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    Whisk Affair » Recipes » Baking » Cakes » Vanilla Pound Cake

    Published: Nov 6, 2020 | Last Updated On: Nov 8, 2020 by Neha Mathur

    Vanilla Pound Cake

    430 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    This classic vanilla pound cake is super easy to make, has soft delicate crumbs and crisp golden crust, and gets done within 60 minutes. Make this lightly sweet and sturdy cake at home from scratch using this simple recipe.

    Here are some of my other cake recipes, that you can try at home – Marie Biscuit Cake, Rum Cake, Chocolate Chip Pound Cake, Apple Cinnamon Cake, Parle G Cake, Strawberry Cake, and Lemon Pound Cake.

    vanilla Pound Cake served on a plate.
    Jump to:
    • About This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How to make Vanilla Pound Cake?
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Pro Tips by Neha
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Storing Suggestions
    • Variations
    • You might also like
    • Recipe Card

    About This Recipe

    Sweets imply happiness and happiness calls for a celebration. Indulging in some mouthwatering, sweet, moist, buttery, and dense cake is the perfect way to celebrate all our small to big achievements in life.

    Therefore, we are going to see the recipe for a 60-minute vanilla pound cake which is not only super easy to make but is also extremely delicious. The light and buttery texture of this pound cake will make you want for more and more. I assure you won’t stop at one slice!

    Pound cake is a recipe from the 18th century and it was originally made using just 4 ingredients, a pound of each – butter, sugar, flour, and eggs. But over time, the bakers altered the ingredients used in order to prepare a smaller and lighter version of this cake.

    A perfect moist, sweet, buttery cake made with just 4 ingredients in 60 minutes; this cake is perfect to serve for a brunch or any special occasion!

    In order to enhance the texture and flavor of the cake, additional ingredients and flavors are now being added to the batter. Just like this one, which is subtly flavored with vanilla extract and is topped up with some confectioner’s sugar.

    Serve this cake for brunch, with tea or coffee, on special occasions or just like that, it will definitely bring a cheer to your table.

    This Vanilla Pound Cake is,

    • Buttery
    • Soft + Moist + Dense
    • Lip Smacking
    • Sweet
    • A great accompaniment to coffee

    Ingredients

    Vanilla pound cake ingredients.

    Flour – The base of this super-soft, light and moist pound cake is prepared using all-purpose flour. You can try using other flours for a healthy alternative, but the texture will not be as light as the all-purpose flour one.

    Yogurt – Yogurt helps to make the cake extra soft and moist. You can use buttermilk or sour cream instead of yogurt.

    Butter – Butter must be at room temperature and not melted. Take it out of the refrigerator 20-25 minutes prior to making the cake. When you press a finger into it, it should make an indentation and not go deep into it.

    Vanilla Extract – This one is flavored with vanilla. Make sure you use a good quality extract vanilla extract for the same. A bad quality or cheap one can hamper the taste of your pound cake.

    Sugar – You can easily adjust the quantity of sugar as per your taste. You will also need some confectioners sugar to sprinkle on top at the end.

    Others – Apart from the above-mentioned ingredients, you will need some basic cake ingredients such as – baking soda, salt, and eggs. These ingredients combined helps the cake to fluff up and make the texture extra light and soft.

    How to make Vanilla Pound Cake?

    Start by bringing all the ingredients to room temperature if they were refrigerated. The butter must be softened. It’s best to keep the refrigerated ingredients on the counter 30 minutes prior to baking.

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease a loaf pan with butter or line it with parchment paper. I used baking spray which worked great.

    Greased and floured cake pan.

    Mix 2 cups of all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium-size mixing bowl and keep aside. I like to use a wire whisk to mix the dry ingredients as it makes them light and airy post mixing.

    All purpose flour, baking soda and salt added in a bowl.

    In the bowl of your electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat 1 cup unsalted butter and 1 and ½ cup fine sugar until light and fluffy (approx. 5-6 minutes on medium-high speed ). This step is important as beating the butter nicely will aerate it well and you will get a fabulous cake with great crumbs.

    If you are not using stand mixer, use a hand mixer to whisk the butter and sugar. Beating it with hands using a wire whisk is also an option but it will take some great muscle work.

