Bake the Perfect Pound Cake
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I want to teach you how to Bake the Perfect Pound Cake! With just a few tips, you can have that perfectly buttery and velvety pound cake.
How to Bake the Perfect Pound Cake! It’s not as hard as you think!
Pound Cakes are my favorite cakes to bake. I’ve been obsessed the baking the perfect pound cake for years. Pound Cakes are also my most popular recipes on Call Me PMc, thanks to my Pound Cake series, where I’ve tested various different ones. Please click over and get those recipes, Pound Cakes Reviewed.
I have a lot of experience on How to Bake the Perfect Pound Cake. Here are some of my most popular pound cake recipes.
A pound cake should be rich and buttery with a dense texture and a tender crumb. With a few simple tips and tricks, you can bake rich, buttery, homemade pounds cakes like a pro.
How to Bake the Perfect Pound Cake Tips
- Prepare before you start. I can’t stress this enough. Read through your recipe completely. Prep any ingredients that need special attention, like chopping fruit, toasting nuts, and sifting flour.
- Use name-brand ingredients. Store brands of sugar are often more finely ground than name brands, thus yielding more sugar per cup. This can cause the cake to fall. Store brands of
butter may contain more liquid fat. And, store flour brands may contain more hard wheat, making the cake heavy. - Always use real
butter . The fat content in margarine can vary, dramatically changing the outcome of your recipe. - Use room temperature ingredients. Set the
butter , eggs, and milk products on the counter 1 to 2 hours before mixing. This will allow for maximum volume in your cake. - Measure your ingredients and arrange them in the order they will be added to the recipe. You’re less likely to skip a step or measure incorrectly if you’ll do it this way.
- Calibrate your oven. You can do everything else right, but if your oven is not cooking at the temperature it shows on the dial, your cake will not cook correctly. Please read this post I wrote on How to Calibrate your Oven.
- Measure accurately. It is very important to measure your ingredients accurately. Maybe you think you have been measuring correctly but your cake still isn’t coming out right. Read this post, Twix Bars Sweet Rolls on How to Correctly Measure Flour.
- For a smooth, velvety texture, always beat room-temperature
butter until creamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat on medium-high speed. This can take 1 to 5 minutes, depending on the power of your mixer. You whip air into the batter during these steps so the cake will rise when baking.
More tips
- Don’t overbeat. I just told you to beat it until it creamy, light, and fluffy. That is the
butter and sugar. Once you begin adding other ingredients, eggs and flour, be careful not to overbeat the batter! Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until the yellow disappears. Overbeating the eggs may cause the batter to overflow the sides of the pan when baked or create a fragile crust that crumbles and separates from the cake as it cools. - If a recipe says to fold an ingredient into the batter, always fold by hand with a large spoon or spatula.
- Make sure your pan is thoroughly greased. Your pound cake crust with stick and tear if any part of it sticks to the pan. I recommend using either a solid vegetable shortening or
butter , then follow up with a coating of flour or granulated sugar. This works better for me than any non-stick spray that I’ve tried. - Place the cake pan in the center of the oven, and keep the door closed until the minimum baking time has elapsed. If the cake requires more baking, gently close the oven door after testing. Try not to bump the cake pan or leave the door open too long, resulting in loss of heat. Both bumping and heat reduction can cause a cake to fall if it’s not completely done.
- Don’t rush the baking process. Because the batter is dense for pound cakes, a slow and low method is best for baking. Most pound cakes need to be in the oven for well over an hour.
After your pound cake is cooked
- Test for doneness. Insert a long wooden pick or skewer into the thickest part of the cake. The cake is done with no crumbs or dry crumbs remain on the pick when removed.
- As well, don’t rush turning the pan over. Allow your pound cake rest in the pan on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before turning it onto a serving platter. I run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan to gently release the cake.
- It’s recommended to store your pound cake in an airtight container on the countertop for 4 to 5 days. However, if you frost your cake with a
cream cheese icing (or the like), you must store it in the refrigerator.
Any chance of you having a cookbook that has all these recipes? Would be much easier and cheaper than trying to save and print them. There are just too many recipes I want to try!
I don’t at least not yet. However, you can save them to the justapinch.com site via the blue heart and recipe box at the top left of the page for each recipe.
