Classic Butter Pound Cake (Printable)
Rich buttery vanilla cake with tender crumb, perfect served with berries and cream.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
04 - 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 2/3 cups (330 g) granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, at room temperature
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
08 - 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk, at room temperature
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale, light, and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract until evenly blended.
05 - With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined; avoid overmixing.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top evenly with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
08 - Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- This is the kind of cake that makes people close their eyes on the first bite and honestly it freezes beautifully so you can stash half for later.
- It uses everyday pantry staples and the batter comes together in under fifteen minutes with zero fancy techniques required.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter once the flour goes in will make the cake tough and dense in all the wrong ways.
- Opening the oven door before the forty five minute mark can cause the center to collapse and you will end up with a sunken loaf.
03 -
- Run your spatula through the middle of the batter in the pan to create a shallow trench and the cake will split naturally into a beautiful crack down the center.
- Weigh your flour with a kitchen scale if you have one because even a small excess turns this from tender to heavy.