Perfect Pound Cake
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If the little black dress is considered essential to a complete wardrobe, then this pound cake recipe is essential to any recipe collection! Similar to the LBD, this cake is simple, elegant, and can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion.
This cake is perfect in any Bundt pan or tube pan you have, but baking it in one of these detailed pans truly makes it stunning! This one is a Vintage Star by Nordic, I also have made this recipe with the Blossom Bundt, Bundtlette (mini Bundt) as well as the traditional Bundt pan. All of them yield perfect results every time!
These decorative pans make an impressive cake, but like the LBD, these pans can get expensive. I love to wander around the houseware section of thrift stores and discount stores and have been lucky to find several pans in my collection in mint condition at a fraction of the price of a new pan. If you like to bake, having one Bundt is a great investment. If maintained well, these pans will last forever!
This cake is perfect for every occasion. This cake can be beautiful all on its own or with a light dusting of powdered sugar. It is also easy to dress this one up by adding a glaze, or simply by surrounding it with seasonal berries.
Another easy way to customize this cake is to switch out the flavor profile by simply changing the extract. My boys love the classic vanilla or almond flavor, but I have also made this cake with different citrus flavors. Such as adding lemon extract and the zest of one lemon in with the wet ingredients.
Natale does not believe a cake is a dessert if it does not have some chocolate element. Adding a chocolate glaze is beautiful as it drips in and around the decorative top of the cake. Another option to add chocolate is to turn this cake into a marbled pound cake. Some recipes have you making two completely different batters, it is much easier to turn this recipe into a marble cake with a lot fewer dishes to wash.
Simply take a third of the vanilla batter and mix it with melted chocolate and cocoa powder — that's your chocolate batter! Layer half of the remaining vanilla into the pan, top with the chocolate, and then the other half of the vanilla. Use a butter knife to swirl the batters together going around the pan.
The last comparison I'll make to the LBD is how easy this is to pack! This cake is sturdy, it holds up beautifully in a cake box or any airtight cake container. The perfect pound cake makes a wonderful addition to a dessert table at a party or a thoughtful hostess gift!
The Perfect Pound Cake
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease and flour 12-cup bundt cake pan or tube pan. If you have a pan similar to mine with lots of detail, I recommend butter and flour over a cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter. Add the sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl before adding eggs.
- With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time. Mixing well in between each egg. Add vanilla or almond extract.
- Beat on high speed 5 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Make sure the butter and sugar are well incorporated. Make sure all the butter is incorporated. Chunks of butter in the batter will melt while baking and cause holes in the cake.
- Working in alternating batches, at low speed, add 1/2 of the dry ingredients and then 1/2 cup of the evaporated milk to the butter mixture. Mix well, then repeat, using the other 1/2 of the dry ingredients and the other 1/2 cup of the evaporated milk. Mix until just smooth.
- Spread in pan. I like to bang the pan on the countertop a few times to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool 20 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
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