A great use of leftover egg yolks, Twelve Yolk Pound Cake, is golden and tender. This is a delicious basic cake recipe that’s not overly sweet. Serve this with a good vanilla ice cream and rich caramel sauce.
Twelve Yolk Pound Cake is versatile and delicious.
TWELVE YOLK POUND CAKE
When a reader asked me if I had a Twelve Yolk Pound Cake recipe, I became intrigued. She sad the twelve yolks made a pound cake and the twelve egg whites, in turn, are used for an Angel Food Cake.
Well, I had never heard of this but got busy searching through old cookbooks to see what I could find. The recipe below is an adapted version of a twelve-yolk cake that I found. As well, be sure to make my Angel Food Cake.
This is not what I truly call a ‘pound cake’ because it is more airy and fluffy than a traditional dense, small crumb, pound cake. In fact, I would classify this as a ‘sponge cake’ in texture.
However, Twelve Yolk Pound Cake is soft, rich with a buttery-like texture from all the yolks. Furthermore, because of the number of golden egg yolks, this cake has a lovely golden color.
You may also like these cakes
Make all my pound cakes, get the recipes> Pound Cake Reviews Series.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- Coincidently, you can use your favorite flavoring in this cake. Good basic flavorings to try are vanilla, lemon, coconut, or almond.
- This cake is mixed together differently than most pound cakes. Therefore, you may want to read through the directions entirely before beginning the recipe.
- Twelve yolks make about one liquid cup measure. If you have medium or small eggs, you may want to measure them in a cup to assure you have the correct amount.
- You’ll want all the ingredients to be room temperature. (Except the water in this recipe.)
- Also, you’ll need to sift the flour before measuring. For baking, it’s very important to correctly measure all the ingredients. Flour is easily measured incorrectly. Please read this post on How to correctly Measure Flour.
- Serve this with ice cream and caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, or blueberry sauce.
Tools for Baking
- A larger bundt
- Or this tube pan
- Favorite spatulas
- For all my baking essentials, visit my Amazon Store.
Twelve Yolk Pound Cake
Want to save recipes? Create an account or login & then you can use the “Save Recipe” button when viewing a recipe to save it to your Recipe Box. You can access your saved recipes on any device and generate a shopping list for recipes in your collections.
Save To Your Recipe BoxIngredients
- 12 large egg yolks room temp
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 and ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 cup cold water
Instructions
- Prepare a 10-inch (12 cup) tube pan or 12 cup bundt pan with non-stick spray.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (I recommend you Calibrate your oven!)
- Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together.
- In a mixing bowl, beat egg yolks until very fluffy and thick.
- Reduce speed to low and add vanilla, lemon, and cold water.
- Gradually, but quickly add sifted flour mixture while beating on low, scrape bowl.
- Beat only long enough to blend, about 2 minutes.
- Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until golden brown or when pick inserted in thickest portion of the cake comes out clean or with dry crumbs. (Watch closely if you haven't calibrated your oven. Baking pans can affect baking times as well. If it turns out dry you cooked it too long.)
- Store in an airtight container 4 days or on countertop or 1 week in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links. If you click the link and make a purchase I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Visit all my recommended products at Paula’s Picks on Amazon. Read my entire Privacy Policy here.
Inge Anderson says
I made this cake yesterday and finished it this afternoon by cutting it into 3 layers and putting whipped fresh cream, vanilla and a little bit of icing sugar. I put strawberries and violas on the top to decorate it. When the 4 grandchildren and my daughter-in-law came to visit for afternoon tea, more than half the cake was gobbled up! They all loved it and so did my husband and I. It is rich but not sickly. Definitely will make this again!
B. Jones says
Can you substitute the sugar with sweetener such as Splenda or monk fruit or Erythritol etc.
Paula says
I haven’t tested with those sweeteners. Usually if they are a 1 to 1 sub for granulated sugar they work from reader comments. But I haven’t tested it.
B. Jones says
Can you substitute the sugar with monk fruit, sugar, or another sweetener as I do not use white sugar?
Siri Zwemke says
I am going to call this a Ladyfinger cake as I feel the texture and taste was very much like ladyfingers. Agree with other comments and with author’s warning that this turns out to be quite a dry cake, though the taste is good. If I made it again, I would slice it in half, fill the middle with a whipped cream filling or one of the sauces suggested, and then top it with a frosting. This time around I topped it with a lime frosting and sliced fresh strawberries and served it with a generous dollop of strawberry whipped cream. My bake time was only 45 minutes. It was wonderful to find a recipe that used up so many egg yolks at one time as when you search, most recipes are using 3 yolks, not nearly enough when you bake all the time and use lots of whites!
