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Classic Pound Cake

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    Light on effort, heavy on flavor, pound cake has earned its centuries-long popularity. It owes its name to the traditional ingredients -- one pound each of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs -- which remain essentially the same today.

    The recipe isn't difficult, but it tends to be a bit finicky so make sure to follow the instructions carefully for cakes that are airy and rich, not tough and dense.
    Martha Stewart Living, July 2009
    • Yield Makes 2 cakes
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    Ingredients

    • 1 pound (3 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
    • 1 tablespoon coarse salt
    • 4 sticks softened unsalted butter, plus more for pans
    • 2 cups sugar
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 9 large, room-temperature eggs

    Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 5-by-9-inch loaf pans. Combine all-purpose flour and salt in a bowl.
    2. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy, for 8 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to medium, and add vanilla extract.
    3. Lightly beat eggs, and add to mixer bowl in 4 additions, mixing thoroughly after each and scraping down sides. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture in 4 additions, mixing until just incorporated. Divide batter between pans. Tap on counter to distribute; smooth tops.
    4. Bake until a tester inserted into center of each cake comes out clean, about 65 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire rack.

    Recipe Reviews

    • cakeyirene
      13 Apr, 2012

      This recipe is wrong it should only have a teaspoon of salt not a tablespoon, be warned mine went in the bin!!!

    • CParrish
      15 Aug, 2011

      I am guessing based on the other reviews that mine only came out wrong because of me- Mine was seeping with butter and did not rise - Did I just not beat the butter and sugar long enough?
      Thanks!

    • jarona
      23 Feb, 2011

      Made this cake last night. However, I did tweak a couple of things: Subbed pinch of table salt for the coarse. Added rind of one lemon and juice of one lemon. Added more vanilla than called for. Did cream the butter/sugar for 8 minutes. Very important step. Will absolutely make this again, but will need to add some sort of liquid b/c cake was just a small tad on the dry side--just a tad. If this cake were just a bit more moist it would have reached perfection status.

    • bubbles11
      21 Feb, 2011

      This is a great pound cake, but yes it is a bit on the salty side. I would decrease salt to 1-1 1/2 tsp. of salt.

    • samira54
      22 Jan, 2011

      4 sticks butter=1 lb= 454grams

    • MissMikki
      18 Nov, 2010

      4 sticks of butter equals one pound in US measurements. I don't know what it is in kilograms...

    • koonwy
      12 Aug, 2010

      I'm always a fan of Martha's cake recipes but sometimes I have difficulty in the measurement, in this case, the use of 4 sticks of butters. Can anyone tell me how much is 4 sticks of butter in kg or gram? I appreciate any feedback. Thanks

    • Copenhagenmama
      30 May, 2010

      Best cake I've ever made! Definitely follow directions carefully-DO cream butter and sugar the full amount of time! Absolutely worth it! Halved the recipe btw, and used four eggs plus couple of teaspoons of the fifth.

    • Kritten56
      26 May, 2010

      I made this cake for my grandmother...it was excellent. I chose to make it with only 1/2 tablespoon coarse salt and it came out perfectly moist and rich. This recipe is a keeper!

    • KwirkQT
      28 Oct, 2009

      I made this cake without alterations for my mother-in-law's birthday and it turned out fabulous. I weighed the flour and sugar instead of measuring it, and used coarse Kosher salt and a good quality bourbon vanilla and everyone loved it. Not too sweet, but ever so rich and flavorful.

    • ChefKristen
      15 Sep, 2009

      So I have made this and I am making it again now (fingers crossed, no jinx, no jinx) and I have found that if you use cake flour, and really really cream the hell out of the butter and sugar you get a really nice product. I also just the salt down to 1 tsp per lb of flour, I am using bulk bin sea salt.

      k

      k

    • cookie1427
      23 Aug, 2009

      I was about to make this recipe but worried since the comments are negative. Any one out there with suggestions?

      Cookie

    • BeckyLyn
      15 Jul, 2009

      I made this last night and had to throw it out - WAY TOO SALTY!

    • MarthaandMeBlogger
      24 Jun, 2009

      I made 3 varieties. I wasn't thrilled with any. I didn't have a salt problem, but I used salted butter and added just a pinch. I don't understand Martha's obsession with coarse salt in baking. You can see my results here: http://marthaandme.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/pound-cake-party/

    • alace
      21 Jun, 2009

      I baked this cake following recipe but had to throw them out. TOO SALTY. Really 1 tablespoon of coarse salt? I think maybe it should've been 1 tsp of coarse salt. Has anyone else had the same results?

    • lefleur
      17 Jun, 2009

      I bake all the time and followed this recipe exactly. My cakes came out looking and smelling great but they are really dry. Any ideas of what to do now?

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