Pound Cake Recipes Reviewed. I have tested all the traditional pound cake recipes to determine the best pound cake recipe. These classic recipes have been around for years when made correctly is the perfect cake. Along with the classics, I’ve developed several unique pound cake recipes that are truly amazing and popular with my readers.

This is my personal analysis and review of all the many pound cakes from classics to those with a little more flair that I’ve tried.

Pound Cakes are my very favorite dessert to make. Therefore, I decided to review pound cake recipes to see which ones are the best, which ones need tweaking, and which ones need tossing. As well, I offer many tips in each post on how to cook the perfect pound cake. Below, are all the recipes I’ve tested. Simply click on the photo for the review and recipe.

Pound Cake Recipes Reviewed – History

What is a ‘Pound Cake’?

A pound cake is one of the easiest, most basic cakes to make. For tips and tricks, read How to Bake the Perfect Pound Cake. It gets the name from the original ingredients which consisted of a pound of flour, a pound of butter, a pound of sugar, and a pound of eggs. In the days when many people couldn’t read, this simple cake recipe was easy to remember.

As you can imagine, a cake that uses one pound of each of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs would make a rather large cake. It would serve multiple families. As the years passed, the cake ingredient ratios were decreased in order to make a smaller cake. However, the name ‘pound’ cake stuck.

Originally…

Eggs are the original leavening agent in pound cakes. Baking powder or baking soda wasn’t added. In addition to baking powder/soda, people have started adding flavors like orange, coconut, and chocolate to amp up the flavor. Nuts and chocolate chips also make an appearance, as does, liquors in some recipes.
Typically, dairy products are milk, buttermilk, cream cheese, sour cream, ricotta cheese, and more.

Pound Cake Recipes Reviewed

History of the Pound Cake

1700s
A British creation, the pound cake that dates back to the early 1700s.
1796
The cookbook American Cookery: or, The Art of Dressing Viands, Fish, Poultry and Vegetables, and the Best Modes of Making Puff-pastes, Pies, Tarts, Puddings, Custards, and Preserves, and all kinds of Cakes, from the Imperial Plumb to plain Cake by Amelia Simmons was the first cookbook authored by an American and published in the United States.

Note: The spelling below is how the actual recipe spelled the words. “F” was used instead of “S.”

POUND CAKE – One pound fugar, one pound butter, one pound flour, ten eggs, rofe water one gill, spices to our tafte; watch it well, it will bake in a flow oven in 15 minutes.

Another (called) POUND CAKE – Work three quarters of a pound butter, one pound of good fugar, till very white, whip ten whites to a foam, add the yolks and beat together, add one fpoon rofe water, two of brandy, and put the whole to one and a quarter of a pound flour, if yet to foft add flour and bake flowly.

1800s

Pound Cake recipes began to deviate in the mid-1800s from the original pound of each of the ingredients to make a lighter cake.

1881

The Pound Cake has traditionally been a popular dessert in the southern states. The first known written cookbook contained two pound cake recipes.

1900s

In some recipes, artificial leaveners, baking powder, or baking soda were added. Currently, pound cake recipes use different proportions of the same basic ingredients as the original formula to produce a lighter, fluffier, and tastier cake.

Pound Cake Recipes Reviewed is my personal analysis of all the variations of pounds cakes from classic to those with a little more flair.

Pound Cake Recipes Reviewed. Method

The basic process for mixing a pound cake is almost always the same. Please note for each individual recipe I will give you very specific mixing instructions, especially when they deviate from the traditional indicated below in the text as well as in the video.

  1. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. The color will actually get lighter in color to a very pale yellow.
  2. Next, mix in the room temperature eggs one at a time until they disappear into the batter
  3. The next step is to add the room temperature liquid, typically milk, butter, cream cheese, sour cream, etc., alternately with the flour until the mixture is smooth.
  4. Pour into your baking pan and bake until cooked through.

Watch How!

Old Fashioned Blue Ribbon Pound Cake video

Pound Cake Recipes Reviewed

All the Different Pound Cake Recipes I’ve tried are below.

We can’t get enough of 90 Perfect Pound Cake recipes! Please click the photograph or the title under the photo for the recipe of the Pound Cake Recipes Reviewed. You can save to your recipe box or Pinterest.

