Million Dollar Pound Cake
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 its own, with fresh berries and whipped cream, lemon curd, ice cream or countless other options. It’s a pound cake aficionado’s dream.
Ingredients to Make 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 Southern Million Dollar Pound Cake: (Scroll down for the full printable recipe card,
- Flour – All-purpose flour form the base of th cake flour. There is no baking powder or baking soda used for leavening.
- Butter – Salted butter whipped vigorously helps the pound cake to rise.
- Flavorings – Vanilla extract and almond extract for a creamy, floral nutty taste.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar for sweetness.
- Whole Eggs – Large eggs stabilize the cake batter and gives the pound cake a rich flavor.
- Liquid – Whole milk OR buttermilk.
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.
- Heat Oven and Prepare Pan – Preheat the oven then butter and flour an angel food pan (tube pan) with a removable bottom.
- Whip Butter – Whip butter, vanilla and almond extract for 5 minutes on medium-high speed with an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Cream Butter and Sugar – Switch to the paddle attachment. Add the sugar gradually beating on medium until light yellow in color. (Around 5 minutes)
- Add Eggs – Add one at a time beating well after each addition.
- Combine with Flour and Milk – On low speed add the flour alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with flour.
- Pour Batter into Prepared Pan – Spread evenly into the pan and bounce on the counter, if needed to settle.
- Oven – Bake per the cook time in the recipe until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes back clean.
- Cool on a Wire Rack – Slice and enjoy.
Kitchen Equipment to Make Southern Pound Cake
- A stand mixer or a hand mixer. 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 while it can be done using a hand mixer, it’s not possible to do by hand.
- Large bowl and rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Measuring cups and spoons.
- A tube pan or angel food cake pan
- Wire rack for cooling the cake after baking.
Recipe Variations, Tips and Substitutions
- Rule of Fives – 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.
- Butter – If you don’t have salted butter, you can use the same amount of unsalted butter and add 1/2 tsp salt.
- Use Pure Vanilla Extract – The amount of vanilla extract called for in the recipe is one Tablespoon, not one teaspoon. It’s not a typo.
- Use the Proper Pan – Please note this is a big cake. You’ll need a large tube pan, sometimes called an angel food pan, for baking. I use one with a removable bottom, but it’s fine to bake it in a pan that doesn’t have that option. This cake can be made in a tube pan without a removable bottom.
- Test for Doneness – Baking time may vary by oven. Bake until a toothpick or a cake tester, inserted into the center comes back clean.
- Alternate Pans – You can divide the cake batter and bake it in loaf pans. When doing so, the baking time will need to be adjusted, less batter will take less time to bake.
- How to Serve – You can enjoy topped with strawberries and whipped cream, ice cream, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, lemon curd or any fresh fruit that you enjoy.
Storage and Leftovers
- Leftovers – Store Million Dollar Pound Cake wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container, chilled in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can store it at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezing Tip – When freezing pound cake make certain it’s cooled completely before tightly wrapping in plastic freezer wrap.
- Freezer – 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. