Slap Ya Mama Pound Cake Recipe  

This rich, buttery Slap Ya Mama Pound Cake is a true Southern classic, but you don’t have to live in the south to enjoy it, I promise! Some folks call it Slap Yo Mama Pound Cake, and others go with Slap Your Mama — but no matter how you say it, one bite will make you understand the humor behind its name. It’s outrageously good, deeply moist, and absolutely perfect for family gatherings or brunch with friends.

Wait. Slap. . .Who? 

When I first saw this cake on Pinterest, I did a double-take. I mean, the name alone was a bit of a jaw-dropper. Here in the south (I’m a Texas gal) we have some odd phrases. (((Janice pauses to list of few of the ones she’s used in her books))): 

• "Butter my butt and call me a biscuit!"
• "She’s as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs."
• "He’s busier than a one-armed paper hanger.” 
• "This cake could make a preacher cuss."

So, I’m familiar with funny phrases. But the idea of slapping Mama? Well, let’s just say that goes against my genteel upbringing! 

Here’s what I learned after a bit of research: 

The name "Slap Ya Mama" comes from a long-running Southern expression meant to say: "This is so good, it might just make you forget your manners." It's playful, exaggerated, and rooted in old-school Southern humor — "so good it'll make you wanna slap your mama"— not because anyone would actually do that, but because the food is shockingly, outrageously delicious. It's a tongue-in-cheek way of saying, "This cake is dangerously good."

That said, I had to laugh when I saw the name, because I realized the point behind it: This cake is good. Really, really good. And it’s one I’ve never made before, so I needed to give it a try! 

My Pound Cake History

If you’ve followed me for a while you know I love a good pound cake. I’ve got a bunch of them on this site already. My first pound cake recipe was shared with me by my sister-in-law. Her grandma (lovingly known as Moggie) passed it down to the family. From there, I started making a bunch of flavored pound cakes: Cinnamon Sugar Pound Cake, Caramel Butterscotch Pound Cake, Orange Raspberry Pound Cake, and so on. (You’l find many more at the bottom of this post!)

After baking up a bunch of scratch cakes I decided to turn a boxed cake mix into a pound cake. In fact, I dedicated a whole post to it, titled How to Turn a Boxed Cake Mix into a Pound Cake. (This is actually one of my most popular posts, both on Pinterest and here on my blog.) I have a wide variety of these—everything from a doctored white (or yellow) cake mix to German chocolate pound cake. (See the list at the bottom of the post for more proof that I’ve been at this pound cake thing for a while.) 

That said, I’d never made this particular recipe. Moggie's recipe is similar, but not the same.

Why You’ll Love This Cake

• Classic, buttery, rich pound cake texture
• Made with sour cream for extra moisture
• Easy to make, easy to impress
• Old-school Southern flavor, modern foolproof method

Ingredients You’ll Need 

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick peek at what you’ll need to make this luscious from-scratch cake. 

Cake Ingredients

• 2 sticks (one cup) room temperature butter (salted or unsalted, your choice)
• ½ cup Crisco (regular or butter-flavored, your choice)
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup sour cream (room temperature)
• 5 large eggs (room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted (measure first, sift after)
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt (if you use unsalted butter; otherwise omit the extra salt)

Glaze Ingredients

• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted 
• 2–3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  (Or swap vanilla for ½–1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice if you want a lemon glaze)
• Optional: tiny pinch of salt (balances the sweetness)

How to Make Slap Ya Mama Pound Cake

This is a simple cake to make, but it does take concentration! 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

Grease and flour a large bundt (or tube) pan. (Note: This is a lot of batter and you’ll have to take care not to over-fill your pan. Ask me how I know!) 

Sift the flour and add the baking powder to it. Set aside. 

Place room temp butter and shortening in a mixing bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer) and beat until creamy. 

Add sugar and beat at medium speed for five minutes, pausing to scrape down the bowl on occasion. 

Add the eggs, one at a time and mix well. 

Now add the sour cream and extracts. Continue to mix. 

Work in the flour and baking powder, mixing only until combined. (You don’t want to over-mix at this point or the cake will be tough.) 

Scoop the (very thick) batter into the prepared pan. I was nervous because my batter was so close to the top. You might want to withhold a little of the batter, if you have too much. (Hey, you can always make a cupcake or two!) 

Place the cake pan on a foil-lined baking sheet and place in the oven. 

Bake for an hour and fifteen minutes and then check to see how it’s coming along. Depending on the pan, you might have to bake an additional fifteen minutes. (Mine was in the oven a full hour and a half, but I covered it with a loose piece of parchment paper for the final fifteen minutes so it wouldn’t get too dark.) 