Kentucky Butter Sauce Pound Cake, crazy moist and buttery, this cake is delicious. It's definitely a winner and a recipe you'll want to keep.
Kentucky Butter Sauce Pound Cake
Cold Oven Brown Sugar Whipping Cream Pound Cake
Cold Oven Brown Sugar Whipping Cream Pound Cake
bundt cake
Chocolate Pound Cake
Old Fashioned Blue Ribbon Pound Cake
Old Fashioned Blue Ribbon Pound Cake
trifle with pound cake and pudding
From Scratch Pound Cake Trifle recipe
dessert
Twelve Yolk Pound Cake
 Lemon Pound Cake
Best Triple Lemon Pound Cake
Mardi Gras Pound Cake
Mardi Gras King Cake Pound Cake
Orange Creamsicle Pound Cake
Orange Creamsicle Pound Cake
Key Lime Coconut Marbled Pound Cake
Key Lime Coconut Marbled Pound Cake
Two Step Fresh Peach Pound Cake Recipe is rich, moist and full of fresh, sweet peaches.
Two Step Fresh Peach Pound Cake Recipe
Mile High Pound Cake
Mile High Pound Cake
Pound Cake
Peanut Butter Pound Cake
Scratch-made Orange Zest Pound Cake
Scratch-made Orange Zest Pound Cake with Orange Curd
Vanilla Red Velvet Marbled Pound Cake
Vanilla Red Velvet Marbled Pound Cake Recipe
 Orange Juice Pound Cake
Orange Juice Pound Cake
Cake Mix Butterfinger Pound Cake
Cake Mix Butterfinger Pound Cake
Million Dollar Pound Cake
Million Dollar Pound Cake
Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe is tender and moist. It's sweet and simple with a buttery flavoring that melts in your mouth!
Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Cream Filled Lemon Bundt Cake
Cream Filled Lemon Bundt Cake
Fresh Strawberry Buttermilk Pound Cake
Fresh Strawberry Pound Cake
Sour Cream Pound Cake
Sour Cream Pound Cake
Ruby Red Grapefruit Pound Cake
Ruby Red Grapefruit Pound Cake
Homemade Sour Cream Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake
Homemade Sour Cream Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake
Trisha Yearwood's Lemon Pound Cake with Glaze
Trisha Yearwood’s Lemon Pound Cake with Glaze
Whipping Cream Pound Cake
Whipping Cream Pound Cake
Nutella Strawberry Grilled Pound Cake Sandwiches recipe
Nutella Strawberry Grilled Pound Cake Sandwiches
McCall's Best Pound Cake 1963 Version
McCall’s Best Pound Cake 1963 Version
Scratch-made Key Lime Pound Cake Recipe with Key Lime Glaze
Scratch-made Key Lime Pound Cake Recipe with Key Lime Glaze
loaf cake sliced
Classic Ricotta Pound Cake
Pumpkin Spice Pound Cake Churros buttery soft inside with toasted sides covered in sugar and pumpkin spice. This recipe is the perfect dessert bite.
Pumpkin Spice Pound Cake Churros
 Eggnog Pound Cake
Eggnog Pound Cake
Pound Cake Churro Cubes are simple, bite-sized dessert treats that are fun to make and delicious to eat!
Pound Cake Churro Cubes
 Pound Cake
Crusty Candy Cane Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
slice of cake with caramel dripping down
Cookie Butter Pound Cake
 pineapple pound cake
Two Step Pineapple Pound Cake
 Southern Butter Pecan Pound Cake
Southern Butter Pecan Pound Cake
Famous Ritz Carlton Hotel Lemon Pound Cake
Famous Ritz Carlton Hotel Lemon Pound Cake recipe
dessert
Cinnamon Pecan Swirl Coffee Cake Pound Cake
 Rum Pound Cake
Totally Scratch-made Rum Pound Cake with Rum Glaze
tiramisu dessert
Tiramisu with Pound Cake
🍓Melt in your Mouth Strawberry Buttermilk Pound Cake
Melt in your Mouth Strawberry Buttermilk Pound Cake
