Classic Southern Pound Cake is perfectly moist and buttery with just the right amount of sweetness. The texture is wonderfully tender and it has a thick layer of crackly crust on top. It’s probably my favorite pound cake.
I’ve tried oodles of pound cake recipes over the years and nothing beats this pound cake in my opinion. The simple flavor of a classic pound cake is hard to beat. A combination of butter, cream cheese, and superfine sugar gives this cake a wonderful texture.
I think the superfine sugar is one of the keys to the great texture of tis pound cake. If you don’t have any, it is worth buying. It’s also handy to have on hand for making cocktails since it dissolves so easily.
A fabulous crispy crust develops on top. It’s my favorite part of a pound cake.
Tips for making Classic Southern Pound Cake:
- There is no leavener in this cake so it is very important to beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugar for at least 5 to 7 minutes. This is going to whip lots of air in which will help the cake rise and give it a lighter texture.
- For best results, you want the butter, cream cheese, and eggs at room temperature. The butter and cream cheese will incorporate much more air when at room temperature and the eggs will blend into the batter much more easily.
- To prevent a dry cake, be sure to measure the flour corrrectly. Fluff the flour up some in the bag and then scoop it with a spoon into a measuring cup. Level it with the back of a knife.
- This pound cake freezes really well. You can either freeze the whole cake or freeze individual slices.
This is one of those southern pound cakes that’s perfect for snacking or even breakfast. It’s sweet, but not too sweet. Serve with whipped cream and strawberries for a wonderful southern dessert.
More Pound Cake Recipes You Will Love
- Amaretto Pound Cake
- Georgia Peach Pound Cake
- Condensed Milk Pound Cake
- Fanta Pound Cake
- Five Flavor Pound Cake
Watch the short video below to see how easy this recipe is to make.
Classic Southern Pound Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups superfine sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup half-and-half
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees and spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with baking spray.
- Using an electric stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat sugar, butter, and cream cheese at medium-high speed until very fluffy and pale, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Beat in eggs one at a time on low speed, just until the yellow disappears. Scrape down the sides of the bowl several times.
- Add egg yolks, half-and-half, and vanilla extract and beat on low just until mixed in.
- Whisk together flour and salt in a medium bowl and mix it into the batter in 3 additions with the mixer on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
- Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes in pan and then remove cake from the pan to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
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Recipe source: Southern Living
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
I cannot find super fine sigar, can regular sugar be used?
I do and works fine, got in a hurry once and used a full 8 oz cream cheese, turned out fine! I always get requests for this cake when we have dinners!
Almost all pound cakes call for about 3 cups of sugar. I’ve made a sour cream one for over 30 years and it has 3 cups of sugar and it is not overly sweet at all. It is my most requested dessert.
Don’t be afraid to try it, you will be pleasantly surprised!
You can make your own! No need to spend all that extra money. Just use a food processor and it will break down. Stella Parks explains this well.
I’m not sure if this is a 1 rating or a 5. I followed the recipe to a “T”. I didn’t hv superfine sugar and neither did my grocery store, so I made my own in my Vitamix. The recipe calls for baking for 1 hr 20-30 min. I set my timer for 1 hr and 10 min. I was super busy getting ready for my husbands birthday party, so I never checked it till my timer went off. He loves pound cake. I went and checked on it and it was burnt bad, the whole outside was dark brown and crunchy about 1/4” in. I took it out and put it immediately into the freezer, hoping it wouldn’t cook any more. I used a Pampered Chef bunt pan that I’ve had for years and it works perfectly. This cake was probably ready at 50 min. I was pretty embarrassed as I didn’t have time to make another. Lessen learned.
So why put a bad review of you messed up the recipe XD
Hi Suzie…An incorrectly calibrated oven can at some point become too hot or too cold. Second: Especially with first time recipe, I would keep an eye on it next time you make it. Third: if your pan is dark and heavy it could be the culprit. Any one or combo of these could have ruined your cake. Try again..I for one will make this based on overall reviews and will report beck later!