Use a cake tester to make sure it’s baked through. The tester should come out clean. It's also a good idea to use a bread thermometer, if you have one. It should register around 210 degrees.

Remove and place on a wire rack to cool. 

Allow the cake to sit for at least 20 minutes before you attempt to turn it out. 

Allow to continue to cool directly on the rack. 

Simple Glaze for Pound Cake

Once the cake is cooled, it’s time to make the glaze: Combine the powdered sugar, cream (or milk) and vanilla. You’re looking for a consistency that’s a bit like honey. Stir until smooth. 

Drizzle over cooled cake and allow to sit for 30 minutes before slicing. (You want the glaze to “set.”) 

Slice and serve! 

Store at room temperature. This cake will stay fresh up to four days. I don’t recommend refrigerating because it will dry the cake out. You can always freeze it to thaw and eat later. 

Quick Tips for Success:

• Room Temperature Ingredients: Butter, eggs, and any dairy should be fully room temp. It helps the batter emulsify properly.
• Cream Butter & Sugar Well: This step builds structure and gives you that classic tight, fine pound cake crumb.
• Don’t Rush the Mixing: Add eggs one at a time; scrape the bowl often.
• Measure Carefully: As we discussed — measure your flour before sifting.

What to Expect from this Pound Cake

I had a feeling this cake would be lovely, and it did not disappoint! There were a few tricky moments, so I should mention those first: 

Over-filling the pan: I’ll confess, I was stressed out over the amount of batter I added to the pan. I should have used a tube pan, perhaps? I’m not sure. But I wanted to use my pretty bundt pan. 

Over-filling meant the cake had to bake longer. Mine was in there a full hour and a half, and (being totally transparent), I even put it back in for another five minutes, until the internal temperature was at least 210 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have a bread thermometer, this is the best way to check the “doneness” of this cake. 

Now, for the good news: It’s beautiful. It’s delicious. And, it’s relatively simple to make, since it only calls for a few ingredients that you likely have on hand. The flavor is out of this world. I’m taking this cake to my writing group tomorrow and I can’t wait to see what my friends think! (Hopefully no one will really slap their mama over it!) 

Variations to this Recipe

I feel like pounds cakes can stand on their own two feet without additions, but it’s always fun to add to these recipes, so let’s look at some options: 

Lemon Pound Cake: If you’re working with sour cream, it’s nice to add a bit of lemon to the cake to balance out the flavors. You can make a lemon glaze (simple lemon juice in place of cream in the glaze) or you can add a bit of lemon juice or zest to the cake batter. The choice is up to you! 

Cinnamon-Sugar Pound Cake: I mentioned above that I have a great cinnamon-sugar pound cake recipe. It’s simple (and delicious) to add the cinnamon component. 

Berry Delicious Pound Cake: Fresh or frozen blueberries or raspberries work well in this simple recipe. Gently fold 1 to 1½ cups berries into the batter after the sour cream step. Lightly dust berries in flour first to help keep them from sinking. A light lemon glaze pairs beautifully with berries.

Other Pound Cakes from Out of the Box Baking

I listed several of my pound cakes earlier but here are more you might enjoy: 

• Lemon Pound Cake
• Sweet Potato Pound Cake
• Sourdough Discard Pound Cake
• Chocolate Pound Cake with Sour Cream

Master List of all Pound Cakes on this Site:

• 20 Scrumptious Pound Cake Recipes

Questions People are Asking:

• Can I use milk instead of sour cream?
  • You can, (though, I would go with heavy whipping cream, like Moggie did). But, the sour cream adds a lovely tang as well as a rich texture.
• Does this cake need refrigeration?
  • No. In fact, refrigerating it, even after the glaze goes on, will dry it out.
• Can I freeze this pound cake?
  • You can! Make sure it's tightly wrapped, then place it in the freezer up to two months. Thaw naturally, then slice and serve. (Another option: Slice before freezing.)
• Can I make this pound cake in loaf pans instead of a Bundt pan?
  • Yes, you can divide the batter between two well-greased and floured 9x5-inch loaf pans. Baking time will be shorter — typically 50-65 minutes, depending on your oven. Start checking with a toothpick or skewer at the 50-minute mark.
• My cake looks more moist than my other cakes, but it tastes buttery (and great). Is that okay?

• Pound cake, especially one made with sour cream, butter, and shortening, should have a tight, fine crumb that looks slightly dense and buttery. The interior of this pound cake will never look “dry” like a layer cake — it’s supposed to glisten just a bit. What you’re seeing is a properly hydrated, rich pound cake texture. That little bit of sheen is exactly what people are after in a great pound cake — it’s buttery, not raw.

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That’s it for this post, friends!

I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe. 

If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you're at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 165 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.