Barbie Hill says
So I am making an angel food cake and I had 12 expensive yolks left. I searched and came upon this recipe and followed it to the letter. It came out great! While it’s not a traditional butter pound cake, it rose beautifully and has great flavor and color. I paired it with a whipped cream and I think berries would be great! Thanks for the recipe!
calliope8 says
Good flavor but my goodness it was dry! I did wonder about a cake with no fat being dry but thought the yolks would maybe provide enough fat. I had a bunch of duck eggs (which have bigger richer yolks than chicken eggs) to use up. I also don’t understand using water when milk can be used. Water brings no flavor to the party. I will try this again with milk & vegetable oil as I still have a lot of duck eggs.
Paula says
If it was dry, you over-cooked it.
robin handler says
Can I substitute vanilla for the lemon abstract? I thought you suggested other flavors but wanted to check.
Thank you
Paula says
Yes, you can.
Nonni says
Added lemon zest & it was delicious. Agree with the other reviewers that it’s really a sponge cake. Baked it in a Bundt pan & dusted with confectioner’s sugar before serving-beautiful!
Horan Norma says
Easy recipe. I only had 10 yolks, but it turned out great and I would agree that the texture is more sponge cake than pound cake.
Lydia says
Can the flour be substituted for almond or coconut flour? If so, how much should I use?
Paula says
I’m not familiar with baking with those flours.
Soph says
This is my favorite cake now!!! My family finished it within 2 days!
Deb says
I love this recipe. I added lemon zest instead of the extract since I always have zest on hand.
Trisha L Varrelman says
Can I make this in a bread machine?
Paula says
I don’t have any experience using a bread machine. This is more like a sponge cake than pound cake if a bread machine mixes it too much you don’t want to use it.
Jude says
Is there supposed to be butter and shortening ?
Paula says
not in this one
Hetal says
Can you make it in a loaf pan? If so do you know how I would adjust the baking time?
Paula says
The recipe as written will need 2 loaf pans. For a standard 9×5-inch loaf start watching it at 45 minutes – it may take up to 60 minutes though depending on the color of your pan and the oven.
Kelley says
Can this be baked in 9” pans then frozen to frost and fondant later?
Paula says
yes
Jetty T says
Very good n easy recipe! We love it! Yes 5 stars to me!
Andrea says
Do you happen to know the weight of the yolks? I’m trying to use up the eggs from my banty chickens, which are smaller eggs.
Paula says
I don’t but I Googled it and the best I could find is 14 large egg yolks make 1 cup. 18 small yolks make 1 cup. A small egg is 18 ounces. I hope that helps maybe if you know how much your eggs weigh. (I also had to look up what a banty chicken is. lol – We had a small farm growing up but never had chickens.)
Michelle says
Can I use milk instead or water
Paula says
yes
Marianne Hartnack says
Can this cake be frozen?
Paula says
I haven’t tried to freeze this cake. I think it will freeze well since most cakes do but I haven’t actually tried this one.
Karen Nemesh says
This is a fool-proof recipe! (I proved it by forgetting to add the water, baked for 15-20 minutes then removing from the oven and stirring in the water (didn’t scrape the bottom or sides) and replacing in the oven and baking for 40 minutes.) It came out great!!
It’s a great recipe to use up the yolks after baking Angel Food Cakes, or as in my case, a large wedding cake that used only egg whites. I love the fact that even though I really goofed by doing too many things while baking, it came out beautifully (rose high) and was moist! It’s a Keepper!!
Paula says
I LOVE THIS!!!!!!!! Yay, I’m so happy you liked it and thanks for commenting!!
Debra White says
I made this today and it is delicious. I will be making this again.
Johanna says
Easy enough to make using the 12 yolks from yesterday’s scratch Angel Food cake. Said 55-60 min..took it out at 55 min but should have checked it at 50 min..wasnt as moist as I had hoped…abit dry…and my oven is calibtated…i did throw a handfull of blueberries in…used almond extract and 2 tbl lemon juice in water.. may try again..but maked alot of cake..night use a pund cake pN next time..thank you. J in Tucson
Marie says
This was great. I used 4 cups of fine milled almond flour, 1/2 cup of allulose, 1/2 cup of sulcrulose to replace the sugar and flour since I battle reactive hyperglycemia. My blood sugar drops very low when I consume carbs and sugar. Cook time was 35 minutes and I let the cake cool for an hour before I cut into it. The cake comes out with a similar texture to corn bread, but fluffy! I’m very pleased with the recipe.