Sad to hear that your cake didn’t come out right. One of the most important things a baker must know is the temperment of their oven. It won’t be the same as the writer of the recipe. It may or may not have cool spots. Heck gotta know if your oven is convection or not. Sounds like your oven is fantastic and dradtically cuts down bake times yet still needs to be monitored. Try the recipe again and adjust for your oven and analyse the outcome.
Can I make this cake with Bobs Red Mill gluten free flour?
My grandson wants a chocolate cake like this. How would I adapt the recipe without compromising it?
Making it for the 3rd time today! 1st and last pound cake recipe I will use. Gone in 2 days!
Great cake, can I use small loaf pans to bake it in, so that I can give as gifts??
Made this cake yesterday and it turned out almost perfectly. I got the desired crunchy crust and the sweetly moist cake. I had to cook an additional 20 minutes. Do not place cake pan on a cookie sheet. Flavorful cake. Can’t wait to make it again.
Hello. I have made this recipe several times. Its wonderful. Thank you so much. All of my family and extended family enjoys it and begs me to make it all the time. At the moment I’m using a cheap hand electric mixer and really need to invest in an electric mixer that does it for me. However, I’m struggling with the size I should get. Could you point me in the right direction of the size mixing bowl I woukd need to purchase to hold the batter for this recipe? If so, I’d greatly appreciate it. Thank you again.
This cake is BURSTING with flavor. Have already made it twice.
This pound cake don’t make no sense!! I just made it & it’s insanely delicious. Thank you <3
Can this be made in a 6 cup Nordic ware loaf pan? Should the recipe be divided in half?
I made it in a 12 cup Nordicware bundt pan.
How can I adjust making this old fashioned crunchy top pound cake .. to bake it in a Tube Pan? The picture of tour pound cake looks like a Tube pan was used. Thank you
How can I adjust making this old fashioned crunchy top pound cake .. to bake it in a Tube Pan? Thank you
Made this cake today and it is amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Ohhh yes you can! Made this for Christmas dessert and followed directions to a tee….and perfection!!
I made this cake today and i was wondering can you do different flavors with this recipe? It was delicious by the way!
Yes! I used almond. Delicious!
I’m
Excited!! I have my cake in the oven but just realized I forgot the half and half 😩😩😩😩 will it still turn out ok
Has anyone tried this in two cake pans? There is a cake shop in Charlotte, NC that uses pound cake to make their famous tiered cakes and I’d like to give it a try, topping with a buttercream frosting.
This is hands down the best pound cake ever. My kids didn’t want a traditional birthday cake this year. They ONLY wanted this pound cake. I made it a few months ago and it came out perfect. I think the key is the superfine sugar. I have a coffee bean grinder and I cleaned it out and used it for the sugar. Absolutely delicious!
Did anyone else have a problem with it not being done after 90 min? Confirming 300 degree oven. My was still quite raw and yes, my oven temp is correct.
I make a different pound cake with similar recipe. I cook on 300 degrees for 2-2 1/2 hours. Never ready in 90 minutes. The longer you cook on low temperature the better. I used to start on 250 degrees and increase to 300 degrees after one half hour
If your cake is not baking fully it can be due to over mixing which can cause the cake batter not to rise correctly. The gluten is being over-processed. Make sure that you are using the correct mixer speed, do not over mix. Over mixing will make your cake heavy and dense, The cake won’t bake all the way through.
What mixer speed do you use?
I can’t achieve the crunch top and this is my second time trying what Am I doing wrong 😩😩 any help
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Make sure that you are allowing the sugar, butter , and creeam cheese to whip for 5 to 7 minutes on medium-high. It may look like it’s not going to fluff up but it will. Reduce speed to medium.-low
Your ingredients do need to be at room temperature as well. Sift the flour either into the cups and level OR sift the flour and spoon into the cups and level. DO NOT PACK THE FLOUR into the cups. The pan needs to be in the middle of the oven, make sure the rack is in the middle of the oven as well.
DO NOT OVER BEAT THE BATTER.
Can i reduce the sugar by half
If you want it to be 1/3 as good. Better to find a bread recipe.
I reduced by half in that not every body is sugar obsessed. Turned out great- more like a European type of cake.
From WONG to WONG. You can, but you don’t want to take the balance. So try a sugar substitute.