This Classic Southern Pound Cake recipe makes a velvety and delicious pound cake! Golden crust and moist cake with a silky texture and rich vanilla flavor make this versatile heirloom recipe a dessert favorite! Perfect for any occasion!
Pound cakes are versatile desserts and can be found anywhere from a fancy dinner to a family reunion here in the South! This pound cake recipe from my grandmother is a long-time family favorite, just like many other treasured desserts, such as Southern Banana Pudding and Pecan Pie.
Classic Southern pound cake is a traditional yet treasured dessert in the South. Some recipes are passed down through the generations, like my grandmother’s heirloom pound cake recipe, which my family has enjoyed hundreds of times. It’s moist and tender, never dry as some can be. It’s a dense cake but has such a light vanilla flavor, and it’s amazing served all on its own or dressed up a bit when topped with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and fresh fruit.
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Why I Love This Recipe
Easy and Dependable – Made with simple ingredients in a bundt or loaf pans – with baking directions for both. The recipe stands the test of time and is simple to make.
Delicious and Versatile – So tasty and beautiful, it’s perfect for birthday celebrations, entertaining, or Sunday supper; it’s also just as appropriate when served at a tailgate, picnic, or potluck dinner.
Tender with Structure – While pound cakes are dense, this one has a light, velvety texture and the perfect “crumb.” It’s moist, never dry, and has the most incredible-tasting golden brown crust I’ve ever tasted in a pound cake.
How to Make Classic Southern Pound Cake
This cake recipe is made with simple baking ingredients you most likely have in your pantry and refrigerator – nothing fancy is required. But the final outcome of this phenomenal yet humble cake is decadent, delicious, and truly something special! Here’s how you’ll make it.
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter that you’ve allowed to soften to room temperature.
- Shortening – Use vegetable shortening and softened butter for a moist result with the perfect crumb. If you store your shortening in the refrigerator, let it reach room temperature before creaming it with the butter and sugar.
- Granulated sugar – Gives sweetness to the pound cake. It’s best to stick to the time-tested recipe and use sugar. (You’ll notice in the photos the sugar is not white; it’s homemade vanilla sugar but is still granulated sugar.)
- Eggs – This recipe uses five large eggs, which help give the cake its signature density and structure and help it rise. Let your eggs reach room temperature before mixing your cake.
- Flour – You will use all-purpose flour and self-rising flour in this recipe. This old-fashioned pound cake recipe uses self-rising flour, too.
- Milk – I use whole milk. Some pound cakes don’t use any liquid, but this southern recipe does and helps give it a light, velvety texture.
- Vanilla extract – use this homemade vanilla extract recipe, or use your favorite high-quality vanilla. If you like almond flavor, use 1 teaspoon each of vanilla and almond extract.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep. Preheat the oven and prepare the loaf pans (or bundt cake pan) by completely greasing them with shortening and dusting them with flour (shake out excess) or spraying with non-stick baking spray.
Cream ingredients together. Cream the softened butter, vegetable shortening, and sugar with a mixer on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Do not overmix.
Add eggs. Reduce the mixer to low speed, add the eggs one at a time, and mix just until each egg is incorporated.
Mix in both types of flour and the milk. With the mixer on low speed, add flour and milk alternately. Make sure to combine well after the additions, but do not overmix. Stir in vanilla extract.
Pour batter into cake pans. Scoop the blended pound cake batter into the prepared loaf pans or bundt pan and bake as directed in the recipe until done.
Remove from oven and cool. When the cake is done, a skewer inserted in the cake’s center should come out clean or with just a few crumbs. (Also see How to Tell When Your Cake is Done). After allowing it to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, turn the pound cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve the pound cake. Place the pound cake on a serving dish. Slice and serve. Serve alone or with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and fresh fruit, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a drizzle of easy caramel sauce.
Why is it called Pound Cake?
The pound cake recipe gets its name because each main ingredient added one pound to the cake. It had a pound of butter, a pound of flour, a pound of sugar, and a pound of eggs. What a cake!
Tips for the Best Pound Cake
- Use ingredients as listed for best results.
- Allow ingredients to reach room temperature before mixing.
- Don’t overmix the batter.
- Use a long wooden skewer to test whether the cake is done. This is a dense cake that a toothpick won’t go deep enough. If wet batter is on the skewer, it is not done. If a few crumbs are on the skewer, then it’s done. Do not overbake it. This cake is meant to be moist!
