OLD SCHOOL SOUTHERN BUTTER POUND CAKE

This post may contain affiliate links that wonโ€™t change your price but will share some commission.

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!

Old School Southern Butter Pound Cake

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, itโ€™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

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.

Old School Southern Butter Pound Cake

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.
Old School Southern Butter Pound Cake

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.

You can get them ALL here!

  1. Fig Preserve Pound Cake
  2. Key Lime Marbled Pound Cake
  3. Old Fashioned Blue Ribbon Pound Cake
  4. Strawberry & Cream Pound Cake
  5. Amaretto Peach Upside Down Pound Cake
  6. Fresh Strawberry Pound Cake
  7. Butterbeer Pound Cake
  8. Tiramisu Pound Cake
  9. Orange Creamsicle Pound Cake
  10. Citrus Pound Cake
  11. Woodford Reserve Bourbon Cake 
  12. Fig Preserve Pound Cake
  13. Hummingbird Cake Pound Cake 
Old School Southern Butter Pound Cake

Old School Southern Butter Pound Cake

This is a classic pound cake with a soft texture and buttery flavor. It is leavened, traditionally, with eggs. There is no baking soda or baking powder in it.
Author: Paula
4.89 from 35 votes
Print Rate
Save To Your Recipe Box
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 18 servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Please read post above for substitutions and tips.
  • Preheat oven to 325ยฐ F. (If you haven't calibrated your oven recently, I recommend you calibrate your oven once a year. For info read:ย How to Calibrate your Oven.)
  • Coat aย 10-inch, 12-cupย tube panย orย bundt panย withย solid vegetable shorteningย and sugar orย Wilton cake releaseย spray.
  • In theย bowlย ofย anย 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. Add salt. 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 200ยฐF when fully cooked.)
  • Allow cake to cool on aย wire rackย 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

Get all my pound cake recipes here: Pound Cake Recipes Reviewed
ย 

Nutrition

Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 329mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 732IU | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are important to you, I recommend calculating them yourself.

Want to save your favorite recipes?Create an account or login & โ€˜Save Recipeโ€™ to your Recipe Box. You can access your saved recipes on any device & generate a shopping list for recipes in your collections. For more info visit Recipe Box FAQ!
Tried this recipe?Please take a moment to comment letting me know how you liked it & consider giving it a 5 star rating. I love hearing from you!

16 Comments

  1. Iโ€™m trying this recipe for the first time. Iโ€™ll let you know how it turns out. Thank you, for such great instructions!

  2. 5 stars
    Yes I did it was delicious. Will make it again.. which pound cakes can I use with 5 flavoringโ€™s, and which ones go together to get that nice flavor.

  3. Well, I baked your Southern Butrer Pound Cake and it was AMAZING! HANDS DOWN the best pound cake I have made. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe! The cake flour kept it light than most and the hint of Almond Extract give it such a beautiful subtle flavor, perfect.

  4. 5 stars
    This is the best Butter Pound Cake ever! I made one for a family event and those who tried it REALLY loved it! I will be sharing this online website / link with anyone who requests it! I will no longer have to purchase Pound Cakes thanks to this exceptionally great tasting recipe!

  5. 5 stars
    How long do I mix the butter and cream cheese in order for it to be โ€œfluffyโ€? How long do I mix that with the sugar? Recipes seem to leave out how many minutes to beat or whip ingredients.

    1. 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.

      1. 5 stars
        This Old School Southern Butter Pound Cake was wonderful! When I made this I had not made a Pound Cake in a number of years. It is the BEST I THINK I HAVE EVER MADE. My late Mother used to make one called Five Flavor Pound Cake, and I know it was good, but I really don’t remember it. I gave half of this one away because it is just me here. Then I made this one for my neighbor for her birthday in June, and she and all of her children want the recipe! Thank you for a great recipe!!! These old Church Cookbooks are fabulous!

        Paula, just as a note on mixing, after I added the sugar, I made sure to mix until I could no longer hear the grinding of the sugar in the metal mixing bowl. Would that be a correct statement?

      2. Yes, that’s correct. Thank you so much for commenting, I’m so happy you like the recipe.

4.89 from 35 votes (27 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Your email address will not be published. Have you tried this recipe? Consider giving it 5 stars!