Old School Southern Butter Pound Cake is moist, tender, and loaded with a buttery flavor. It’s perfect on its own or served any number of ways!
Don’t underestimate a pound cake. Although at first glance, a pound cake doesn’t appear to be very exciting it can be dressed up and served in the most elegant and delicious ways!
I have a few tips and tricks on how to make a perfect traditional pound cake for you!
The simplicity of pound cake is part of why I love it so much. Pound cake pairs well with fresh or grilled fruit, ice cream, fruit sauce, and whipped cream. You may also enjoy it with chocolate sauce, lemon sauce, or caramel sauce. Certainly, it’s good all by itself!
After I have reviewed so many pound cakes already, it’s hard to think there are still some classics that I have tested. I found this recipe in an old church cookbook. It contains all butter, vanilla, and almonds extracts, and all-purpose as well as cake flour. Those combinations make it unique from any other pound cake I’ve tested already.
OLD SCHOOL SOUTHERN BUTTER POUND CAKE
A pound cake should be tender, moist, and have a fine crumb. Some, but not all, have a crusty top, which is my favorite.
The two main factors of making a perfect pound cake are having room temperature ingredients and correctly mixing the ingredients. Although, I have more tips and I’ll list them for you below.
This is an old-school, traditional pound cake. It does not contain baking powder or baking soda. Instead, it is leavened, traditionally, with eggs. This method requires a longer creaming period (‘creaming’ is mixing the fat with sugar) so that air mixes into the batter and lifts it properly.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS!
As with any recipe, read the ingredients and instructions through completely before starting. Make sure you have all the ingredients, that the ingredients that need to be at room temperature are at room temperature, and that you have the correct equipment.
- Do not use margarine.
- Do not use low fat or fat-free cream cheese.
- I wrote a very detailed post on How to Bake the Perfect Pound Cake. I recommend you hop over and read it.
- For best flavor use pure vanilla and almond extracts, not imitation.
- Additionally, you can substitute vanilla extract for all almond or other flavors like lemon, almond, and coconut. Simply keep the total amount the same.
- As well, I recommend calibrating your oven once a year. Read How to Calibrate your Oven here.
PANS AND SUCH
I sit my pound cakes on a cookie sheet to bake. Sitting the pan on a cookie sheet may affect the baking time. As well, using a light versus a dark tube pan will affect baking times. For my cakes, I bake in a light pan on a round cookie sheet.
I’m not a fan of non-stick spray for pound cakes. Some of the sides always stick pulling off that crust that I worked so hard to create. Instead, I like to use solid vegetable shortening and follow that with a dusting of granulated sugar. (Yes, sugar. Sugar doesn’t leave any white areas on the cake.) Alternately, I like the Wilton cake release. (When I started this pound cake series, I did use non-stick spray. However, after making so many and trying other methods, I do not use non-stick spray for cakes now. I have tried to go back and update those posts, but may have missed some.)
HOW DO YOU STORE LEFTOVER POUND CAKE
I recommend storing leftover pound cake on the counter at room temperature in an airtight container. Therefore, I wrap it in plastic wrap or cut it into slices and keep it in a covered cake plate. Furthermore, it will last anywhere from 3 to 4 days at room temperature or 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator.
CAN I FREEZE POUND CAKE?
You can freeze a pound cake with great success. Wrap it up tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap and store it in the freezer for 4 to 6 months.
HERE ARE SOME OF MY POPULAR POUND CAKE RECIPES.
- Fig Preserve Pound Cake
- Key Lime Marbled Pound Cake
- Old Fashioned Blue Ribbon Pound Cake
- Strawberry & Cream Pound Cake
- Amaretto Peach Upside Down Pound Cake
- Fresh Strawberry Pound Cake
- Butterbeer Pound Cake
- Tiramisu Pound Cake
- Orange Creamsicle Pound Cake
- Citrus Pound Cake
- Woodford Reserve Bourbon Cake
- Fig Preserve Pound Cake
- Hummingbird Cake Pound Cake
Old School Southern Butter Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1 and ½ cup butter unsalted, at room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pure almond extract
- 6 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 and ½ cup all-purpose flour sifted then measured
- 1 and ½ cup cake flour sifted then measured
Instructions
- Please read post above for substitutions and tips.
- Preheat oven to 325° F. (If you haven't calibrated your oven recently, I recommend you calibrate your oven once a year. For info read: How to Calibrate your Oven.)
- Coat a 10-inch, 12-cup tube pan or bundt pan with solid vegetable shortening and sugar or Wilton cake release spray.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until the mixture is fluffy. Stop mixer and scrape sides. Mix again.
- Add sugar and extracts. Beat until light and fluffy. Stop mixer and scrape sides. Reduce speed to low and mix again.
- Add eggs, one at a time, alternating with flours 1/2 cup at a time until all eggs and flours are used. Stop mixer and scrape sides. Mix again.
- Transfer batter to the prepared pan.
- Bake for about 1 hour 20 to 30 minutes or until a tester comes out clean or with dry crumbs. (The internal temperature of the cake will be 200°F when fully cooked.)
- Allow cake to cool on a wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes before inverting on a tray to cool completely. Wait until the cake is completely cool before frosting.
- Store in an airtight cake taker either on the counter or the refrigerator. It will stay fresh on the counter 3 to 4 days and in the refrigerator 5 to 7 days. See notes above for freezing.
Notes
Nutrition
You can also find great recipes at Recipe Index or at Meal Plan Monday or Weekend Potluck
Patrick says
How long do I mix the butter and cream cheese in order for it to be “fluffy”? How long do I mix that with the sugar? Recipes seem to leave out how many minutes to beat or whip ingredients.
Paula says
I mix until it smooth and there are no visible clumps of cream cheese or butter. Then after I add the sugar I mix for 3 to 4 minutes at medium speed. The mixture will get very pale yellow almost white (assuming your butter is yellow). Thank you. I’ll try to include that from now on.
Gisele says
No milk or water?
Paula says
No, it’s correct as written.