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Million Dollar Pound Cake

Name: Million Dollar Pound Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 105 min
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

November 20, 2016 by Melissa 752 Comments

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This rich and buttery Million Dollar Pound Cake recipe has been rotating through Southern kitchens for decades. It's made with seven simple pantry ingredients and can be served on it's own, with fresh berries and whipped cream, lemon curd, ice cream or countless other options. It's a pound cake aficionado's dream.

Easy Million Dollar Pound Cake Recipe

How Does the Million Dollar Pound Cake Rise? Other than eggs, there's no leavening in this cake. This makes a key step in the process of making the batter to whip air into the butter. 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 minutes 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.

How to Make the Best Million Dollar Pound Cake Recipe

This pound cake is fantastic for make-ahead baking as it freezes like a dream. This beloved cake was first made famous by Southern Living who dubbed it "Million Dollar Pound Cake." I serve this pound cake in trifles, parfaits, or as is with a cup of hot tea or coffee. It's a Southern classic that will never grow old. Follow the preparation technique carefully and this classic delight will be the star ending to any meal.

Ingredients you'll need to make this homemade Million Dollar Pound Cake recipe: All purpose flour, salted butter, sugar, whole milk or buttermilk, large eggs, vanilla and almond extract.
Kitchen tools you'll need: A stand mixer or a hand mixer, measuring cups and spoons, an angel food pan and cooling rack.
It's super helpful to have a stand mixer for making the batter for this pound cake recipe. It takes some time to beat air into the butter and it can be done using a hand mixer, but not by hand.
Remember, it's the rule of fives to make this cake. 5 minutes to whip the butter and 5 minutes to cream the butter with the granulated sugar. This adds air to the batter and gives it a beautiful rise.
If you don't have salted butter, you can use the same amount of unsalted butter and add ½ teaspoon salt.
The amount of vanilla extract called for in the recipe is one Tablespoon, not one teaspoon. It's not a typo.
Please note this is a big cake. You'll also need a large tube pan, sometimes called an angel food pan for baking. I use one with a removeable bottom, but it's fine to bake it in a pan that doesn't have that option.
When freezing pound cake make certain it's cooled completely before tightly wrapping in plastic freezer wrap.
You can freeze it as a whole pound cake or cut it into slices for individual portions. Doing it that way makes it convenient to grab a piece from the freezer for a quick treat or when entertaining unexpected guests. It will easily last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Store Million Dollar Pound Cake chilled in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or at room temperature for up to 5 days.

More Southern Style Pound Cake Recipes to Make

Southern Living Magazine made this pound cake famous and I love that a cake that's decades old was featured in such a wonderful publication. More pound cake recipes you may like to try:

White Chocolate Cherry Pound Cake is pretty as a picture.
Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake is rich and decadent made with Dutch process cocoa.
Orange Pound Cake packs a burst of citrus flavor.
Homemade buttery Brown Sugar Pound Cake.
Easy Buttermilk Pound Cake recipe.
Fresh Strawberry Pound Cake with Vanilla Cream Glaze.
Pecan Praline Buttermilk Pound Cake is drizzled with a praline glaze that takes it over the top.
Coconut lovers Coconut Cream Pound Cake with Vanilla Cream Glaze.
My Aunt's Lemon Lovers Pound Cake is a family tradition.

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