Aunt Sue’s Famous Pound Cake Recipe

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Introducing Southern Plate’s easy pound cake recipe made famous by my Aunt Sue! This simple yet delectable vanilla pound cake will delight all with its moist and sweet perfection.

Fork breaking off piece of pound cake.

So let’s talk about Aunt Sue’s Famous Pound Cake Recipe! Let me emphasize just how straightforward this pound cake recipe is. With only six ingredients, chances are you already have most of them in your kitchen: eggs, butter, sugar, all-purpose flour, whipping cream, and vanilla extract. The preparation takes roughly 20 minutes, then it’s a matter of letting the oven do the work. The addition of whipping cream guarantees that every slice of this pound cake is wonderfully moist and tender. 

While traditional pound cakes were typically baked in loaf pans, don’t fret if you don’t have a tube pan. I prefer using a bundt cake pan, and rest assured, it turns out just as scrumptious. You’ll even get that delightful crunchy crust on the bottom!

Some of my other favorite cake recipes are Easy Birthday Cake Recipe From Scratch, Coca-Cola Cake, and Chocolate Velvet Cake With Cream Cheese Icing

 

Aunt Sue’s Famous Pound Cake Recipe

Labeled ingredients for easy pound cake recipe.

What You Need To Make Aunt Sue’s Famous Pound Cake

  • Eggs
  • Unsalted butter
  • Sugar
  • All-purpose flour
  • Whipping cream
  • Vanilla extract

Helpful Kitchen Tools

Grease bundt pan with cooking spray.

Grease and flour a tube or bundt pan and set out the eggs and butter to allow them to come to room temperature. 

Cream butter and sugar in large bowl.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until smooth.

Add eggs to mixing bowl one at a time.

Add the eggs, one egg at a time, beating for one minute after each addition.

Sift flour into bowl.

Sift the flour and add it to the creamed mixture alternately with the whipping cream.

Alternate between whipping cream and flour.

Mix until fully incorporated.

Stir in the vanilla extract.

Stir in the vanilla extract.

Pour into bundt pan and bake.

Pour vanilla cake batter into the prepared pan and place in a cold oven. Turn the oven to 300 and bake for 80 to 90 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Bundt pound cake.

Cool completely before removing from pan and turning the bundt cake out onto a wire rack.

Pouring custard sauce over slice of pound cake.

Serve your butter pound cake with Mama’s custard sauce and some fresh berries.

2 slices of pound cake with custard sauce.

Enjoy the best pound cake recipe ever!

How To Store Pound Cake

Store your pound cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also freeze the entire cake or individual slices for up to 3 months. I recommend double wrapping in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil.

Can I Change Up This Recipe?

Yes! There are many ways to customize this pound cake. You can add fruits, nuts, or flavorings like lemon or almond extract for different variations. Here are some ideas:

    • Top your pound cake with a simple vanilla glaze. You’ll need 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a few tablespoons of milk. Mix together until it has a school glue-like consistency and sticks to the back of the spoon and then pour over the cooled cake.
    • Swap the vanilla for lemon extract and lemon zest and top your pound cake with a lemon glaze. Use the glaze recipe above and swap the vanilla for lemon juice.
    • Swap for almond extract and top your cake with a vanilla glaze, decorated with slivered almonds.
    • Opt for peppermint extract and top your cake with a vanilla glaze, decorated with crushed peppermint candy cane pieces for a festive holiday dessert.
    • For extra flavor and texture, add up to a cup of shredded coconut, mini chocolate chips, fresh berries, chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts are my picks), or dried fruit.
    • Instead of a glaze, spread some creamy chocolate frosting on your sweet vanilla pound cake.
    • Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Recipe FAQs

Why is it called a pound cake?

Traditionally, a classic pound cake was made with a pound of each of the four main ingredients in this recipe: butter, eggs, sugar, and flour. 

Why is whipping cream used in this recipe?