A says
I forgot to add the water and ruined the whole thing xD
Johanna says
Easy enough to make using the 12 yolks from yesterday’s scratch Angel Food cake. Said 55-60 min..took it out at 55 min but should have checked it at 50 min..wasnt as moist as I had hoped…abit dry…and my oven is calibtated…i did throw a handfull of blueberries in…used almond extract and 2 tbl lemon juice in water.. may try again..but maked alot of cake..night use a pund cake pN next time..thank you. J in Tucson
Manja Yirka says
I enjoyed making this. I had eggs to use up and making this was a good way to do it. Unfortunately, it turned out dry. I had baked it for 50 minutes, but perhaps should have cut it down. I know everyone’s oven is a little different and, though my oven is relatively new, I have never tested the temperature to see how accurate it is. Disappointed in the dryness. Any suggestions on how to improve this in the future? thanks
Jackie Murawski says
Any suggestions on how to turn this into a chocolate marble cake?
Paula says
Melt 3 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, let it cool slightly, then stir it into half of the cake batter.
Layer the chocolate mixture and the vanilla mixture alternately in your tube pan.
Marti Palmer says
Five stars are not enough for this cake, it is wonderful! Have passed it on to my friends. THANK YOU, we make a lot of Angel Food, so always have left over egg yolks. this uses them up in a delightful, tasty manner. I wish I could post the picture of my cake for you to see!
Paula says
So happy you liked it!!
JB says
This turned out well but the egg yolks flavor / smell is strong. Any suggestions on how to mask it further? I think increasing the essence might make it overpowering.
Paula says
Was it strong after it cooled?
Vannessa says
Hi! I decided to make the cake in 6 inch rounds as I always have leftover yolks from making macarons. Cake turned out pretty but it makes a “sponge” sound when touched. Is this normal or did I do something wrong?
Paula says
Sound perfect to me. That means it’s fluffy.
Jordanna says
I made this tonight and just realized after taking my 1st bite… I missed the step to add the 1 cup of water. Doh!
Helene says
Made this cake a few times
Used gluten free flour and it came out lovely
Although I put some of Isabellas add in
My whole family loves it
Thank you😋
Pizzannoo says
I came across this recipe and I’m excited to try it but does all the egg yolks have to be room temperature I had 9 room temperature and the other 3 weren’t.
Paula says
That should be fine.
Samantha says
Hi there! I’m looking to make this tomorrow after making an angel food cake. I’d like to flavor it with almond extract, can you tell me how? Thank you!!
Paula says
I’m sorry for the delayed response. I had so much going on yesterday I didn’t get to look at these. I would use the almond extract instead of the lemon extract. If you want, you can do 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon almond. Or, you can do 2 teaspoons almonds.
Camille says
I’m planning to make this recipe this weekend, and I’m noticing it uses no oil?
I just want to make sure!
Thanks.
Paula says
That’s correct. It’s more like a sponge cake than a pound cake.
Suzette says
How many mililitres is your cip measure? 250 ml?
Ashley Jarvis says
Can I make this in muffin tins?
Paula says
Yes, bake at 350 and start watching at 18 minutes for regular size cupcakes
Sam says
Could you use cake flour instead of all purpose flour?
Paula says
Yes
Anne Zaya says
Thank you for sharing as I always have 12 yolks left from my zucchini/carrot muffins.
Sal says
Can I add in choc chips or blueberry in this recipe?
Katherkne says
Good morning
I don’t have lemon extract but would like this cake lemon flavored. I have tons of lemons though. Can you tell me how I could do this? Thank you so much.
Monique says
Amazing cake. This is a keeper.
Helene says
How is it best to store this cake?
Thank you
Paula says
Personally, I prefer to store in the fridge, but this cake can be stored in an airtight container on the countertop.
Ruth says
This is the same recipe my mom used for sponge cake, always after making an angel food cake. Not what I’d call a pound cake.
Paula says
If you read the post, you’ll see my notation on that.
Kathy says
Found this easy, quick recipe after making an angel food cake, using 1 dozen fresh eggs from my parents’ chickens. I measured the egg yolks and didn’t have a full cup, so I added a whole egg and beat it with the yolks using the KitchenAid mixer. Perhaps I should have beat them longer, because it didn’t look like I thought it would, but I thought the additional whole egg could have changed how it turned out. I used almond flavoring, one of my favorites, and in combination with the lemon the result was one of the best cakes ever, according to my family! I baked it in a tube pan, the batter was beautiful, and it baked for exactly 1 hour.
Ali says
Does this cake freeze well?
