Old Fashioned Blue Ribbon Pound Cake. Tall, buttery, moist, dense. This pound cake is classic and very close to an original pound cake recipe.
Old-fashioned desserts seem to be making a resurgence. My Pound Cake series has been very popular as well as other old-fashioned desserts that I’ve shared. My Old-fashioned Butter Roll, Old-fashioned Sugar Pie, and Old-fashioned Rice Pudding are some of the most popular recipes on callmepmc.com.
Old Fashioned Blue Ribbon Pound Cake
I started this series on reviewing Pound Cake recipes because pound cakes are my very most favorite thing in the world to make. I dunno why, but they are. Pound cakes are delectable and unbelievably easy to make with a few basic tips. Overall, I’ve had very good feedback on this series which makes me really happy. I’ve enjoyed baking and testing all the pound cakes and sharing the recipes with you.
I do sometimes get negative comments and it makes me unhappy when a recipe doesn’t work out. I want to stress a few things when attempting not only this Old Fashioned Blue Ribbon Pound Cake and my other pound cake recipes, but any cake recipe in general. Review my post Baking Cakes: Problems and Tips. Some quick tips I have also listed below.
The recipe is correct as written. There are no baking soda or baking powder in it. Traditionally, eggs were the only leavening agent used in pound cakes. Baking soda and baking powder do more than aid in making baked goods rise, they also change the texture of them. To get that traditional pound cake texture that’s crusty on the outside with a dense, moist, soft inside make the recipe as written.
I always use salted real butter in my pounds cakes. It’s a personal preference. You can use either salted or unsalted butter. I do recommend using real butter not margarine.
Pound Cake Tips
- Measure carefully, especially the flour. How do you measure flour? To correctly measure flour, first, sift the flour. Then using a spoon or scoop lightly scoop flour out of its container into a measuring cup. Continue filling the cup until it is overflowing, then using the back of a butter knife level the flour. Scooping the measuring cup directly into the flour to fill can result in up to 25% more flour than lightly spooning the flour into the measuring cup. More flour in a recipe will make it dense and dry.
- Read all about how to Calibrate your oven in this post.
- Use good quality ingredients. Read some of the differences in name-brand and store-bought ingredients here.
- Use real butter. Refer to number 3 above.
- Allow your eggs and butter to come to room temperature.
- I drizzled Lemon Sauce over the cake while the cake was still warm.
- Read all my tips for Baking the Perfect Pound Cake
- *PLEASE NOTE – COOKING TIMES VARY DEPENDING ON IF YOUR OVEN IS CALIBRATED AND IF YOU USE A LIGHT OR DARK PAN. TEST THE CAKE BEFORE THE RECOMMENDED TIME. IF THE CAKE IS TOO DRY, YOU BAKED IT TOO LONG.
- I use this Tube Pan.
- I just want to add again the recipe is correct as written. There is no baking soda or baking powder in it.
- Please refer to this article when changing pan sizes: Baking Times for Different Cake Pans
Recipe for Lemon Sauce {click here}
How to serve
This Old Fashioned Blue Ribbon Pound Cake makes a tall and impressive cake. It’s ideal for potlucks and parties. Serve it with in-season berries, whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
The following pound cakes are some of my most popular. You can get all my pound cake recipes here.
Million Dollar Pound Cake
Whipping Cream Pound Cake
Amaretto Pound Cake
Sour Cream Pound Cake
Old Fashioned Blue Ribbon Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups butter, no substitutes salted or unsalted, at room temperature, I use this
- 3 and 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 10 large eggs at room temperature
- 4 cups all-purpose flour sifted (always sift, then measure)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract I use this
Instructions
- Allow butter and eggs to come to room temperature.
- Grease and flour a tube (I recommend this one.)or bundt pan. The cake is too large for a regular bundt pan. You need a 10-15 cup bundt pan like this which is larger than a standard bundt. If you don't have a tube pan or large bundt pan, you can make cupcakes with the extra batter. Don't fill the pan closer than 2 inches from the top or it may overflow. You can grease and flour, use non-stick spray, or I absolutely love this cake release product from Wilton! You may need to line the sides of the tube pan with waxed paper so that is above the top of the pan 2 to 3 inches as shown in the photo. This is a very tall cake.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream 2 cups butter until soft and there are no lumps.
- Add 3 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar and cream until light and fluffy.
- Add one at a time, beating until just mixed in before adding the next egg.
- Lower speed on mixer to low and slowly add 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour.
- Add vanilla and mix in completely.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
- *PLEASE NOTE - COOKING TIMES VARY DEPENDING ON IF YOUR OVEN IS CALIBRATED AND IF YOU USE A LIGHT OR DARK PAN. TEST THE CAKE BEFORE THE RECOMMENDED TIME. IF THE CAKE IS TOO DRY, YOU BAKED IT TOO LONG.