I have used many of your pound cake recipes, and normally I have great results. I have made the 5 Flavor Pound Cake on three different occasions. I use Crisco shortening and sugar to prepare my Bundt pan. I am very particular about making certain that there are no bare spots. Twice I have had the crust to sweat and not release from the pan. I usually have better results with cakes releasing if I don’t let them relax very long. Do you think that I am waiting too long before turning them out. It is usually 10 to 15 minutes, or is it the opposite and I am turning them out too quickly? Everyone loves this recipe especially my husband. The cake is light and flavorful. The texture is heavenly! It is frustrating not to have a perfect-looking cake. Any suggestions are appreciated.
You’re right in your thinking and there’s a ‘sweet spot’ of time for flipping too early or waiting too long. After making so many pound cakes this is what works for me. I liberally (I mean liberally😍) smear on Crisco then dust on granulated sugar. After it’s baked and out of the oven, I set the cake on a wire rack so the air can circulate around it. Right then I take a thin butter knife or my offset frosting spatula because it’s thin (like this https://amzn.to/3khmltH) and I run it carefully around the outside and inside of the tube pan just to slightly loosen the cake. (This is also why I like a tube pan because it’s flat around the edge). Then I wait exactly 20 minutes – I run the knife around the edge again – I shake the pan a little to kind of shift it in the pan – then I pray 🤣 and flip (I double flip so the top is the top). This has been working for me.
One other note, a couple years back my cakes started sticking regardless of what I did. Not all over, but enough to ruin the appearance. I got a new pan and worked. So I think the coating of the old pan had worn off just enough that it started grabbing onto the cake.
(Sorry, this reply is probably more info than you wanted.)
Hello, I would like to know which is the best tube cake pan to use when making a pound cake? I have used several Fat daddio’s, Magic line, and non-stick and all of my cakes are sticking to the pan (sides). I used the thermometer, calibrated my oven by a professional, used goop, Crisco and flour and parchment and my cake is sticking to the sides, not sure what I am doing wrong because I have been using the same ingredients and recipe for years?? I would greatly appreciate any help. They used to come out good but not sure if the bundt pans this is happening now??
Thank you for your help!
I like substituting whipping cream for milk in some recipes. Doe that ruin the recipe?
No, it’s fine. I prefer whipped cream in pound cakes actually. Makes them richer.
I am very excited to try your recipe(s)! Should I buy Pure Vanilla Extract or Imitation Vanilla Extract? Thanks!
I think pure vanilla is much better, like this> https://amzn.to/341GWcK
That’s a large bottle (I use a lot) but you can get smaller bottles.
I’m so happy you found my site!
How do I avoid the cake sticking especially in bundt pans? I use shortening and flour for greasing the pan.
I either use shortening and flour or shortening and granulated sugar – liberally.
Wilton Cake release (get it here https://amzn.to/2RnPTpl ) is also good
Can you please tell me why the crust on my pound cake cracks into pieces when I use real butter, but not if I use margarine?
Does is have a crust using margarine? I’m surprised if it does. Over beating it can cause the cake to fall, leaving the crusty part ‘unattached’ which will then fall and crumble.
Do you have a sugar free pound cake as I am prediabetic but love love pound cake! Help!!!!
I’m developing one.
Can the shortening be substituted in any of the recipes?
some of the recipes have shortening and butter.
Thanks for all the tips, I have been making pound cakes for years and learned new things today. Made the million dollar pound cake a few days ago, we loved it! Making the amaretto pound cake for work today, can’t wait to try it!
Thank you!!d Oh, I looooove the Amaretto pound cake 😀
I would like to use cake flour instead of all purpose flour. How do I substitute so the cake turns out right.
Cake flour will change the appearance and texture of the finished pound cake. It will be less dense like a traditional pound cake.
To substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour for every cup of all-purpose flour.
I’m excited to try your pound cake recipe. You gave clear and precise steps so I hope I don’t screw this up!
Thanks so much!
I like all the Tips that I read. I did learn a few things that I didn’t know. Thanks for the advice. I will try them.
good advice thanks
Could you please tell me how to make the top of the cake get that nice crust on the top of the cake. Thank You Kindly