    Butter and sugar added in the bowl of mixer.

    Add 3 eggs, one at a time, and mix well after each addition. Keep scraping the sides of the bowl.

    Eggs added one at a time.

    Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix well.

    Vanilla extract added in the bowl.

    Add ½ of the flour mixture to the bowl and mix just until combined. Do not over mix the batter at this stage. You just want the ingredients to come together.

    ½ of the flour mixture added in the bowl.

    Add ½ cup yogurt and mix just until combined.

    Yogurt added in the bowl.

    Add the remaining flour mixture and mix just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

    Remaining flour added in the bowl.
    Ready batter.

    Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. If the cake is getting browned from the top too soon, cover it using a piece of aluminum foil. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake rest for 10 minutes in the pan.

    Batter poured in the prepared pan.

    Invert the pan and remove the cake from the pan and let it cool on a wire rack. Cut into slices and serve.

    Ready Vanilla Pound Cake.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the difference with sponge cake?

    There are two types of cake: foam cake and butter cake. Sponge cake is a foam cake and pound cake is a butter cake.

    The main ingredients used to prepare both the cakes are exactly the same. The difference is that sponge cake is light and fluffy because we add separately whisked egg whites and yolks and pound cake is dense, firm, and hefty.

    Can it be made into cupcakes?

    Yes, any cake recipe can be converted into cupcakes. No alterations are required neither in the batter nor in the baking temperature.

    The difference that comes in, is only in the time for which you bake the cake. Baking pound cakes take about an hour, whereas, cupcakes would take you around 15-20 minutes only.

    Not only cupcakes, but you can bake this cake in Mini Loaves Pan or Bundt Pan. If making in a bundt pan, you will have to double the recipe.

    How to make it moist?

    Many people add milk to their pound cake, which does not give moist and soft results and therefore I prefer to add yogurt instead. You can also use buttermilk, cream cheese, or sour cream, to get super soft and moist results.

    Pro Tips by Neha

    Measure the ingredients correctly. Use standard cups and spoon measures to measure them.

    All the ingredients must be at room temperature.

    Use best quality ingredients to make this cake.

    After adding the flour, do not overmix the batter.

    This recipe can be halved, doubled or tripled.

    Serving Suggestions

    Now here are a few of the multiple ways in which you can serve this flavorsome vanilla pound cake.

    • You can serve the slices of this delectable cake by topping it up with some whipped cream and fresh fruits such as colorful berries, kiwi, and some mint leaves
    • You can also serve these slices in the form of a sandwich. Just spread some Nutella, cream cheese, strawberry or apricot jam, peanut butter, or anything else that spreads easily on the cake slice. Sprinkle some dry or fresh fruits of your choice and put another cake slice on to the first one to prepare your palatable pound cake sandwich. You can also make Ice Cream sandwiches
    • It can also be topped up with the classic combination of chocolate syrup and raspberries and then you can cut it into thick slices before serving
    • You can also top the slices of the cake with a scoop of your favorite ice cream and garnish everything with some almond, walnuts, or pistachio flakes.
    • Now if you do not wish to use whipped cream, you can always use Greek yogurt instead. Spread it nicely on the slice, drizzle some honey or maple syrup and finally garnish it with some dry or fresh fruits of your choice
    • A simple dusting of powdered sugar also works great
    • Grill it before topping with your choice of toppings
    • Buttercream, Lemon Curd, Vanilla Glaze, and Vanilla Ice Cream are some of my other fav toppings

    Storing Suggestions

    This cake will remain absolutely fresh for 3-4 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

    If you want to store the cake for a longer period of time, you can always freeze it.

    Just cut the cake into thick slices and wrap each slice separately with aluminum foil or a plastic freezer wrap. Wrap the slices only when the cake has completely cooled down and made sure that it is properly covered from all the sides.

    You can store these slices in the freezer and they will remain absolutely fresh for about 4-5 months.

    Always remember to take the slices out of the freezer 4-5 hours before using so that the cake can condense completely.

    Variations

    7-up Pound Cake: 7-up pound cake is prepared in a similar manner as vanilla pound cake.

    The difference is that we use yogurt and baking powder while preparing Classic Pound Cake, in place of which, we use lime juice and 7-up soda to make 7-up pound cake.