Aanchal says
Hi, I don’t have a tube pan or bundt pan. I do have round 6*3 and 8*3 and a square 8*8*3 pans. I am also planning to half the recipe. which pan should I bake it in? and time and temperature will remain same or will they differ?
Paula says
The 8×8-inch will probably be best, refer to this post. I think it’ll help you. https://www.callmepmc.com/can-i-bake-a-pound-cake-in-a-9×13-inch-pan/
SV Teacher says
I made this recipe twice. The first time I beat the egg yokes until I thought they were fluffy, resulting in a heavy but tasty pound cake. The second time I beat them with my Kitchen Aid mixer on 10 for a long time until they started to resemble stiff beaten egg whites. This cake is marvelous! It is very light and looks just like the picture! What a wonderful recipe!
Judy Tetlow says
It may be my mistake, but I feel like something was “off” on the recipe. It looked like a huge lava flow all over my oven; even though with I smelled something burning put foil under the pan. Although it was delicious! I was surprised that there was no butter or oil and quite a bit of baking powder. It took longer to bake than specified, maybe an hour 15 minutes. If I try it again, I will likely cut back a little on the water or use two pans, the batter came to the top of the pan before I put it in the oven. OR maybe I beat the yolks too much?
Paula says
I’ve made it 100s of times by this recipe. I feel like your bundt pan is too small.
Amy says
My bundt pan is also too small, I filled it about 2/3rd full and stopped pouring. I’m going to resize the recipe, but it was so good, I will make it again.
Paula says
Or use the extra batter for cupcakes
Julie says
Can I freeze the pound cake ?
Paula says
Yes, wrap airtight. Pound cakes freeze beautifully.
LaShun says
My teenage daughter performed an unrelated baking experiment using egg whites. She asked me if I should save the yolks. I said yes, and stumbled across this recipe.
Since I only had six egg yolks, I cut the recipe in half. In an effort to reduce the carb/sugar content, I used coconut flour (1/3 cup) and Lakanto baking monkfruit sweetener (1 cup.) To my chagrin, I realized I didn’t have lemon or almond extract. So I used the banana extract that I had instead to go along with the Mexican vanilla extract I had.
I had enough batter for two ramekins. I baked them for 45 minutes, but I think it could’ve baked 5 – 10 minutes less. The end result was better than I expected! Moist & flavorful.
Paula says
Love your substitutions.
Deborah Potts says
Excellent recipe! One of the best pound cakes I have ever made. The crumb was moist and soft. Easy to cut and serve. I used orange extract instead of lemon and the cake had a wonderful flavor. This is a recipe I will use again. Thank you.
Dawn says
I haven’t really baked in years but being at home all the time now I decided to make my husband’s favorite cake Angel Food for his birthday. It didn’t look the best but tasted good. But now I had 12 yolks. Ran across this recipe and decided to give it a try. Found my Bundt pan (along with the Angel Food cake pan) way back in a high cupboard so I was set. Used rum extract. We tried both cakes side by side and loved them both. Highly recommend this cake. Not too sweet or heavy! I plan on freezing most of this cake to save for later
ThereseJ says
This is a cake from heaven recipe! I made the “6 Yolk” version. I was so happy it came out well. Yummm! It just works right. I’ve have a hit and miss history with recipes from the internet. This is nice, too, for it leaves room for different flavors, etc.👩🏻🍳. I made a Swiss meringue frosting.
Let’s all keep cooking together during this time of massive planet Earth change. Blessings to all who are working for us!
Tamzy says
Did you half the entire recipe? I want to do the same so thought i’ll inquire first, Making pavlova from 6 egg whites so want to use the leftover yolks wisely. Thanks
Vanessa says
Can this be used to make letters cakes??
Paula says
yes
Micki says
Wondering if you’ve tried sugar substitute baking blend trivia in this 12 yolk recipe. I made the angel cake recipe and need to use up the yolks. BTW- THE TASTE of the angel cake was delicious. Although, I encountered some sticking to the pan. Probably because I used a bundt pan.
Paula says
I’ve read good things about Truvia, but haven’t tried it myself.
Shawna says
Used up all my leftover egg yolks from all my egg-white omelets this week to make this cake to take to church…i used GF baking flour instead of regular wheat flour with excellent results! The texture is wonderful, beautiful color, and the slightly crispy airy “crust” is so yummy. It is sure to be a hit in the morning!
Kerri says
I made this last night but altered flavors to make a key lime pound cake,I added 1/2 cup sour cream for moisture, then made a soaking syrup by adding lime zest lime juice and 2 packets true lime flavoring. Added to basic simple syrup recipe along with 1 tablespoon of butter. And let me just say it’s just to die for, I hope you will at least try this . Also please add 2 teaspoons lime zest to cake mix as well as soaking syrip
Paula says
Sounds wonderful!!
lisa g. says
Hi. I can’t seem to find Swans Down yellow sponge cake that uses 12 egg yolks.
