I’ve tested quite a few pounds cakes and I have to say this one is my favorite. This is a traditional pound cake recipe with a few twists to make it light yet moist.
I started out using my husband’s Grandma’s recipe which had wonderful flavor but it was a bit dry for my liking. I need moisture in my dessert. I am not a fan of dry desserts – I don’t think many are but there is definitely a balance because you don’t want desserts to be overly dense, either.
This is the perfect pound cake recipe that is balanced – true to the original recipe but has a few additional twists that make it that much better.
My husband is obsessed with pound cake batter. He remembers eating it with a spoon growing up when his grandpa would make his mom’s recipe. I do have to say, it’s very good! It’s thick and creamy and has a ton of butter flavor. Hello 3 sticks of butter!
I tested this recipe with two different ingredients that I thought would help moisten the cake up, sour cream and cream cheese. I loved them both which is why I wrote out the recipe using either. There really isn’t too much of a difference between the two so it’s whatever you want to use.
I also decided to use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour which is again up to you. Grandma’s recipe calls for cake flour and to sift it which is what I did for this recipe. I think it helps lighten the cake up and the crumb is a little finer. However, if you’re in a pinch, all-purpose flour would work, too.
Isn’t it gorgeous? Pound cake is a wonderful dessert to travel with because it’s heavy and doesn’t move. It actually tastes better the next day like most desserts do so it’s a good make ahead dessert as well. I dusted mine with powdered sugar but you could serve with whipped cream and fruit or even put a lemon glaze on top.
Oooooo I like that idea!
It’s like you can see the butter, right? It has this yellow tint to it from the butter and lemon zest – I mean come one. Such a good combo!
Pound cake also cuts beautifully…never falls apart because there is so much of everything in it plus the sour cream and cream cheese help bind it as well.
Such a beautiful dessert!
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature OR 1 cup room temperature sour cream (either will work, but do not add them both - it's one or the other. Read instructions carefully below)
- 1½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- zest of 2 lemons, optional
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups cake flour, sifted (measure then sift. can sub all-purpose flour)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese (if using) until smooth.
- In a medium bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest and mix together with your fingertips - this helps the zest not clump together while mixing. Add the sugar mixture gradually to the butter and beat on medium speed until light fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
- Next add sour cream (if not using cream cheese) and vanilla and beat until combined.
- Finally, sift the dry ingredients in a bowl and then slowly add the dry ingredients on low-speed just until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl. Do not over-mix otherwise the cake could become tough.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Check for doneness at 1 hour. A toothpick inserted into center of cake will come out clean. Cool completely in pan before tipping it over onto a plate - the cake should slide out just fine if the pan was greased and floured well.
Recipe adapted from Great Grandma and mybakingaddiction.com
This is right up my ally…would be soo good with any fresh fruit. Yum!
Looks yummy! Great for Easter!