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Vanilla Pound Cake

Recipe photo courtesy of Reed Davis

How sweet it is -- pound cake from scratch in three simple steps! We've added vanilla to our recipe for an extra hint of flavor!

Source: Everyday Food, September 2008

1 hour 15 mins 15 mins 8

Total Time Prep Servings

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 6-cup (8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch) loaf pan; set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla and salt. With mixer on low, gradually add flour, beating just until combined (do not overmix).
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour (tent with aluminum foil if browning too quickly). Let cool in pan 15 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack, and turn upright to cool completely.

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Reviews

2298

How would you rate this recipe?

2298

tinnaziday

31 DEC, 2018

Not sure why people are carrying on about no milk etc. Pound cakes should be a pound of each ingredient. There is no chemical leavening so the butter and sugar should be creamed at high speed and the eggs incorporated too until good volume. Simply reading ingredients, throwing things into a bowl and then complaining about the cake annoys me. Use your brain. To the people that said they would throw the cake in the bin should be ashamed of yourselves. There is nothing wrong with this recipe. If you can’t follow the most basic recipe don’t blame the author. Clearly in this throw away society people can put in minimal effort then complain about it.
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jkane_jones

19 NOV, 2018

I used this recipe to make a rum pound cake, and it was probably the most delicious cake I’ve ever eaten. After reading reviews, I decided to add two teaspoons of baking powder ( one reviewer added four). It rose beautifully and soaked up the rum syrup overnight. I found the rum syrup recipe on another recipe. Delicious!
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Tamikaolarinde

13 NOV, 2018

I made this cake more than once I love it!
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MS10868234

8 AUG, 2018

We made this recipe to the letter and thoroughly enjoyed the cake. It wasn't overly sweet, but had the classic pound cake flavor. Loved it!
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jim7480220

30 MAY, 2018

I’ve made this recipe three times, and every one was great...family loved it.
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- MS10630115
  
  22 JUL, 2018
  
  Doesn't the recipe need some liquid? Also the lady in video scoped the measuring cup in flour, I was always told to not do this put flour in cup and level off not scope. Scoping from canister alters the amount of flour in measuring cup. She leveled sugar with hand, use a flat knife don't put germs in sugar canister.
gdivay

19 FEB, 2018

It was easy to make but it was not very good at all. I will never use this recipe again. Waste of products.
Reply
- mini_skinny
  
  13 JUL, 2018
  
  I added 4 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp lemon and almond extract, just 2 tsp vanilla, lemon zest. It turned out great. Needs the baking powder, otherwise it is too heavy. Tented it for the last 10 minutes. The crust was crunchy and the inside moist and delicious.
GreyDove_679

26 JUL, 2017

Making a second time, first one fell while cooking. Looked at how people added more ingredients so will see what happens
Reply
- mini_skinny
  
  13 JUL, 2018
  
  I added 4 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp lemon and almond extract, just 2 tsp vanilla, lemon zest. It turned out great. Needs the baking powder, otherwise it is too heavy. Tented it for the last 10 minutes. The crust was crunchy and the inside moist and delicious.
- angeline2005
  
  25 OCT, 2017
  
  Made the cake today. Exactly according to the recipe. Unfortunately it turned out awfully dry. Don't think I would make this cake again.
jaimiegates

8 JUL, 2018

I followed the recipe exactly and this cake turned out SO dry. Far drier than a pound cake should be. I have now compared it to other pound cake recipes and this one doesn't have nearly the liquid amount it should have for a true pound cake recipe.
Reply
- mini_skinny
  
  13 JUL, 2018
  
  I added 4 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp lemon and almond extract, just 2 tsp vanilla, lemon zest. It turned out great. Needs the baking powder, otherwise it is too heavy. Tented it for the last 10 minutes. The crust was crunchy and the inside moist and delicious.
- jaimiegates
  
  8 JUL, 2018
  
  Going to play with this recipe a little and see what happens. The flavor is really good. Going to add blueberries for fun. Just needs more moisture for my preferences. I think I'll add some milk. Good idea or bad idea?
cyndi3935577

23 MAY, 2018

This was definitely no pound cake I have ever eaten before it was terrible it tasted like dough I followed the instructions I done everything it said but it was still horrible I made a glaze that helped the cake taste better I will not use this again
Reply
- jim7480220
  
  30 MAY, 2018
  
  Did you possibly over mix? ...just a thought...
mini_skinny

21 APR, 2018

Great basic recipe that can be added to for a moist, delicious cake. Changes: I added 4 tbsp baking powder, zest from 2 lemons, 1 tsp almond and 1 tsp lemon extract, I used 2 tsps vanilla. It was so moist, crispy on the crust and perfect sweetness. I baked it on one rack lower than the middle for an hour and tented it for the last 10 minutes.
Reply
- mini_skinny
  
  25 APR, 2018
  
  Sorry tipatac and everyone else. There is no way to adjust this comment. I used 4 teaspoons baking powder.
- tipatac
  
  22 APR, 2018
  
  Did you add 4 tbsp or 4 tsp of baking powder?

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