Can you use cake flour in place of all purpose flour in the same amounts as all purpose flour in your recipe?
Do you know of the Swans Down cake I’m mentioning here?
Paula says
Yes, you can get it here: https://amzn.to/2tYgwtx
To substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour for every cup of all-purpose flour. Make your own – one cup sifted cake flour (100 grams) can be substituted with 3/4 cup (85 grams) sifted bleached all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons (15 grams) cornstarch.
Denise says
Can you freeze this cake?
Paula says
Yes, to freeze: wrap the cake tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place in a heavy-duty freezer bag for up to 3 months
AR says
Can you put milk in this recipe instead of water
Paula says
yes
Angie says
Is there butter in this recipe
Paula says
no
Jami says
How much butter does this recipe call for? 4 sticks?
Paula says
no butter
Della Hall says
Can you use almond or coconut flour in place of the all purpose flour?
Paula says
I have never had good luck baking with coconut or almond flour.
Angelica Hawkins says
Hi there- 2 issues for me, please. First, I made the 12 yolk pound cake, looks awesome but the texture is not that of a pound cake. It’s moist but much more dense, almost like bread. Flavor is good also so, just the texture.
Also, where can I find d the nutritional values for any of your recipes?
Paula says
Yes, I did talk about the texture in the post. I will update the nutritional values.
Niamh O’Reilly says
Can I bake this in a loaf pan with the same results? Thanks 😊
Paula says
You will need to use two loaf pans
Sam says
Wow! This is the most awesome recipe. I did just what it said… all ingredients at room temperature and the ice water just until the ice was melted. Even the time in the oven was perfect! It came out just like the picture! Perfect texture, perfect crumb! Not too moist and not too dry. Amazing! What a great way to use extra egg yolks. I did add a few more egg yolks to make 1 cup of them. My grandson loves it!
Christine S says
What is the nutritional values of this? Fat, carbohydrates? Thank You.
Paula says
https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Rainning says
How do i substitute with lemon zest and juice?
Paula says
Omit the extracts and add the zest and juice of 1 lemon
Maricel says
Do I need the lemon extract or can it be subsitituted/omitted?
Paula says
It can be omitted or you can use another flavoring
Katherine Ransel says
Hi, Paula. I have about 9 million peaches on my tree. Can I add some mashed up fresh peaches to this recipe? If so, how much? Thanks!
Paula says
1 cup of mashed peaches
or this recipe https://www.callmepmc.com/two-step-fresh-peach-pound-cake-recipe/
Katherine Ransel says
Can I use a different kind of pan? I don’t have either of those you recommend. I have the kind that the sides come off. Would that work?
Katherine kransel@gmail.com
Paula says
Yes, you didn’t state the size. Don’t fill it more than 2/3 full.
Viola Pastuszyn says
Okay, just to be clear – no butter? No oil? All the fat is from the egg yolks?
Paula says
yes, that’s correct
Viola Pastuszyn says
Fascinating. I’m going to have to try this. I was looking for a recipe that used lots of egg yolks since I wanted to make a double batch of SMBC and this fits the bill perfectly. I’m going to sub fresh zest and lemon juice for the extract though. Maybe add a bit of True Lemon; love that stuff.
Milena says
How did it turn out with the fresh lemon? I just made it with just vanilla and now waiting for it to cool 🙂
Rayhanehsalehi says
How cold should the water be? Refrigerator Cold or room temp?
Paula says
refrigerator cold is what I used
Julie says
tasted good but dry. will reduce baking time to 40. May try sour cream instead of water
Kellie says
How much lemon extract would you add to give it the flavor you described?
Paula says
I would add 2 teaspoons lemon extract
Caroline says
Omg! I love this! I will have to reduce the sugar next time I make it but I can’t believe how fluffy it came out. It came out so soft it’s unbelievable!
sheila baradero says
hi i want to try your recipe but im cofuse by the measurement of baking powder is it 2tablespoon and 1/2teaspoon…or 2teaspoon and halfteaspoon of baking powder.
hope to hear from you thanks
Paula says
2.5 teaspoons
Danielle Skipp says
I substituted the flour for gluten free flour and used my duck eggs for the egg yolks. This is my new favorite pound cake! So fluffy and moist! I didn’t have either of the pans called for in the recipe so I used extra large cupcake tins and baked at 350 for 30 minutes, they were absolutely perfect. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe ❤️
Paula says
So happy you liked it
Andrea Kohut says
Could this be baked in regular cake pans, as a layer cake, instead of a tube or bundt pan?
