Pound cake is a British creation dating back to the early 1700s. The name is based on the fact that traditional recipes for this yummy dessert call for one pound each of sugar, flour, butter and eggs. In the days when many people couldn’t read, this simple formula made it easy to remember the recipe. However, using a pound of each of those ingredients would yield a very large cake, thus the proportions were since scaled down to make smaller cakes.
Over the years, additional ingredients were also added such as some kind of leavener (usually baking soda and/or baking powder), a flavoring component (such as vanilla/almond extract or everyone’s favorite - chocolate), and/or a liquid ingredient (such as milk, sour cream or buttermilk), which produces a more flavorful and lighter cake.
National Pound Cake Day on March 4th is the perfect day to “bake a pound, give a pound,” honoring the traditional recipe for this beloved treat. An average sized cake would use half of the batter that results from the traditional one-pound-of-each-ingredient recipe, therefore allowing you to make two cakes - one to enjoy yourself and one to share with your family (umm, I mean: one for you and your family, and one for a neighbor or friend). Everybody loves pound cake!
There are many flavors and variations of pound cake, as well as many ways to enjoy it. It is especially good with slices of fresh fruit and whipped cream. Below are two recipes for you to choose from.
Traditional Pound Cake Recipe
- 1 pound flour
- 1 pound butter
- 1 pound eggs (8 eggs)
- 1 pound sugar
Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Gradually sift in the flour. Transfer to a greased and floured baking pan, typically a Bundt pan. Bake at 350° F until a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out dry. Enjoy!
Kathy’s Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 3 sticks of butter
- 3 cups of sugar
- 6 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups cake flour
Cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Gradually add cake flour. Grease and flour a Bundt pan. Pour batter into the pan and bake at 325° F for 90 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely.
