Easy Pound Cake

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The test kitchen’s preferred loaf pan measures 8½ by 4½ inches; if you use a 9 by 5-inch pan, start checking for doneness 5 minutes early. To dress up the cake, try our Citrus Glaze (see related recipe).

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  • 8

Ingredients

  • Variation:
  • 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and hot
  • Lemon Pound Cake:
  • 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest plus 2 teaspoons juice (2 lemons)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and hot
  • Orange Pound Cake:
  • 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and hot
  • Almond Pound Cake:
  • 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 6 tablespoons slivered almonds
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and hot
  • Citrus Glaze:
  • 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
  • 1 Tbsp lemon, lime or orange juice
  • Whisk in small bowl until smooth. Pour over cooled cake allowing to drip down sides.

Preparation

Step 1

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in bowl.

2. Process sugar, eggs, and vanilla in food processor until combined, about 10 seconds. With processor running, add melted butter in steady stream until incorporated. Pour mixture into large bowl.

3. Sift flour mixture over egg mixture in 3 additions, whisking to combine after each addition until few streaks of flour remain. Continue to whisk batter gently until almost no lumps remain.

4. Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth top. Wipe any drops of batter off sides of pan and gently tap pan on counter to release air bubbles. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 50 minutes to 1 hour, rotating pan halfway through baking.

5. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Run small knife around edge of cake to loosen, then flip cake out onto wire rack. Turn cake right side up and let cool completely, about 2 hours, before serving. (Cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 5 days. Wrapped cake can be placed in zipper-lock bag and frozen for up to 1 month.)

Lemon Variation:
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in bowl.

2. Process sugar, eggs, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla in food processor until combined, about 10 seconds. With processor running, add melted butter in steady stream until incorporated. Pour mixture into large bowl.

3. Sift flour mixture over egg mixture in 3 additions, whisking to combine after each addition until few streaks of flour remain. Continue to whisk batter gently until almost no lumps remain.

4. Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth top. Wipe any drops of batter off sides of pan and gently tap pan on counter to release air bubbles. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 50 minutes to 1 hour, rotating pan halfway through baking.

5. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Run small knife around edge of cake to loosen, then flip cake out onto wire rack. Turn cake right side up and let cool completely, about 2 hours, before serving. (Cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 5 days. Wrapped cake can be placed in zipper-lock bag and frozen for up to 1 month.)

Orange Variation:
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in bowl.

2. Process sugar, eggs, orange zest and juice, and vanilla in food processor until combined, about 10 seconds. With processor running, add melted butter in steady stream until incorporated. Pour mixture into large bowl.

3. Sift flour mixture over egg mixture in 3 additions, whisking to combine after each addition until few streaks of flour remain. Continue to whisk batter gently until almost no lumps remain.

4. Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth top. Wipe any drops of batter off sides of pan and gently tap pan on counter to release air bubbles. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 50 minutes to 1 hour, rotating pan halfway through baking.

5. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Run small knife around edge of cake to loosen, then flip cake out onto wire rack. Turn cake right side up and let cool completely, about 2 hours, before serving. (Cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 5 days. Wrapped cake can be placed in zipper-lock bag and frozen for up to 1 month.)

Almond Variation:
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in bowl.

2. Process sugar, eggs, 1/4 cup almonds, vanilla, and almond extract in food processor until combined, about 10 seconds. With processor running, add melted butter in steady stream until incorporated. Pour mixture into large bowl.

3. Sift flour mixture over egg mixture in 3 additions, whisking to combine after each addition until few streaks of flour remain. Continue to whisk batter gently until almost no lumps remain.

4. Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth top. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons slivered almonds over batter. Wipe any drops of batter off sides of pan and gently tap pan on counter to release air bubbles. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 50 minutes to 1 hour, rotating pan halfway through baking.

5. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Run small knife around edge of cake to loosen, then flip cake out onto wire rack. Turn cake right side up and let cool completely, about 2 hours, before serving. (Cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 5 days. Wrapped cake can be placed in zipper-lock bag and frozen for up to 1 month.)

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