’s a combination of things, but mostly the balance of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. This is a dense cake (thanks to the eggs), and has a richness you don’t find in a traditional layered cake. You can pick up a slice of this cake in your hands and eat it without fear that it will crumble and fall apart on you! I has structure you don’t find in other cakes.

How do you make pound cake moist? 

Butter, my friend. Butter. Or shortening. Some recipes call for shortening instead of butter. Also, be careful not to overbake. You cake take a cake from perfect to dry by leaving it in the oven just five minutes too long. 

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

Cake flour is the best. You can make your own DIY Cake Flour, of course, but purchasing a good store-bought cake flour will almost always produce a perfect cake. 

Is pound cake a southern delicacy? 

Pound cakes are very popular in the south. Back in the 1950s and 60s they were a staple at women’s events, likely because the ingredients were so common. In 1881 the first cookbook by an African-American author debuted under the title, What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking. Abby Fisher popularized this cake in that book, and southerners have been eating it ever since!

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That’s it for now! This is truly the perfect pound cake! Add this one to your recipe card, folks!

And while you’re thinking about it, check out my recipe over at weekend potluck! I’m always so excited to share at South your Mouth!

Thanks to Moggie for her great recipe. I can’t wait to share this cake with my grandkids. They’re coming over tomorrow and I just know they’re going to love it! (This will be a family favorite, for sure. . .especially if I throw in some berries and whipping cream!)

P.S. My store was out of Swans Down, so I used HEB brand. You might also recall that I did a tutorial on how to make your own cake flour.

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