Traditional Pound Cake (2024)

Pound cake gets its name from the weight of each of the ingredients needed to make the cake. Pound cake requires exactly one pound each of flour, sugar, butter, and eggs. The recipe for pound cake was included in the very first American cookbook, American Cookery, published in 1796. Despite these early American origins, it’s thought that pound cake migrated from Northern Europe. The French lay claim to the pound cake as well, though it’s called quatre-quarts or four quarters.

Pound Cake Variations

Vanilla Pound Cake: Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract to the batter with the eggs. Make a vanilla glaze by whisking together 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons water and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Pour over warm, baked cake.

Almond Pound Cake: Add in 2 teaspoons almond extract to the batter with the eggs. Make an almond glaze by whisking together 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons water and 1 teaspoon almond extract. Pour over warm, baked cake.

Sour Cream Pound Cake: Replace half of the butter with sour cream. 1 cup, or 8 ounces will equal 1/2 pound. Sour cream produces a more moist cake.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake: Replace half of the butter with cream cheese. One 8 ounce package will equal 1/2 pound.

Rum Pound Cake: Add 2 teaspoons rum extract to the batter with the eggs. Make a rum glaze by heating 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup dark rum, and 1/4 cup water over medium high heat. Bring to a simmer. Poke holes in baked cake and drizzle with rum glaze while warm.

Lemon Pound Cake: Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to the batter with the eggs or 1 teaspoons lemon extract. Make a glaze to put on after baking by whisking together 1/3 cup lemon juice with 1/3 cup sugar until dissolved. Drizzle over baked cake

Cornmeal Pound Cake: Replace half of the all-purpose flour with finely ground cornmeal.

Feel free to try any of the above variations to Traditional Pound Cake, or their glazes. Each of them is delicious and allows you to experiment with this classic cake and suite it to your own personal taste preferences.

Traditional Pound Cake (2024)

FAQs

What makes a pound cake different from a regular cake? ›

The differences include: Ingredients: Pound cake has more fat than regular cake, and has four ingredients: butter, eggs, flour, and sugar. Regular cake has the same four ingredients plus more ingredients. Regular cake also has baking powder, baking soda, and buttermilk or milk.

Why do they call it a pound cake? ›

The original recipe was essentially a cake that was made from a pound of flour, a pound of sugar, a pound of butter, and a pound of eggs. This is actually where the pound cake received it's name. Each ingredient added to the cake weighed one pound.

What is the difference between pound cake and angel food cake? ›

The texture of Pound Cake and Angel Food Cake are almost completely opposite. Pound Cake is a dense cake with a moist texture while Angel Food Cakes have fluffy and airy foam interiors. The texture of Pound Cake is rich and solid, which makes it perfect for topping with icing or a dollop of whipped cream.

Is pound cake American or British? ›

History. It is believed that the pound cake is of English origin and dates back to the early 18th century.

Is it better to use cake flour or all purpose flour for a pound cake? ›

2. Cake flour – This flour works considerably better for pound cake than using plain/all-purpose flour (see in post for comparison). It rises better, and has a more tender crumb. Measuring cake flour: If using cups, sift flour into a large bowl first, then scoop out a cup of flour.

Are bundt cakes and pound cakes the same? ›

What Is The Difference Between A Bundt Cake And A Pound Cake? The differences between a Bundt cake and a pound cake are the amount of each ingredient and the shape of each cake. Pound cake is named for the traditional amount of each ingredient.

Why does pound cake crack on top? ›

Pound cakes, in particular, are dense batters. In the oven, the outside begins to cook much faster than the inside; the crack is from the inner batter rising and releasing steam through the semi-cooked outer batter.

What is the difference between a butter cake and a pound cake? ›

Are butter cake and pound cake the same? While both cakes are known for being deliciously buttery and rich with a fine, moist crumb, there is a difference between the two. Butter cakes (also referred to as creamed cakes) have a lighter texture and greater volume than pound cakes.

Why is pound cake so thick? ›

It's believed that pound cake originated from Northern Europe in the early 1700s and consisted of a pound of butter, sugar, flour, and eggs. There was no leaving, liquid, or extract in the original pound cake recipe. Resulting in a heavy, dense cake that was sweet and somewhat dry in texture.

Is shortcake the same as pound cake? ›

A shortcake biscuit, which is a lightly sweetened biscuit, is classic with strawberries and cream. But if you want a quick and informal take on the classic then pound cake is the way to go. It has the perfect soft and velvety texture to melt in your mouth along with the tender strawberries and billowing whipped cream.

What cake is similar to pound cake? ›

A pound cake is usually baked in a loaf or Bundt pan. It's served plain or topped with a simple powdered sugar icing, chocolate ganache, or dusting of powdered sugar. Many coffee cakes, sour cream cakes, Bundt cakes, and crumb cakes are variations of pound cake.

Is Victoria sponge the same as pound cake? ›

The typical Victoria Sponge mixture outside the UK is known as a 'pound cake'. Pound cake gets its name from its quantity measurements, i.e. one pound of eggs, butter, sugar, and flour - the ultimate 'no recipe' recipe! Most modern recipes also include baking powder as an ingredient to add lightness to the batter.

Is Madeira cake and pound cake the same? ›

Pound Cake, or Madeira cake as we call it here, is a buttery vanilla cake commonly made in loaf form. Historically, pound cake was made with a pound of each of the four ingredients; flour, butter, eggs and sugar. It's a great all-rounder cake, perfect for afternoon tea, picnics or packed lunches.

How do Brits say cake? ›

1 syllable: "KAYK"

What is the national cake of England? ›

England – Victoria sponge cake

A Victoria sponge cake is the quintessential example of English cuisine, simple, homely, and comforting. A traditional Victoria sponge consists of layers of buttery sponge cake, raspberry jam, and whipped buttercream.

Why is pound cake more dense? ›

It's believed that pound cake originated from Northern Europe in the early 1700s and consisted of a pound of butter, sugar, flour, and eggs. There was no leaving, liquid, or extract in the original pound cake recipe. Resulting in a heavy, dense cake that was sweet and somewhat dry in texture.

Is a pound cake the same as a loaf cake? ›

What's the difference between pound cake and loaf cake? A loaf cake is simply any cake that's baked in a loaf pan, including pound cake. Pound cakes got their name because they were made with a pound each of flour sugar, butter, and eggs.

Can you use a different pan for pound cake? ›

If you put pound cake into a regular round cake pan, it will not cook in the center or it will burn on the edges. The hole in the middle of a fluted pan allows air and heat to rise through the center of the cake, and to cook evenly.

References

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