Paula says
yes, the batter is slightly denser so the time will be a little longer. I always go by the times recommended on cake mix so start with those and watch closely.
Michelle Johnson says
I was so excited to see this, I like everyone have a lot of eggs and I have been making Macarons so lots of whites. I am going to try this for sure. I wonder and if you know that would be great. Do you think you could make it chocolate? Maybe add cacao powder replace some flour. Any thoughts
Paula says
I think that would work. My chocolate pound cake has 4 T cocoa. It’s not a strong chocolate flavor though. https://www.callmepmc.com/chocolate-pound-cake/
Renee says
I have made this several times using my own gluten free flour mix and a teaspoon of zanthum gum. Always a hit in our home.
Nancy Pryor says
Thank you! My birds are laying as well.. I used four goose + one duck egg to make the angel food and pound cake. I used 1 tsp of coconut flavouring plus 3/4 C toasted coconut. It is delicious! I shall be making this cake several times this summer!
Izzy says
Hi, what type of attachment do I need to use to beat the egg yolks? Whisk or paddle?
Thank you
Paula says
whisk
Josee Marchessault says
Hello, my hens are in a laying frenzy and I would love to make that cake. Can I use orange or grapefruit juice instead of water? Or would it affect the results?
Paula says
Yes, you can. It will just add more flavor
Josee Marchessault says
Thank you! Making it now, I have an Angel Food cake in the oven.
Wali says
You mention this cake as fluffy. Would it have enough structure to be a cake under fondant?
Paula says
I don’t think it would. It is similar to an Angel food cake texture.
Laurie Hartrey says
I noticed there is no fat in this cake and I thought it was odd. It wasn’t mistakenly left out was it?
Paula says
It wasn’t. It’s similar to an angel food cake except with yolks.
Jeanne says
A couple of suggestions and notes from a professional pastry chef:
The yolks are the fat in this recipe, so contrary to Laurie’s comment, there is a high percentage of fat in the recipe. That is why it’s especially important to let the separated egg yolks come to room temp for about half an hour before using. They won’t emulsify with the water in the recipe properly if added cold.
To accurately measure ingredients, get yourself a kitchen scale. A cup of AP flour should always weigh 4.25 oz or 120g. A large egg yolk weighs half an ounce, or 14g. Twelve yolks should weigh 6 oz.
Pam says
Thank you for clarifying 🙂
Carrie ito says
If I want to use almond extract, then I assume I leave out the lemon?
Paula says
Yes
Leslie D Lammers says
Can I make it in a loaf pan?
Paula says
yes
Adam says
Can I mix lemon zest and poppy seeds into the batter? I’m thinking 2 tsp zest to 1 tsp extract? 4 tbsp poppy seed?
Paula says
You can always give it a try, I haven’t tested it with those
Jessica says
Just made this recipe today and it turned out BEAUTIFULLY. Big and fluffy and golden, perfectly browned and sweet. My grandmother said she’s never gotten a pound cake to look so good– that’s high praise coming from a baker like her! Thank you so much for this recipe. ❤️
Lacey says
Made it! It was good! Didn’t have lemon extract so squeezed a lemon into batter.
Heather says
Can you make this in round tins for a layer cake? What size tins would you use?
Paula says
I haven’t tested it in a round cake pan. Typically a 8-inch round cake layer bakes in 25 to 29 minutes
Linda Baker says
What no oil or butter? What makes it buttery???
Melanie B. says
I would imagine because the yolks are pure fat, they take the place of oil or butter, which are also pure fat.
Phillip Peters says
This seems more of a sponge type cake. Would it lend itself to baking in a 1/2 sheet pan and made inti a jelly roll?
Paula says
It is very light. Richer than an angel food cake. It probably will make a great jelly roll, but I have not tested it.
Roger says
Used non-stick cooking spray in my non-stick bunt pan but the cake is stuck tight even after running a thin blade along the sides.
2Zippy says
Not sure what I did wrong, but thought I followed the recipe exactly. It overflowed the bundt pan quite a bit, making a mess of the oven. Anyone else have that problem? I used farm fresh eggs.
Amber says
I have made this recipe three times now (after I make an angel food cake) and it is delicious but it always comes out a little dryer than I would like. Can i substitute some water for sour cream or something else to make the resulting cake more moist?
Holly says
Help! I want to make this cake, but don’t have lemon extract. Choices on hand: lemon essential oils (can be consumed) or lemon zest.
