This rich and buttery Million Dollar Pound Cake has been rotating through Southern kitchens for decades. It’s made with 7 simple pantry ingredients and it’s amazing served on it’s own, with berries and fresh whipped cream, lemon curd, ice cream or countless other options. It’s a pound cake aficionado’s dream. Follow the preparation technique carefully and this classic delight will be the star ending to any meal.
How Does The Cake Rise?
Other than eggs, there’s no leavening in this cake making a key step in the process whipping air into the butter at the beginning. I use a rule of “fives” when making this pound cake. By that I mean, to give the cake a creamy lighter texture whip the butter on high for 5 minute then add the sugar and continue to whip for another 5 minutes. This process has a magical effect on the cake batter which adds to the mystique of how such simple ingredients can produce such a pleasing result.
Can This Cake Be Made In Advance?
This pound cake is fantastic for make-ahead baking as it freezes like a dream. When freezing, make certain it’s cooled completely before tightly wrapping in plastic freezer wrap. It can be frozen as a whole cake or sliced making it convenient to grab a piece from the freezer for a quick treat or unexpected guests. I serve this pound cake, first made famous by Southern Living who dubbed it “Million Dollar Pound Cake” in trifles, parfaits, or as is with a cup of hot tea or coffee for entertaining and snacking. It’s a Southern classic that will never grow old. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think it’s time for a piece.
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You may also like: Coconut Cream Pound Cake with Vanilla Cream Glaze, Lemon Lovers Pound Cake, Cream Cheese Pound Cake, Key Lime Pound Cake, Sweet Potato Pound Cake, Pound Cake In Jars.
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Helpful Kitchen Items:
Million Dollar Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 pound salted butter softened (4 sticks)
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 3/4 cup whole milk OR buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Butter and flour an angel food/tube pan with a removable bottom. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment whisk together the butter, vanilla and almond extracts. Whip for 5 minutes on medium-high.
- Switch to the paddle attachment Add the sugar gradually beating on medium until light yellow in color. (Around 5 minutes)
- Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Lower the speed of the mixer and add the flour alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with flour. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally.
- After all has been added, beat for 1-2 minutes until the flour has fully incorporated.
- Spread evenly into the pan and bounce on the counter, if needed to settle.
- Place into the oven and bake for 1 hr 30-45 minutes OR until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes back clean.
- Cool for 15 minutes, then remove the outer ring.
- Cool completely on a cooling rack.
Notes
Melissa
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Erin says
Pound cake is the best, and this recipe is great!
Kinny Linny says
It looks great!
Lori @ RecipeGirl says
I have always loved this recipe!
Christi says
Wow, this is truly pound cake perfection!
Joan Ostler says
I love pound cake but when I think of pound cake I think of heavy and dense and that’s the way I like it. Is this cake light like angle food since you beat it for so long or heavy?
Melissa says
This cake isn’t at all like an angel food cake. It’s dense and buttery.
carole, east chatham says
Perhaps it wuld be helpful to note the size of the baking tin….. bundts come in many sizes, as do angel food pans.
Mary says
I I love to bake pound cakes just want to know why do theysplit open when baked?
Melissa says
It’s classic pound cake. The crust that forms on top cracks as the batter expands while baking. I love it, it’s SO tasty!
Astralia says
My 16 year old granddaughter, Savanna made this cake, as I called out your recipe to her, and it was beautiful and tastes DELICIOUS! SHE disc an excellent job.
Melissa says
How wonderful, I love these young bakers!
Emily Tompkins says
I made this cake today. It’s perfect and delicious!
Melissa says
I love it too, thanks!
LT says
All I can say is….I am not a baker but working on my skills. This cake made me a Super Star. It was so good, (even the batter, I was glad to be the only one home so I could enjoy licking the spoon.) I used Madagascar Vanilla instead of regular…it made the difference. Now, if only I can get a decent consistency glaze going, I would be very happy. Thank you for the recipe…I saved it in a couple of places…laughing
Melissa says
Wonderful, and I concur I use the same vanilla even though it’s pricey, it’s delicious. Happy baking!
Bibo! says
I wanted to try this recipe as a lemon cake for my great grandma’s 82nd birthday. That’s her favorite. I wanted to use lemon juice as well as extract. Can I just add that in or should I subtract a bit of something else? Also, she loves sour cream pound cake, so can I just use that to replace the buttermilk?