Amaretto Pound Cake is pound cake flavored with an almond liqueur. Made from scratch, it's rich, buttery, moist, and completely, insanely delicious!
Amaretto Pound Cake
Coconut Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Coconut Cream Cheese Pound Cake
slice of cake
Praline Glazed Pumpkin Pound Cake
Peanut Butter Glazed Banana Pound Cake
Peanut Butter Glazed Banana Pound Cake
Greek Yogurt Strawberry Jam Pound Cake
Greek Yogurt Strawberry Jam Pound Cake
Fresh Blueberry Pound Cake Recipe
Fresh Blueberry Pound Cake Recipe
Homemade Pecan Pie Pound Cake
Pecan Pie Pound Cake
Strawberry Pound Cake
Strawberry Pound Cake
Slic of blueberry pound cake
Blueberry Swirl Pound Cake
Chocolate Praline Bundt Cake
Orange Bundt Cake
 German Chocolate Cake
German Chocolate Pound Cake
Oreo Buttermilk Pound Cake
Oreo Buttermilk Pound Cake recipe
Award-winning Mascarpone Pound Cake
Award-winning Mascarpone Pound Cake
Strawberry & Cream Pound Cake
Strawberry & Cream Pound Cake with Jello
 Melted Vanilla Ice Cream Pound Cake
Homemade Melted Vanilla Ice Cream Pound Cake
Holiday Greek Yogurt Cranberry Pound Cake
Holiday Greek Yogurt Cranberry Pound Cake recipe
A moist Best Sweet Potato Pound Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is highlighted by a cinnamon, cloves, and topped with cream cheese glaze.
Sweet Potato Pound Cake
Amaretto Pineapple Upside Down Pound Cake
Amaretto Pineapple Upside Down Pound Cake
Carrot Pound Cake
Carrot Cake Pound Cake with Pineapple Mascarpone Frosting
Irish Cream Chocolate Pound Cake Trifle with Irish Cream Caramel Sauce
Irish Cream Chocolate Pound Cake
Best Fudge Marble Pound Cake
Best Fudge Marble Pound Cake
Sheet Pan Pound Cake
Sheet Pan Pound Cake
Copycat Sara Lee Pound Cake
Copycat Sara Lee Pound Cake
Grannys Orange Marmalade Pound Cake slice on a saucer.
Grannys Orange Marmalade Pound Cake
Amaretto Peach Upside Down Pound Cake is bursting with flavor. Two classic cake recipes collide with this perfect end-of-summer dessert.
Amaretto Peach Upside Down Pound Cake
Butterbeer Pound Cake
Butter Beer Pound Cake
Tiramisu Pound Cake
Tiramisu Pound Cake
 Citrus Pound Cake
Citrus Pound Cake
Woodford Reserve Pound Cake is a boozy twist on a Southern classic.
Woodford Reserve Pound Cake
dessert bundt
Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Pound Cake
Iced Lemon Loaf Half Pound Cake Recipe. This simple half pound cake is flavored with lemon then smothered with a lusciously thick layer of lemon glaze.
Iced Lemon Loaf Half Pound Cake Recipe
Chocolate Fudge Oreo Pound Cake
Chocolate Fudge Oreo Pound Cake
Cherry Limeade Pound Cake
Cherry Limeade pound cake
 Fig Preserve Pound Cake
Fig Preserve Pound Cake
Best 5 Flavor Pound Cake Recipe
Five Flavor Pound Cake
 Sour Cream dark chocolate pound cake
Sour Cream Dark Chocolate Pound Cake
 Hummingbird Cake Pound Cake
Hummingbird Pound Cake
7up pound cake recipe
7up Pound Cae
Sweetened Condensed Milk Pound Cake
Sweetened Condensed Milk Pound Cake
 Banana Pudding Pound Cake
Banana Pudding Pound Cake Recipe
Limoncello Pound Cake
Limoncello Pound Cake
7 flavor pound cake
7 Flavor Pound Cake with Macadamia Nut Liqueur
Rumchata Pound Cake
Rumchata Pound Cake
Bananas Foster Pound Cake
Bananas Foster Pound Cake
 Chocolate Amaretto Pound Cake
Chocolate Amaretto Pound Cake
pound cake
Grandma’s Old Fashion Pound Cake
Miss Dots Pound Cake
Miss Dot’s Pound Cake