Classic Pound Cake (Printer-friendly)

Rich, buttery loaf cake with tender crumb, vanilla aroma, and a golden crust — perfect plain or dressed up.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 2/3 cups (330 g) granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, at room temperature
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
08 - 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk, at room temperature

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the pure vanilla extract until evenly combined.
05 - With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the whole milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined and do not overmix.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top evenly with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
08 - Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The crumb is so tender it practically dissolves on your tongue while still holding up to a mountain of fresh berries.
  • It uses ingredients you probably already have sitting in your kitchen right now.
  • This is the kind of recipe that makes people think you spent all day baking when it really takes about twenty minutes of hands on work.
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter once the flour goes in will create tough, chewy cake instead of the tender crumb you are after.
  • Room temperature ingredients blend together smoothly while cold ones cause the batter to curdle and separate.
03 -
  • Start checking the cake at the 50 minute mark because every oven runs differently and a few minutes can mean the difference between perfect and dry.
  • Run a butter knife around the edges the moment it comes out of the oven so it releases cleanly without sticking as it cools.

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