- Make sure to use a wire rack for cooling! Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip it onto the wire rack to finish cooling. If left in the pan to cool too long, it could cause the cake to stick.
Storage Tips
To store. Keep the completely cooled cake under a cake dome or covered with wrap on the counter for 4-5 days (if it lasts that long!)
To freeze. Allow the cake to cool completely. Wrap the cake well with plastic wrap, then again with foil, and place in an airtight freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator to serve. When you remove it from the refrigerator, remove the wrapping and allow it to come to room temperature before serving.
More Pound Cake Recipes
We love good pound cakes and make even more in addition to this Classic Pound Cake! Here are a few more that are absolutely scrumptious, too!
When I make grandmother’s pound cake, I can’t help but think of all the families she shared it with over the years – to celebrate, mourn, and just because. Her gift of sharing through her delicious cooking and baking and her kind words made an impression on me and many others. She was truly a great lady. And she made a fantastic pound cake.
Here’s her Classic Pound Cake Recipe. I hope you love it, too.
Classic Pound Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup shortening
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 5 eggs, room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup self-rising flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract , or 1 teaspoon each vanilla and almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300º F. Prepare a large bundt pan or three loaf pans by greasing with vegetable shortening and flour, removing any excess flour, or spray with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
- Cream together softened butter, vegetable shortening, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- With mixer on low speed, add eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Add the flour and milk alternately, mixing on low speed, making sure to combine well but not overmix. Stir in vanilla extract.
- Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and bake 1 1/2 hours or in loaf pans for 1 hour, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. You can follow my tips for how to tell when your cake is done.
- Remove the cake from the oven when done. Cool for 10 minutes in the cake pan sitting on a wire rack. Then turn the cake out onto the wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Storage Tips
To store. Keep the completely cooled cake under a cake dome or covered with wrap on the counter for 4-5 days. To freeze. Allow the cake to cool completely. Wrap the cake well with plastic wrap, then again with foil, and place in an airtight freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator to serve. When you remove it from the refrigerator, remove the wrapping and allow it to come to room temperature before serving.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Hi,
I’ve been searching for a perfect pound cake recipe and can’t wait to try this. What can I use in place of vegetable shortening as it’s not available where I live.
Thanks
Maleeha
This recipe is really good. I was looking for a recipe that did not cost an arm and a leg to make. It was my very first pound cake recipe that I tried and I will look no further. I handwrote the recipe and at the fop of the page I wrote “Granma’s Recipe”. Thank you!
This was the recipe I chose for my first pound cake ever. Loved it!
I do not have to look any further. I handwrote the recipe and at the top of the page I wrote “Grandma’s Recipe”. Thank you!
I’m happy you enjoyed it too, Debbie. It’s an heirloom recipe handed down from my Grandmother and my Mama baked it too. It’s certainly special to my family and I hope it is to yours as well. xo
I finally got around to making this and I’m glad I did! It’s delicious and definitely a classic, like only a grandma could make — right down to the sweetness. I forgot to lightly flour my pan after preparing it and some sides stuck, so about a third of it is perfect and the other has spots missing. Otherwise, a picture of our slices would be identical. As someone who loves to bake and didn’t have a grandmother after the age of 9, let alone a baking one, this warmed my heart and condo on this cold Winter morning. Love to you and yours, and thank you so much for sharing a piece of her.
Aww, thank you so much for sharing this sweet comment! I am happy to hear that you liked the cake and my memories of my special Grandmother! Thanks Glamazon! xo
A family member wants a Star Wars cake for his birthday and pound cake is his favorite. I was wondering if I could add red and blue (for Sith and Jedi) food coloring to the batter without ruining the cake? Thanks so much!!
I’ve not tried that, William. You could always decorate in red in blue with either berries or frosting if you want to stick to the cake recipe. I hope it’s a great birthday! Thanks!
This recipe is fantastic. I didn’t have vegetable shortening so I replaced with coconut oil, the texture of the cake is beautiful, and it’s absolutely delicious, with a subtle coconut taste!
Thanks, Noemie!
So glad you liked it. I love this cake with coconut oil, too.
I was wondering do I need to sift the flours on the southern pound cake. Recipe doesn’t say.
I sift the flour before measuring. Hope you enjoy!
Robyn Stone is a beautiful lady gifted with talent; especially cooking. I really enjoy her recipes and have learned from Robyn and her Mom. Thanks so much!
Thank you, Helon! I really appreciate your sweet words.