Melissa says
You can certainly add lemon flavoring and as much lemon zest as you like. However, don’t add additional liquid to this particular cake. And yes, you could sub sour cream. I have both of those types of pound cakes in my recipe index if you’d like to search them there.
Bibo! says
I ended up using a couple tablespoons of lemon zest (unpacked), and 2 teaspoons of lemon extract (one of which was added into the tablespoon of butter-vanilla emulsion). I happened to find crystallized lemon juice at my local grocery store, all the real lemon flavor minus the liquid. I added two teaspoons of that to the mix, and it turned out amazing! The texture was so perfect! I used the juice I now had leftover to make a glaze. I was so happy that my great grandmother (as well as the rest of the family) loved it! I gave this recipe to my brother who also dabbles in culinary endeavors, he’s more of a chef where I’m more of a baker, but this cake was too good for him to pass up, lol. Also, my grandfather asked me to make it again as loaves and freeze the extras; my other great grandmother (who’s 96) loves having a slice of pound cake with her morning coffee and homemade is SO much better than store-bought. Thank you so much Melissa, for your recipe and advice!
Jannette. Cortese says
Good but very heavy I found it,to much of something
Melissa says
Pound cakes are dense that’s the nature of these kinds of cakes.
Pamela Villalpando says
I will definitely try this pound cake ! I’m always looking for different cake recipes ,I love to give my elderly neighbors a treat sometimes..🍮🍰🍞❤️
Melissa says
You’re a great neighbor!
Queen Green says
Can this cake be baked in a regular pound cake pan,if you do not have a BB angel food pan?
Melissa says
This is a big cake it really needs to be baked in an Angel food pan.
Judy says
Melissa, can you use vanilla instead of almond extract? So doubling up on the vanilla? We have a nut allergy in our household. Thank you.
Melissa says
Hi Judy! Absolutely feel free to omit and use any flavoring you like in its place.
Carmen says
Hi did u use the milk or the buttermilk
Melissa says
Not in this recipe.
LeeAnn Renfrow says
I think she’s asking did you use regular milk or buttermilk in this recipe. I was wondering the same thing
Melissa says
From the recipe “3/4 cup whole milk OR buttermilk”
Judy Ruzich says
I don’t have a stand mixer, will a hand mixer work as well?
Many thanks, the recipe looks great.
Judy
Melissa says
Sure, use what you have.
Dea says
Has anyone ever used frozen blueberries in the recipe? I apologize if I missed someone’s post.
Melissa says
We have a Blueberry Pound Cake in the recipe index here.
marie anselmi says
I would the recipe for the million dollar pound cake
Pat Stapleton says
Absolutely delicious. Monthly potluck friends couldn’t get enough and there was none left to have with my morning coffee. Thank you, Thank you!
Melissa says
Thanks Pat!
Leslie Thomasson says
I have a hand mixer, rather than a grand stand mixer. Will this work?
Melissa says
Oh sure, use what you have.
Sharla says
This sounds amazing and pound cake is my husband’s favorite. 🙂 Can you use loaf pans instead of tube or bundt pans? Maybe use two loaf pans?
Melissa says
Do you measure the flour before or after sifting?
Melissa says
Measure then sift.
Stephanie Loutsch says
I made this and the top of the cake got very hard while baking, any idea what may have caused that?
Melissa says
It’s not uncommon for pound cakes to form a crust on top but, it should never be hard. It sounds as if it may have over baked a bit. Next time, lay a piece of aluminum foil on top to prevent that from happening after the cake has browned to your liking.
Kathy says
I made this cake and it came out great. My co-workes couldn’t get enough of it..
Melissa says
Wonderful, thanks so much!
Kathy Catanzaro says
I made this in a chocolate version. I used chocolate milk in place of the regular milk and 1 cup of unsweetened cocoa in substitution for one cup of the flour. It was AMAZING.
Stephanie Lamb says
Can a regular bundt pan be used?
Melissa says
As recommended in the recipe, a pound cake pan or angel food pan works best.
Sharon says
This cake is outstanding! It is hands down the absolute best pound cake that I have experienced. It is moist and the flavor is unlike all other pound cakes. I was not a fan of of pound cake, except hot from the oven…but this one has changed my mind. I am in love!!!! This will forever be my go to for church, reunions, etc.
Melissa says
I consider that high praise, thanks so much.