Moist Butter Pound Cake – Classic Vanilla Bundt Cake
This absolute classic vanilla bundt cake is based on my moist butter pound cake recipe. Soft, buttery and moist that’s perfect on its own or dusted with powdered sugar. You can bake it in a bundt pan, or a loaf pan would also work. For a bit of extra, try serving it with a vanilla glaze, fresh fruits or whipped cream. It’s a simple and easy recipe that takes 10 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to bake.
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The pound cake has often received a bad rep with people calling it a bread, not a cake. That is why it’s usually given a different name like butter pound cake, vanilla bundt cake, and vanilla loaf cake. The truth is if baked well, the pound cake is the most delicious cake you will make. And the possibilities with this cake are endless. Since you can customize it when baking or after it’s baked.
If you ever make a trifle the pound cake is the best candidate. It can absorb lots of flavors and still keep its shape. I love using a pound cake for cake pops too. They never break and they are always moist.
Have you ever wondered why it’s called a pound cake?
Back in the old days, in the 18th century, these cakes were made by the pound. It was a simple formula: 1 pound butter, 1 pound sugar, 1 pound flour, and 1 pound eggs. And the resulting cake was a four-pound cake. In addition, a classic pound cake often didn’t use any leavening agent, like baking powder or baking soda. That is why a pound cake is denser than most other sponge or butter cakes.
While a pound cake looks like a straightforward recipe, you must bake it correctly, or it can become dry, especially when overbaked. And because it’s a dense cake with a lot of flour, it tends to dry out very quickly.
I grew up with a pound cake as my basic recipe for cake baking. I learned that from my mom. She’d measure everything by the kg and then make changes to that recipe from there. Now that I look back at how she trained me, it all makes sense. She’d always say – when in doubt go back to the basic formula. Also, she once told me – if you want to be a great baker you got to master the pound cake.
Pound Cake Lessons and Tips
Having baked many cakes over the years, including many variations of a pound cake, I have had my share of successes and failures. As a result, I also learned a lot of valuable lessons. Here are a few that I think you may find helpful.
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What is the different between a sponge cake and a pound cake?
They both have similar ingredients with different results. Unlike a pound cake, a sponge cake usually has some liquid added to it. And often you will whip the egg until light and fluffy to incorporate more air into the batter. While a pound cake is denser in texture.
Is a pound cake the same as an angel food cake?
No, a pound is denser while the angel food which is light and airy. Also, an angel food cake has more eggs and less flour. And the eggs are whipped to stiff peaks to add air and lightness. In contrast, the pound cake uses more flour and fewer eggs. So, as a result, the final texture is not as light and airy.
What kind of flour is used in a pound cake?
I use all-purpose flour. And yet, you can also use cake flour. Cake flour is manufactured for cakes and has a finer texture than all-purpose flour. Also, the protein content in cake flour is higher than AP flour.
Can I use unsalted butter in a pound cake?
Using unsalted butter means you can control the amount of salt in the recipe. Having said that, you can use unsalted butter in most cakes and omit the salt in the recipe.
Does a pound cake have a longer shelf life? How long does a pound cake keep? Do I need to refrigerate a pound cake?
Often people think a pound cake can be kept for longer. True, it does have a longer shelf life than most other cakes. And yet, even a pound cake will stay at room temperature for only 2 to 3 days. You can keep it longer if you wrap well in plastic and keep it in the fridge.
What do you serve a pound cake with?
A Pound cake can be eaten on its own, especially when it’s fresh. It tastes absolutely delicious warm fresh out of the oven. But there is so much more you can serve it with. Try whipped cream and fresh fruits – an absolute classic are strawberries and cream. In addition, you can try fruit coulis or fruit fillings. My favorite is blueberry filling and cherry filling. Also, If you love curds then lemon curd or orange curd are an absolute luxury.
Let’s talk ingredients and Substitutes (Save/Pin)
- Butter – I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can control the quantity of salt in my recipe. And yet, if salted butter is all you have, go ahead and use it. Just omit salt in the recipe.