- Test for doneness with a wooden pick. Insert pick in the center of the cake, if pick comes out clean or with dry crumbs, it is done.
- Remove cake and allow to cool on a wire rack 30 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter.
- The recipe is correct as written. There are no baking soda or baking powder in it.
Notes
Nutrition
Sharing with friends at Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck
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Janice says
Can I use confectioners sugar instead of granulated sugar?
Paula says
It is not recommended to substitute confectioners sugar for granulated sugar. Since confectioners sugar has a much finer texture, and it contains a small percentage of cornstarch to prevent caking, substituting can give you unexpected results.
Neva says
Paula, yes this is the best pound cake I have ever tasted. This recipe is identical, same ingredients, same amount and same directions as the one my grandmother made. It was passed on to my mother who passed it to me. I would guess this recipe to my knowledge is around 70 plus years old. The crust makes it different from any other I have ever tried. I have tried many many pound cakes recipes but always come back to this one. I make wedding, birthday, anniversary cakes but I sell these pound cakes like crazy. Never had a complaint. You have posted a really great recipe…Thanks, Neva
Kathleen says
I substituted lavender sugar and added lemon zest…. it was DELICIOUS!!! Thank you so much for a great recipe!
Cecilia says
This cake is amazing. I bought too many eggs and told my husband I needed to fix a pound cake that took a lot of eggs. I spotted this recipe and saw that it needed 10 eggs. I am so glad I tried it because it is absolutely wonderful!! I gave some to my mom. We all loved it. I plan to make again many times.
Paula says
Yay!! so happy you liked it!
Tina Phoumalvanh says
Hi Paula I was wondering if I can cut this recipe in half? I’m only asking because it’s a coworkers birthday and I wanted to surprise him with a few pound cupcakes tonight. Thank you!,,
Paula says
I have never cut it in half, but you should be able to without a problem.
Margie says
Can I make a regular stacked cake with this recipe as written? I made this cake and it is fantastic.
My two grandkids, 5 and 7 said, they want me to make this cake for their birthdays, just put some animals on it !😄
Nina The Nana says
Hello Paula. Thanks for sharing all the wonderful pound cake recipes. I use Gold Medal pre-sifted all purpose flour. SHould I sift again? This is always a question for me because some of the recipes say to sift and some don’t. Please help!
Paula says
I would sift it again for every recipe. I find that it packs down in shipping etc. Hope this helps. I love your name ‘Nina the Nana’!!!
Karen says
Can I use this recipe in a lamb cake mold? Understand the recipe will make way more batter than required to fill the mold.
Paula says
Yes, only fill it 2/3s full
Lisa says
I made this cake tonight for the first time. It turned out great other than being a little too sweet for my husband. I thought it was perfect, but I do like sweet and rich cakes. Would it mess the cake up if I put 3 cups sugar instead of 3 1/2 cups? I
Paula says
I think you’ll be fine with 3 cups of sugar instead of 3.5 cups
Candice says
I have made this pound cake a dozen times as it is my husband’s favorite but I swear the directions used to say to beat each egg for a minute before adding the next. I still make it that way. Am I crazy? Probably.
Glow! says
This is the largest pound cake I have ever prepared. The taste is great! And I’ve made it several times. It is my favorite pound cake. I use a dark tube pan, so I only have to bake it for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Paula, Thanks you for this wonderful recipe. 5 Stars
Paula says
It’s huge, isn’t it? Thank you so much. I’m so happy you like it as much as I do. Thanks for commenting.
Jerrie says
First time finding your great pound cakes! Can’t wait to try them!
Many thanks!
Paula says
Let me know which ones you like best!
Phil Brown says
Paula, in the narrative you stated that if you didn’t have a big enough bundt pan you could make cupcakes with the leftover batter. Do the cupcakes come out tasting the same? The reason I ask is I have a disabled son that only has partial use of one arm. I make him cookies and cupcakes to snack on as those are easy for him to pick up and hold. Sliced cake not so much. I think he would like this recipe.
Paula says
Yes, they’ll taste the same. They’ll cook in less time, prob 26-30 minutes. You’ll find that this cake is dense and the slices will hold together to eat while holding. Embarrassing as it is, that’s how I eat it most of the time. And while I’m being honest, I’m usually eating a slice while I’m taking pictures of the cake. haha.
Dukediesel says
I don’t think I would ever put milk in a pound cake as mentioned above. If you just put a pound of each ingredient with the exception of vanilla, you have your pound cake. Butter, flour, sugar, eggs and a few teaspoons of vanilla. I’ve made this recipe many times and it is wonderful. I like most of Paula’s recipes though. But this one in a million years old so it should be a no fail.