Whipping cream is used to add moisture and richness to the pound cake. This contributes to its tender texture and delicious taste.

What’s the best way to serve this pound cake?

This pound cake is often served in thick slices, and for an extra treat, it’s accompanied by Mama’s custard sauce, making it even more delightful.

Here are more fantastic cake recipes:

Cheesecake Toppings & An Easy Cheesecake Recipe

Ole Fashioned Southern Sugar Plum Cake

Old Fashioned Hummingbird Cake Recipe

Peach Dump Cake Recipe (3 Ingredients Only)

Pumpkin Praline Cake With Cream Cheese Icing

Vegan Sweet Potato Cake With Maple Cashew Icing

Slice of pound cake with custard sauce.

Aunt Sue's Famous Pound Cake Recipe

Made famous by my Aunt Sue, here's an easy pound cake recipe that's guaranteed to deliver a deliciously moist and sweet vanilla sponge cake.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cake, pound
Servings: 4
Calories: 465kcal

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup butter 2 sticks
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whipping cream also known as heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Grease and flour a tube or bundt pan and set out the eggs and butter to allow them to come to room temperature.
    6 eggs, 1 cup butter
  • In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one egg at a time, beating for one minute after each addition. Sift the flour and add it to the creamed mixture alternately with the whipping cream. Mix until fully incorporated.
    6 eggs, 1 cup butter, 3 cups sugar, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup whipping cream
  • Stir in the vanilla.
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pour the vanilla cake batter into the prepared pan and place in a cold oven. Turn the oven to 300 and bake for 80 to 90 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before removing from pan.

Notes

Note: I make this recipe, every time, exactly as written using the ingredients exactly as written. I don't recommend any substitutions or additions.

Nutrition

Calories: 465kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

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~Shel Silverstein. Submitted by Jenny. Click here to read more or submit your own.

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548 Comments

    1. This is a real, authentic, old fashioned pound cake recipe like they used to make. I talk about how it works in the post and the cake you see in the photos was made using this exact recipe. I believe in you 😉

    2. I thought the same thing. Going to a choir retreat tomorrow and can’t afford for this to “flop”, no time to make another one. I added 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt to this recipe. It’s cooking now. We’ll see.

  1. I am so pleased to run across this recipe! My English great-mother, after whom I am named, passed down an identical recipe. It has been my go-to cake for 30 years (since I started cooking in high school). It was definitely the first recipe I knew by heart.

    I often make the cake adding the finely-shredded zest of one lemon as well as its juice. The lemon flavor is light and tastes so fresh. At other times, I add a bit of almond extract instead.

    Fairly regularly I halve the recipe and bake it in a half-size bundt pan. Just as you suggest above, I start checking at 60 minutes, although often it takes a bit more time.

    Finally, this cake freezes wonderfully. Just wrap it well before you stick it in the freezer. When you’re ready to serve, take it out and leave it on the counter for an hour or so.

    1. Hannah,

      Your March 2015 post was everything I was looking for! Using whipping cream in this recipe sounds like a great upgrade on the delicious but milk based pound cakes I’ve been baking since my childhood! However, I’d been searching and searching for a great lemon pound cake and was just praying that I could add lemon to this recipe. Was also wondering about timing in a loaf pan AND if I could bake it ahead and freeze it! I was sold on the recipe, but you answered my three big questions in one post! Thanks!!

  2. I have made this pound cake loved it when mAking it in loaf pans do u still bake it for 90 min. And how many loafs will it make.

    1. Hi Viola, so glad you liked the pound cake!! I am guessing here but it will make about 2 loaves, depending on the size of your loaf pans. For the time, you are going to have to guess on that one. I would say around 60 minutes or so but I haven’t rtied making it in loaf pans so I can’t say for certain.

  3. I used this recipe to make my first pound cake ever. I received so many compliments on it. It really made me look like a professional- thanks!

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