- White sugar – White sugar contributes to a nice soft tender crumb and gives a nice color. You can add brown sugar it will contribute to taste and color differently.
- Eggs – Always use large size eggs when baking unless specified. The size of the eggs varies these days significantly. So as a guide one large egg weighs between 50 to 60 grams.
- Vanilla – A good quality vanilla will make a huge difference in anything you make. Premium vanilla can be expensive, which is why I make my homemade vanilla extract, bean paste or sugar.
- All-purpose flour – Yes, regular plain flour (maida) is all you need for this cake. And, since self-raising flours contain leavening they must be used with caution.
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Useful Tips and Tools
- If you bake often, it would be a good idea to invest in a cake mixer. Because often we try to mix by hand and then we are too tired to give it enough creaming or mixing. So, if you are making a cake go ahead and remove that K-Mix or Kitchen Aid from your kitchen cabinet. And, you don’t need an expensive stand mixer, a simple hand mixer also works great.
- Personally, I believe in measuring ingredients by weight, which makes my kitchen scale one of the most valuable items when baking.
- The same goes for my measuring cups and measuring spoons. It’s always a good idea to have these handy and use them when baking rather than trying to guess measurements.
- I think one set of baking pans is a must for anyone a home baker. Personally, I like to bake my coffee cakes in Bundt Pans or Loaf pans. So I have a couple of bundt pans I wouldn’t part with. Therefore, having at least one good quality all-purpose bundt pan on hand is a great start. Same with a loaf pan that can be used to make bread or cakes.
- Once baked always invert your cakes on a cooling rack. This encourages air circulation and prevents the steam from pooling at the bottom of the pan.
- Every oven works differently. So the baking times are just guidelines. In the case of cakes, a skewer inserted in the center is a great indication. If the cake bakes too quick or too slow compared to the time given it might be a good idea to check if your oven needs calibration. An oven thermometer is a great little gadget to help keep the oven temperature in check. All you need to do then is adjust the temperature accordingly
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Recipe – Moist Butter Pound Cake – Classic Vanilla Bundt Cake (Save/Pin)
Ingredients
- 228 grams Unsalted butter (1 cup or 2 stick)
- 200 grams White sugar (1 cup)
- 190 grams All-purpose flour (1 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Method
- Preheat oven to 170 C / 340 F.
- Butter and flour a 6 cup Bundt Pan.
- Combine baking powder, salt, and flour – mix or sift.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time.
- Followed by flour and vanilla.
- Pour into prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 40 to 45 mins until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Invert onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.
Storage
- This cake will stay at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Wrap well and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Can be frozen well wrapped for up to a month.
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Classic Vanilla Bundt Cake aka Butter Pound Cake
Print Pin RateDescription
Ingredients
- 228 grams Unsalted butter
- 200 grams White sugar
- 190 grams All-purpose flour
- 3 Large eggs
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Conversions - Switch between Metric & US for other measurement options
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170 C / 340 F.
- Butter and flour a 6-cup Bundt Pan.
- Combine baking powder, salt, and flour - mix or sift.
- Cream Butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time.
- Followed by flour and vanilla.
- Pour into prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 40 to 45 mins until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Invert onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.
Storage
- This cake will stay at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Wrap well and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Can be frozen well wrapped for up to a month.
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Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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Beth
This bundt cake looks perfect on it’s own but I love a cake that can be so versatile too – so many delicious toppings to be added to this tasty cake!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Beth. Absolutely, Beth. This is a very versatile cake.
Ginny
Love that you turned this pound cake into a bundt cake. It looks so pretty. I love pound cake and how dense it is. Thanks for all of the great information.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Ginny.
Jori
I bet this’ll make my trifles so much better! I normally use store-bought pound cake to save time but I can do that just as much by making a large batch and freezing! thanks for the storage tips.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Jori.
Natalie
I love vanilla cake! This one looks so rich and moist – perfect for hosting ♥
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Natalie.
Tara
Such a beautiful cake! The texture looks perfect and I love that dusting of powdered sugar over the top.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Tara.
Marc
Pound cake is one of my favorites, and yours looks delicious! I love all your serving suggestions.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Marc.