Basic Pound Cake

Name: Basic Pound Cake
Yield: Makes 2 loaves
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans; 4 cups sifted cake flour, plus more for pans; 1 teaspoon salt; 4 teaspoons baking powder; 2 3/4 cups sugar; 8 eggs, room temperature; 1 cup milk, room temperature; 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

142 Ratings
8 Reviews

Enjoy a slice of this classic cake on its own or topped with berries and whipped cream.

Martha Bakes, Episode MBLB1002

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Recipe Summary test

Yield:

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
4 cups sifted cake flour, plus more for pans
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 3/4 cups sugar
8 eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-by-5-by-3-inch (or larger) loaf pans and set aside.

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Step 2
Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder two times and set aside.
Step 3
With an electric mixer, cream the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy.
Step 4
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk and vanilla. Stir only until thoroughly blended.
Step 5
Pour batter into the prepared pans, making sure to divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Level tops with an offset spatula. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan about 10 minutes; then remove to a wire rack to cool thoroughly.

Reviews (8)

142 Ratings

5 star values: 24
4 star values: 27
3 star values: 53
2 star values: 31
1 star values: 7

Martha Stewart Member

03/24/2020

Very dry and fell apart

Martha Stewart Member

11/12/2018

Made this cake in October. Excellent recipe. I did not change a thing. And no, do not substitute unbleached cake flour for this. Do not skimp on time when adding eggs. Insure that they have the full beating time so that they are well incorporated. Use the recipe to make your own cake flour using unbleached flour and corn starch. I also whipped up some fresh whipping cream and made a strawberry sauce. The cake was a big hit with my guests. I made them in loaf pans. I cut the second one in half to freeze so my husband could have it for a snack.

Martha Stewart Member

02/01/2017

This is a faboulous recipe! I followed it exactly...wonderful. A great pound cake for guest, and family at holiday meals. Ronnie Taulbee

Martha Stewart Member

06/12/2015

Can i use unbleached cake flour instead?

Martha Stewart Member

11/19/2014

Cake flour or all purpose flour? Because the cake flour has baking powder inside already.

Martha Stewart Member

09/18/2013

I kept a watchful eye on my oven during baking...rotating pans @ about halfway through. However, @ about one hour into baking, the cakes were really pretty far along color wise. I tested them w/a wooden skewer which came out dry and removed them from the oven after 70 minutes!! 1 1/2 hours would have been way too long!

Martha Stewart Member

09/15/2013

wintergal, this makes 2 cakes and it's a lot of flour the amount of baking powder seems about right

Martha Stewart Member

02/18/2012

i am afraid to try this recipe. the quantity of baking powder seems to be too much. other recipes have 1/2 t, not 4t.

Martha Stewart Member

06/13/2011

i cant see it

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Basic Pound Cake

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Recipe Summary test

Ingredients

Directions

Reviews (8)

All Reviews for Basic Pound Cake