    Million Dollar Pound Cake: We use yogurt and baking powder while baking vanilla pound cake, whereas, we use milk and almond essence while preparing a million dollar pound cake.

    Sour Cream Pound Cake: In this pound cake, sour cream is added which makes it very moist and gives a nice crumb to the cake. Check out my recipe to Make Sour Cream Pound Cake here.

    Other Variations – You can add chia seeds, chocolate chips, pecans, walnuts, cinnamon, etc to the batter.

    In place of vanilla extract, you can use almond extract. Add some lemon juice/ orange and lemon zest/orange zest for a citrusy change.

    Soak with vanilla syrup or rum.

    Add nuts and berries in the batter.

    Close up shot of vanilla pound cake slice.

    You might also like

    • Strawberry Brownies
    • Monster Cookies
    • Bacardi Rum Cake
    • Mexican Churros

    Recipe Card

    Loved this recipe?Click here to leave a review and give us a five star rating ★★★★★
    This recipe to make Vanilla Pound Cake is one of the best you will come across. It's moist, dense and easy to make. Here is how to make Vanilla Pound Cake Recipe.

    Vanilla Pound Cake Recipe

    This classic vanilla pound cake is super easy to make, has soft delicate crumbs and crisp golden crust, and gets done within 60 minutes. Make this lightly sweet and sturdy cake at home from scratch using this simple recipe.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Continental
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 12 people
    Calories: 315kcal
    Author: Neha Mathur

    Equipment

    • Oven, Stand Mixer

    Ingredients 

    • 2 cups all purpose flour
    • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup unsalted butter
    • 1 and ½ cup fine sugar
    • 3 eggs
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ½ cup yogurt
    US Customary or Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Start by bringing all the ingredients to room temperature if they were refrigerated. The butter must be softened. It's best to keep the refrigerated ingredients on the counter 30 minutes prior to baking.
    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease a loaf pan with butter or line it with parchment paper. I used baking spray which worked great.
    • Mix 2 cups of all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium-size mixing bowl and keep aside. I like to use a wire whisk to mix the dry ingredients as it makes them light and airy post mixing.
    • In the bowl of your electric mixer, whisk 1 cup unsalted butter and 1 and ½ cup fine sugar until light and fluffy (approx. 5-6 minutes on medium-high speed ). This step is important as beating the butter nicely will aerate it well and you will get a fabulous cake with great crumbs.
    • If you are not using a stand mixer, use a hand mixer to whisk the butter and sugar. Beating it with hands using a wire whisk is also an option but it will take some great muscle work.
    • Add 3 eggs, one at a time, and mix well after each addition. Keep scraping the sides of the bowl.
    • Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix well.
    • Add ½ of the flour mixture to the bowl and mix just until combined. Do not over mix the batter at this stage. You just want the ingredients to come together.
    • Add ½ cup yogurt and mix just until combined.
    • Add the remaining flour mixture and mix just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
    • Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. If the cake is getting browned from the top too soon, cover it using a piece of aluminum foil. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake rest for 10 minutes in the pan.
    • Invert the pan and remove the cake from the pan and let it cool on a wire rack. Cut into slices and serve.

    Notes

    Measure the ingredients correctly. Use standard cups and spoon measures to measure them.
    All the ingredients must be at room temperature.
    Use best quality ingredients to make this cake.
    After adding the flour, do not overmix the batter.
    This recipe can be halved, doubled, or tripled. Make sure to use the baking pan accordingly. The baking time will also differ.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 82mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 483IU | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg
    Pin this recipe for later use!I LOVE to see your creations so pin and mention @WhiskAffair!
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    More Cake Recipes

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    • Eggless Thandai Mawa Cake
    • 2 Minute Microwave Gingerbread Mug Cake (Eggless)
    • Microwave Blueberry Muffin Mug Cake (Eggless, 2 Minutes)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Rasi

      April 17, 2012 at 6:02 pm

      i have always awaited to try a pound cake.. they look fantastic :).. love dteh clicks..any idea neha what i could use in place of eggs??

      Reply
    2. Square Meals

      April 17, 2012 at 6:09 pm

      Nicely done 🙂

      Rasi, you could try apple sauce as a substitute for eggs.

