Aunt Sue’s Easy 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 pound cake.
I’ve lost count of how many folks have asked for this easy pound cake recipe after I posted a photo of it with Mama’s custard sauce last week. Made famous by my dear Aunt Sue, this one appeared in my first cookbook and is truly the best pound cake recipe I have ever tasted. It is an absolute must-have at our family Thanksgiving and Christmas and we serve it in thick slices with Mama’s custard sauce poured over it – sublime!
Now, when I say this is an easy pound cake recipe, I mean it. All you need are six ingredients and I bet you have most of them in your kitchen right now: eggs, butter, sugar, all-purpose flour, whipping cream, and vanilla extract. It takes about 20 minutes to prep this recipe and then you just need to pop it in the oven. The addition of whipping cream in this pound cake recipe ensures every slice is deliciously moist and tender.
Traditionally, old-fashioned pound cakes were baked in a loaf pan. However, if you don’t have a tube pan, no worries! I make mine in a bundt cake pan instead, anyway. It will turn out just as delicious but you will have the delicious crunchy crust on the bottom instead of the top.
Now, let’s get baking Aunt Sue’s famous pound cake and do her proud! Keep scrolling for lots of fun recipe variations too, so you can make this butter pound cake recipe your own.
Recipe Ingredients
- Eggs
- Unsalted butter
- Sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Whipping cream
- Vanilla extract
Grease and flour a tube or bundt pan and set out the eggs and butter to allow them to come to room temperature.
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.
Stir in the vanilla extract.
Pour 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 and turning the bundt cake out onto a wire rack.
Serve your butter pound cake with Mama’s custard sauce and some fresh berries.
Enjoy the best pound cake recipe ever!
Storage
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.
Recipe Notes
- Here are some fun recipe variations:
- 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 pound cake.
- Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- You can also use this recipe to make muffins instead. Follow the same instructions but pour the ingredients into a muffin tin and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. This post uses this exact recipe to make mini bundt cakes instead as well.
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.
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
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
Nutrition
“How many slams in an old screen door? Depends on how loud you shut it. How many slices are in bread? Depends on how thin you cut it. How much good inside a day? Depends on how good you live ‘em. How much love is inside a friend? Depends on how much you give ‘em.”
~Shel Silverstein. Submitted by Jenny. Click here to read more or submit your own.
A great recipe for a delicious cake with great texture. It makes a hit anytime I bake one. This is now my husband’s favorite cake!
Spot on with this being one of the best homemade pound cakes I’ve ever tasted. Didn’t have a bundt pan, butnot one complaint. Can’t wait to show off at the n extra church dinner
I am so glad you liked it Marron!!!
Question….is the 3 cup flour measured BEFORE sifting…or measured AFTER sifting
After sifting. Spoon flour into measuring cup then level across with a knife.
can you substitute all purpose flour for self rising and omit the baking powder? will you still get the crunchy crust on top?
This is one of those rare recipes where I really recommend making it exactly as written. It’s an old fashioned pound cake and everything works together perfectly. I would never make it any other way so I can’t tell you what would happen but I hope you get to try the original if you do make changes so you know what to expect :).
I notice no salt or baking powder….is that correct?
Christine you are so right this is the old fashioned real deal I’ve made at least twenty of these now for friends and family birthdays and holidays and I am so thankful that you gave out this recipe… I never change a thing the one question that is always ask is do you sift the flour after you measure out the three cups or do you measure out the three cups after you sift the flour? I measure it first and use it all. Hope that’s right!
There is.no baking powder?
Nope. The only ingredients are the ones listed in the recipe. I explain why in the post :).
Do you have to whip the cream or just pour into batter from the carton?
Just pour it in 🙂
Yes!!! It worked perfectly for me!
Do u sift flour after u measure, 3 cups? Wish I had my mom’s sifter, it disappeared!!
Question: is there a trick to keep batter from oozing out of the tube pan while it’s baking? Or do I just have a cheap tube pan?
Your pan isn’t level, the center piece of the tube pan is bend. You set it on your counter and look at it at eye level and you should see how bend up it is. You can try bending it back in place. If you get a new one order it online, the one’s in the store have been handled a lot, which is where they get bend up.
you probably over-beaten the eggs when you mixed them in
i cut out the bottom of a pie pan and placed it between the insert and the pan so what ever your pan measures out to ..get that size pie pan …cut out the bottom put aside the rim and get tah baking!
I once had tube and bunt pan confused- so just a suggestion, make sure to use a large tube pan instead of a bunt pan.
I don’t use a tube pan, I prefer a bundt. But you can wrap the outside of your tube pan in foil and that helps 🙂
My tube pan is one piece…
I used my bunt pan to make this cake and it works beautifully! I’ve tried other pound cakes… Nothing compares to this recipe. Making one now!!! THE BEST POUND CAKE EVER!!!
Thank you so much, I am so glad you liked it Gloria!!
I wrap the bottom in foil. That seems to help. I also put a cookie sheet underneath just in case.
Make sure you are not using self rising four. I mistakenly used self rising flour before and I had cake oozing everywhere
Good call!
Do you not require baking powder?
No ma’am, just as the recipe is written. I explain about that in the post as well. 🙂
i always do it seems to incorporate smoother
No salt or baking soda?????
Nope. The recipe is exactly as presented. This is a true old fashioned pound cake – and one of the best!
Yes Indeed!!!! I LOVE this recipe!!!!
Making this today!! Excited!!
I can’t imagine this cake turning out burnt or not just plain good. I have been using this same recipe for as long as I can remember and my family or myself have always loved it. You must follow directions to the letter. And that’s it! Turns out perfect every time. Thanks so much for your valuable time and sharing your recipes. Getting ready to bake one again. Your a sweetheart for being so giving of your precious time.
You are too sweet Betty!! Thank you so much!!
HI…I’m about to make this for my husband’s birthday….there a difference between whipping cream and HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM?
Hey Angie! All of them I have seen are the same thing. The cream is usually called “Heavy Cream” or “Whipping Cream”. Happy Birthday to your hubs!