Short answer
An easy pound cake is made by creaming butter and sugar, beating in eggs one at a time, folding in flour and baking in a loaf pan at 325°F for about an hour. The crumb is dense, buttery and fine, and keeps for days.
A pound cake easy recipe needs only butter, sugar, eggs and flour, plus a little salt and vanilla. Cream the butter and sugar until pale, beat in the eggs one at a time, fold in the flour and bake the batter in a loaf pan at 325°F for about an hour. The result is a dense, buttery loaf.
What is pound cake?
Pound cake is a rich American and British butter cake with a tight, even crumb, made from near-equal weights of butter, sugar, eggs and flour. It is baked in a loaf or tube pan and sliced thick.
The name comes from the original recipe, which called for a pound of each main ingredient. That made a very large cake, so modern recipes use smaller amounts but keep the proportions close. Pound cake is a close relative of butter cake, sour cream pound cake and cream cheese pound cake, which add dairy for extra moisture.
What ingredients do you need for an easy pound cake?
You need butter, sugar, eggs, all-purpose flour, salt, milk and vanilla. This recipe makes one 9 by 5 inch loaf and uses a short list on purpose.
- 1 cup (2 sticks, 227 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla
Bring the butter, eggs and milk out of the refrigerator about an hour before baking. Room temperature ingredients mix into a smooth batter that holds its air.
How do you make an easy pound cake step by step?
Heat the oven to 325°F, cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs one at a time, then fold in the flour and milk in alternating additions and bake.
- Grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating about 30 seconds after each. Add the vanilla.
- Stir the flour and salt together. Add a third to the batter, mix on low, then add half the milk. Repeat, ending with flour.
- Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack.
Stop mixing as soon as the last streak of flour disappears. Extra mixing develops gluten and makes the loaf tough.
Why does creaming matter?
Creaming is beating softened butter with sugar until the mixture turns pale and increases in volume. The sugar crystals cut tiny air pockets into the butter, and those pockets expand in the oven to give the loaf its rise.
Because a classic pound cake has no baking powder, creaming does most of the lifting. Under-creaming gives a flat, dense cake, so use the full four to five minutes and scrape the bowl once or twice.
How do you know when pound cake is done?
Pound cake is done when a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean and the center reads about 205°F to 210°F on an instant-read thermometer. The top should be deep golden and spring back lightly.
| Test | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Skewer | Clean, or a few dry crumbs |
| Thermometer | 205°F to 210°F in the center |
| Color | Deep golden, edges pulling from the pan |
| Touch | Top springs back gently |
If the top browns too fast before the center sets, lay a loose sheet of foil over the pan for the last 15 minutes.
What is the difference between a home loaf and a bakery pound cake?
A home loaf is baked in a standard 9 by 5 inch pan and weighs roughly two pounds, while a bakery pound cake is often baked in a much larger pan and cut into long hand-cut bars. Both rely on the same buttery, fine-textured crumb.
| Feature | Home loaf | Bakery bar |
|---|---|---|
| Pan | 9 by 5 inch loaf pan | Large bakery pan |
| Size | About 2 pounds | Larger, cut by hand |
| Batter | Mixed in a stand mixer or by hand | Mixed in bulk |
| Finish | Plain or glazed | Often frosted |
Bakery cakes also benefit from commercial ovens that bake evenly, which is hard to match at home. A loaf made with the recipe above comes close in flavor even if the shape is different.
What mistakes ruin an easy pound cake?
The most common mistakes are cold ingredients, rushed creaming, overmixing the flour and an oven that runs hot. Each one is easy to avoid with a little planning.
- Cold eggs or butter: the batter curdles and bakes up coarse and heavy.
- Short creaming: less air in the batter means a flatter, denser loaf.
- Overmixing after the flour goes in: gluten forms and the crumb turns tough.
- Scooping flour straight from the bag: the cup packs down and holds up to 20 percent extra flour. Spoon it in and level it, or weigh it.
- A hot oven: the crust sets too early and cracks deeply while the center stays raw.
A thin loaf pan also matters. Dark metal pans brown faster than light aluminum, so lower the temperature by 25°F if the pan is dark.
How can you change the flavor of an easy pound cake?
Add flavor with citrus zest, a second flavor such as almond, or by swirling in cocoa batter for a marble loaf. Keep the total amount of flour and eggs the same so the structure holds.
| Variation | What to add |
|---|---|
| Lemon or orange | 1 to 2 tablespoons zest rubbed into the sugar |
| Almond | 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring with the vanilla |
| Marble | Stir 3 tablespoons cocoa into a third of the batter and swirl |
| Brown butter | Brown the butter, chill until soft again, then cream |
Rubbing zest into the sugar with your fingers releases the oils and spreads the flavor evenly through the crumb.
How do you store and serve pound cake?
Cool pound cake completely, wrap it well and keep it at room temperature for up to three days. Slices freeze well for up to two months when wrapped individually.
Serve pound cake plain, toasted with butter, with fresh berries and whipped cream or with a simple glaze made from powdered sugar and milk. Day-old slices toast and grill well, which makes leftovers useful.
How does this relate to Stock’s Bakery?
Stock’s Bakery in Philadelphia is known for its pound cake, which the 2016 Philadelphia Inquirer described as hand-cut bars of about 2.5 pounds in vanilla or marble, finished with vanilla or chocolate frosting. The bakery is family-run for generations.
No official menu is published, so this guide records only what public reports and the Google listing say. The recorded items also include butter cake, decorated double-layer pound cake, cookies, doughnuts, coffee cake and pies. WHYY reported that the bakery takes cash only, so bring cash.
The home recipe above is general guidance and is not the bakery’s recipe. See the menu page for the recorded items and the hours and location page before a visit. This guide is independent and takes no orders.
Common questions
Why is it called pound cake?
The name comes from the old recipe that used a pound each of butter, sugar, eggs and flour. Modern recipes scale that down but keep the near-equal proportions that give the cake its dense, even crumb.
Does pound cake need baking powder?
A traditional pound cake does not. The air beaten into the creamed butter and the eggs lifts the batter. Some modern recipes add a small amount of baking powder as insurance, which gives a slightly lighter crumb.
Why did my pound cake crack on top?
A crack down the middle is normal and comes from the outside setting before the center finishes rising. An oven that runs too hot makes it deeper. Check the temperature with an oven thermometer.
Can I make pound cake ahead of time?
Yes. Pound cake keeps well and often tastes better the next day. Wrap the cooled loaf tightly and keep it at room temperature for up to three days, or freeze slices for a couple of months.
Should the ingredients be at room temperature?
Yes. Butter, eggs and milk at room temperature blend into a smooth batter that holds air. Cold eggs can make the creamed butter curdle, which leads to a heavier, uneven cake.
This page is part of the independent guide to Stock's Bakery, which has the address, hours and menu.
This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Stock's Bakery itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.