Paula says
lemon zest
Ardnil says
Can this cake be frozen? If so, for how long? Also, how LONG should the yolks be beaten?
Paula says
It can be frozen. I don’t care for anything frozen for longer than 3 to 4 weeks. I didn’t time the eggs when I was beating them, I beat them until they were ‘fluffy’ and lighten to a pale yellow in color.
Wendi Nixon says
Made a gluten free coconut version with coconut flour, 1can of coconut milk instead of water and coconut extract. Baked in a loaf pan, sliced and served with homemade lemon curd and it was delicious! Thank you for the great recipe!
Alice says
That sounds delicious!
lynn kruhlik says
What a great recipe for 12 Yolks! Lemon extract was a perfect pairing for the golden cake! Served it lightly adding with my homemade Bluebarb sauce, perfection.
Thank you
AH says
Could this be cooked on a baking sheet and used to make a roll?
Paula says
Yes, it would be wonderful
Amy says
I made a gluten free Angel Food cake for my birthday and didn’t want to waste the yolks. Thank you for helping me prevent food waste. I substituted the flour for Better Batter (gf floud mix) and used all vanilla extract. I baked it in a loaf pan. Very delicious cake.
Nancy says
Thank You for sharing your Twelve Yoke Pound Cake. The Cake is so good. I was making a wedding cake for my grand daughter and I had 36 yokes to use. I didn’t want to not use them in some thing.
YB says
This cake doesnt need any oil or butter?
Paula says
No, it doesn’t
Kim says
I don’t have a bundt pan, do you think could I use an angel food pan or loaf pans instead?
Paula says
Yes, you can use either
Selma Cherry says
Can you bake this in cup cake tins?
Paula says
yes, you can
tammy says
can you use a loaf pan?
Paula says
Yes, but you will need 2, 5×9 inch loaf pans
Janna says
I’d like to make this, as I have 12 yolks leftover from an angel food cake recipe. But, I have some questions. What speed should the yolks be beaten at (low, medium low, medium, medium high, high)? And, when using a stand mixer, should I use the beater or whip attachment? Thank you!
Paula says
I used the whip attachment on med-low to beat the egg yolks
Wendy says
I have this in the oven right now! I only had 8 yolks so I added 2 eggs and used maple flavoring instead of lemon. I was surprised there was no butter or oil, but I assume the fat comes from the yolks. Thanks for the recipe, I’m sure we will enjoy it!
Becky says
The cake erupted from the Bundt pan while cooking. It looked like a volcano spewing from the center of the pan and falling into the oven and onto the heating element! I put a sheet pan on the rack below the cake it to catch the fallout and was able to salvage the cake. The oven on the other hand….I used cake flour (Softasilk). Would that have caused the “eruption”?
Paula says
Oh noooooo! Yes the flour makes a difference. Also if the bundt pan was too small. The 10 inch tube pan that I use is larger than most traditional bundt pans.
Adnil says
I made this cake and it is in the oven as we speak…actually erupting all over the pan I set underneath it! Thank you for your comment or I would not have thought to put that pan under it. I followed the directions EXACTLY and even used my largest bundt pan. I am an experienced 👩🍳 and brought my whipped yolks to very thick…as that would be the method for a cake like this.
Linda Baker says
Do you have to adjust the oven racks to the lowest position, like Angel Food cake?
Paula says
I did not
Phil says
The recipe was a great find to make alongside the 12 egg white angel food cake. I did not have lemon extract, so substituted orange extract. The cake has a wonderful hint of dreamsicle to it. It does have a crispy top, but on the whole it’s a very good cake.
Phil says
I found a recipe for cookies that calls for 8 cooked egg yolks a few years ago. I’ve made it a couple of times, and they are delicious and very rich. Lots of butter, though:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/184371/swedish-butter-cookies/
Paula says
Thank you, Phil, I will check out that cookie recipe
Kristen says
I made this today during a blizzard, because I had a dozen leftover egg yolks from another recipe that I didn’t want to waste. I only had a 9″ bundt pan, but it worked okay, and I pulled it out of the oven at 40 minutes, and any longer and it would’ve been too dry. But it is delicious!! My roommates and I love it! I used lemon juice from a lemon instead of lemon extract, and I used around 3 tsp of the lemon juice, and it was good. I also made a glaze with confectioner’s sugar and the juice of the rest of the lemon, as well as some vanilla and water, and drizzled it over the top of the cake after it was cooled. And I also made candied lemon peel as a garnish for the top (I’ve been watching Great British Baking Show a lot, and Mary Berry made it so I wanted to give it a try with the rest of the lemon!) and it is fancy and delicious! Love this cake!