      Aparna

      Reply
    3. Achu's Amma's Kitchen

      April 17, 2012 at 6:18 pm

      pound cake is my fav..can i have one piece now..its droolling me…adorable cake

      Reply
    4. Priya

      April 17, 2012 at 6:46 pm

      Stunning pound cake, wish to have a slice..

      Reply
    5. R

      April 17, 2012 at 10:17 pm

      looks sinfully delicious, great clicks!

      Reply
    6. Hema

      April 17, 2012 at 11:48 pm

      Delicious and what lovely clicks..

      Reply
    7. Follow foodie

      April 18, 2012 at 3:47 am

      I want to try this cake.This looks so tempting

      Reply
    8. Akila

      April 18, 2012 at 4:20 am

      Wow cake has turned out so well dear…

      Reply
    9. Vimitha Anand

      April 18, 2012 at 4:34 am

      The cake looks so soft and delicious… Loved the way u served it in the 3rd pic

      Reply
    10. Chandrani

      April 18, 2012 at 8:50 am

      Very soft and delicious pound cake.

      Cuisine Delights
      My Monthly Event – Spotlight : “Healthy Breakfast Ideas”.

      Reply
    11. [email protected]

      April 18, 2012 at 9:57 am

      I love the addition of yogurt in the cake, I bet its really moist and I’ve bookmarked this for our tea time bake soon:-)

      Reply
    12. Deeps @ Naughty Curry

      April 18, 2012 at 11:25 am

      looks incredibly moist… lovely pics

      Reply
    13. Reshmi

      April 18, 2012 at 12:28 pm

      looks moist and delicious… lovely snaps

      Reply
    14. Premalatha Aravindhan

      April 18, 2012 at 1:11 pm

      wow delicious cake and the presentation is too gud…lovely clicks.

      Reply
    15. Suja Manoj

      April 18, 2012 at 1:11 pm

      Love the texture,yummy pound cake..

      Reply
    16. Jay

      April 19, 2012 at 1:00 am

      OMG…I m speechless actually…awesome & absolutely inspiring way of presentation Neha..you rock!

      Reply
    17. Zari(Nilam)

      April 19, 2012 at 10:15 pm

      Really good…..presentation is amazing.

      Reply
    18. cookingvarieties

      May 01, 2012 at 5:27 pm

      hi neha, great photo works- sharp and crisp. The cake looks pretty and cool.
      i can smell the sweet scent of vanilla from here. have a nice day

      Reply
    19. Viya

      May 02, 2012 at 4:27 am

      wow Neha , this cake looks delicious:) Happy to follow your blog, you have a very nice space. Do visit my blog.spicenflavors

      Reply
    20. Anisha Ranjit

      May 04, 2012 at 2:15 am

      Looks like the melt in mouth cakes… really tempting pics!

      Reply
    21. shital sawant

      October 10, 2019 at 4:40 am

      The cakes seems good but you haven’t mentioned how many eggs are needed for this recipe kindly share it.
      Just add it up in the ingredients.

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        October 11, 2019 at 2:41 am

        Hi Shital, sorry for the confusion. Have updated the eggs.

        Reply
    22. Dipika

      May 13, 2020 at 12:56 pm

      Hi Neha, can I bake it on round tin as I don’t want pound cake

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        May 16, 2020 at 3:40 am

        Yes sure, you can.

        Reply
    23. Dipika

      May 21, 2020 at 7:11 am

      Hi Neha, have you powdered the sugar before adding the butter, the picture looks like that. But in the recpie you mentioned granulated sugar. Plz let me know

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        May 21, 2020 at 4:22 pm

        Hi Dipika, it’s fine sugar. Sorry for the confusion.

        Reply
    24. Liza

      June 06, 2020 at 10:12 am

      5 stars
      My kids just love this your cake, they eat one big slice and they are not hungry for the rest of the day(that’s good for me:)
      Thank you soo much<3

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        June 06, 2020 at 4:13 pm

        Very good to hear this 🙂

        Reply

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    Neha Mathur, Founder & Recipe Expert at Whisk Affair

    Hi! I'm Neha, Blogger & Recipe Expert behind Whisk Affair. I've nurtured Whisk Affair since 2012 by trying & testing every recipe published. Be sure that it will turn out good each time! Read More about me…

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