Classic Pound Cake
This is a study in ratios. When you treat the creaming stage with patience, you build the foundation for a cake that stays moist for days and slices cleanly without crumbling.
Temperature is your primary ingredient.
If your butter is too cold, it won't trap air; if it is too soft, it will melt. All components must be at true room temperature.
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
- 9x5-inch loaf pan
- Rubber spatula
- Kitchen scale
What goes in.
- 1 lbunsalted butter, softened
- 1 lbgranulated sugar
- 1 lblarge eggs, room temperature
- 1 lball-purpose flour
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- 1/2 tspfine sea salt
Building the air matrix
Beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture shifts from yellow to ivory and feels light, not gritty. This process takes at least five minutes; do not rush it.
The method.
Prep the oven and pan
Heat the oven to 325°F. Grease the loaf pan with butter and line the bottom with a strip of parchment paper for a clean release.
Cream the base
Add butter and sugar to the mixer. Beat until the texture is aerated and pale. Scrape the bowl down thoroughly.
Emulsify the eggs
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. If the batter starts to look curdled, add a tablespoon of your measured flour to stabilize the emulsion.
Incorporate dry ingredients
Turn the mixer to the lowest setting. Add the flour and salt. Stop the mixer as soon as the white streaks vanish; over-mixing here creates a tough cake.
Bake
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes. The cake is ready when a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden-brown.
Cool
Let the cake sit in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Other turns to take.
Lemon Pound Cake
Add two tablespoons of finely grated lemon zest to the sugar before creaming.
Almond Pound Cake
Replace the vanilla extract with one teaspoon of pure almond extract.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use a scale. Volumetric measurements for a pound cake are often inaccurate enough to throw off the delicate balance of fats to structure.
If the top browns too quickly, tent it loosely with aluminum foil halfway through the bake.
Wait until the cake is fully cool before slicing to prevent the interior from appearing gummy.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my cake sink in the middle?
Usually, this happens if the oven door was opened too early, causing a temperature drop, or if the cake was pulled from the heat before the center structure fully set.
Can I use salted butter?
It is safer to use unsalted butter so you have complete control over the final salt content, which is crucial in a recipe with so few ingredients.