Jessica says
The GBBS is the exact reason I’m looking for cake recipes as well! Those technical challenges have inspired me!
Sarah says
I’m so glad I found this recipe! I hate wasting egg yolks and this recipe was perfect! Will definitely be making this again. Also, when I make pound cake usually use a brick of cream cheese. Do you think that could be added to this?
a_of_rc says
Thanks so much for this recipe! My dear hubby has been eating all the egg whites and the yolks were adding up. This cake worked beautifully. I used two round cake pans since I don’t have a bundt pan, and had to adjust for higher elevations, but this is a wonderful recipe. I did get a thin crisp layer on top and I’m not sure if the cake was supposed to have it, or if it was the cause of my adjustment for high altitude baking, but it was a lovely texture that enhanced the rest of the cake. Great recipe!!
Arlee says
Had 12 yolks left over from making an angel food cake. Glad I found your recipe. I just made this cake and used Banana extract with the vanilla extract. It’s good, can’t wait to make it again and try it with a different flavor. Thanks!!
linda black says
My cake in the oven. I am concerned because my batter is thin. Is it supposed to be? I followed the recipe perfectly.
Paula says
It is thin
Janelle says
This looks delicious and would be perfect since I’ll have leftover egg yolks! I was wondering if fresh lemon juice and/or zest could replace the lemon extract, and if so, how much would be used? Thanks in advance!
Paula says
You can. I’d use 1 teaspoon of extract.
Gita Patel says
Can i use cooked egg yolks? I usually throw away the egg yolks from hard boiled eggs; i use spicy hummus for deviled eggs.
Paula says
No, the yolks cannot be cooked
Phil says
I found a recipe for cookies that calls for 8 cooked egg yolks a few years ago. I’ve made it a couple of times, and they are delicious and very rich. Lots of butter, though:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/184371/swedish-butter-cookies/
Ramona says
I’m wondering if you might have calorie and carb counts?
Paula says
I do not
Genevieve says
Hi there! How well does this crake freeze? Thanks!
Paula says
I actually froze this one for about 2 months. Thawed it in the fridge and it was like fresh when I served it.
Sarah Rasmussen says
Can you tell me how I would use a loaf pan instead of a bunt pan in this recipe? (How much batter in each pan-assuming more than one? And baking time/temp changes?) Looking forward to making this!! Thank you!
Paula says
Divide the batter evenly into 2 9x5x3 inch loaf pans. Fill half full, if there’s any batter left over you can bake cupcakes with it. Bake at the same temperature as the original recipe but start watching for doneness 20 to 25 minutes earlier. You’ll need to test for doneness with a toothpick in the center. The cake will be done when no crumbs or dry crumbs remain on the pick.
Ellen says
Could I fold in blueberries and bake in loaf pans?
Linda says
I HOPE that this is the recipe that I have been looking for for YEARS!! My Mom’s favorite cake was Angel Food, so that’s what HER Mom always made for her birthday. Those were the days before box mixes, so the Angel Food recipe left her with 12 egg yolks. As a result, there was always a pound cake as well as the Angel Food!! I will be trying this recipe soon! Thank you so much!!
Paula says
Same here! I hope you like it. The texture is somewhat different than a traditional pound cake, more like a chiffon cake, but I still enjoyed it.
Abby Mallam says
Hi, You said this cake have a sponge cake texture. Will I be able to make this into layer cake?
Paula says
I think it would work wonderfully, but I don’t think it will hold up to a heavy frosting
joanne | No Plate Like says
Look a like a nice dense pound cake. Just how I like it. Meal Plan Monday.
TLD says
Ingredients says baking powder. Instructions say baking soda. Which is it? Thank you.
Paula says
Thanks, it’s baking powder. I corrected it.
Kristin says
Hi, this might seem like a silly question but i noticed the recipe said buttery and i notice there is no butter in the ingredient list. Is it missing or does something else in the recipe make it buttery?
Thanks for the clarification.
Paula says
No, there’s no butter, but the richness of the eggs gives it a smooth ‘fatty’ mouth-feel. It seemed more simple to just say ‘buttery’ as a description
Cindy McLeod says
HAVE YOU EVER MADE IT WITH BUTTER? I THINK IT’S GOOD LIKE IT IS BUT NOT REALLY LIKE A CAKE-MORE LIKE A BREAD?
Paula says
I have not
Alisa Ewert says
Hi Alisa here,
I am Gym Trainer and I used to guide my Students about good diets and best nutrition. By the help of you and such blogs who put Amazing article today, I won the best trainer of the year.