This is the best old fashioned pound cake that yields a delicious, buttery, dense pound cake perfect for fruit or whipped cream!

old fashioned pound cake and strawberries

There’s something about recipes that have been enjoyed for decades that makes me love them even more.

This old fashioned pound cake has a dense, buttery flavor that goes perfectly with fruit and whipped cream.

Pound cake is often made complicated with excess ingredients, but I like to keep it simple and pared down.

Even with the simplest of ingredients, you will end up with a flavorful crumb and a very buttery cake.

Even if you don’t want a huge cake, you can make this recipe and use small loaf pans to have individual cakes, like my mini birthday cakes!

What is Pound Cake?

Pound cake is a dense, buttery cake that has been around since the 1700’s.

This dessert gets its name from the ingredients in the classic recipe.

Originally, the recipe included only four simple ingredients and used a pound of each.

Traditional pound cake used a pound of flour, pound of sugar, pound of butter, and eggs all combined to create a delicious cake.

pound cake with whipped cream and a fork

Why you’ll love this recipe

This is the best pound cake recipe because it produces a dense cake with moist crumbs and delicious flavor.When you make this cake, it’s a little bit like stepping back in time when life was a bit slower and a great recipe like this was passed down from generation to generation.
Like all good pound cake recipes, you start with everyday ingredients found in a from-scratch kitchen and embellish it with special extras, such as lemon extract, fresh fruit, whipping cream, or a powdered sugar glaze.
You can make this cake ahead of time and store it in an airtight container for up to 4 days on your kitchen counter.
Everyone loves this buttery cake making it a great dessert for a crowd.

Tell me about this recipe

Taste– The buttery flavor of pound cake can’t be mistaken and it’s a cake that has been enjoyed throughout the centuries. It is a classic cake recipe that produces a simple, yet decadent flavor profile.
Texture– Pound cake, while a dense cake, has a tender crumb and moist center of the cake that holds up well to glazes, compotes, and chocolate. My family enjoys it as the base for pudding trifles or strawberry shortcake.
Time– Aside from the bake time, this dessert comes together in minutes! Most of the time spent is in the oven.
Ease– Make this cake in one bowl and transfer it to your prepared baking dish. It’s that easy! The ingredients are mixed in a stand mixer and then baked, so this really is the easiest recipe.

pound cake with whipped cream and strawberries

Ingredients for Old Fashioned Pound Cake

Flour– I use all-purpose flour for this recipe and it works great. This gives your cake ingredients something to cling to as they marry together. Some people sift their flour for cakes, but I do find that it is necessary with this recipe.
Butter– Unsalted butter works best for this original pound cake recipe. It is the star of the show, so don’t skimp with cheap butter.
Sugar– Every good cake needs sweetness. Granulated white sugar is what I used. I would stick with this type of sugar because the combination of butter and sugar when creamed together is important. Not all sugars cream as well as a regular white sugar.
Cream Cheese– I tried this cake without this addition, but it is simply better with it. Cream cheese gives it a creamier consistency, if that’s even a thing with a cake. Do not go low fat. Full fat is needed for this cake.
Eggs– As in most baked goods, eggs create structure and bind things together.
Vanilla– Vanilla extract gives this cake a depth and fullness to the flavor.

pound cake with whipped cream on a plate

How to make this Old Fashioned Pound Cake Recipe

Cream– Butter and Sugar. Add in eggs, cream cheese, and vanilla.
Dry Ingredients– Slowly mix in the flour.
Dump and Bake– Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven.
Cool and Enjoy- Let the pound cake cool for 30 minutes so the dense cake will fully set up before slicing and enjoying.

How do you make Pound Cake moist?

Traditional pound cakes are made moist by the amount of butter in the recipe.

Other recipes also use buttermilk, cream cheese, or sour cream to help create an incredibly moist cake.

This recipe relies heavily on the butter to give the consistency you expect when slicing into a butter pound cake.

pound cake with whipped cream on a plate with a fork

What toppings go on Old Fashioned Pound Cake?

Cream Cheese Frosting- 4 ounces softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup softened butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, and 2-3 tablespoons milk and mix in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed until creamy.
Powdered Sugar Icing- Mix 1 cup confectioners sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk together. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you get the desired consistency you want.
Chocolate Glaze- Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream all in a saucepan on medium heat until melted.
Fresh Fruit
Fruit compote
Ice Cream
Whipped Cream

strawberries and pound cake with whipped cream

What pan is best for Pound Cake?

You can use whatever pan you have in your kitchen for this cake.

Make sure you adjust the bake time for this easy recipe so you don’t over bake or under bake it.

The traditional pound cake is baked in a loaf pan, or some refer to it as a tube pan.

Often times, you will see it served as a bundt cake with a glaze on top.

For best results, bake your cake until the top is a golden brown and the cake springs back when you press the top.

How to get a tall pound cake

The original recipe for pound cake produces a tall, fluffy cake.

It’s a favorite cake for good reason and one thing that is dreamy about it is how tall it is.

To get a tall pound cake, grease your baking pan with butter and then a dusting of flour to evenly coat the bottom and sides of the pan.

Greasing the pan this way helps the cake batter to grow up the sides of the pan as it bakes, but not stick to the pan.

If you just use cooking spray, it’ll create a slick pan and the cake won’t climb as high.

Tips for making Old Fashioned Pound Cake

To create a super moist and light cake, use a cake flour. Cake flour is milled into a very fine flour which creates a fluffier result. If you don’t have cake flour, you can use all-purpose flour with no problem.
Set your ingredients out a hour before you use them. The cake will turn out better if you have room temperature ingredients.
Do not overmix your cake batter when you add in your eggs. Slow and steady is the name of the game. Gently scrape the sides of the bowl down in between eggs.
Always use real butter. Butter is the star of the show and the final result will not be the same with a butter substitute.
Grease your pan generously so your pound cake comes out easily and doesn’t stick to the bottom and sides.

Add ins for Old Fashioned Pound Cake

If you are wanting a new twist on a traditional pound cake, try a Lemon Pound Cake.

Add in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice when you add in the cream cheese.

Did you make this recipe? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!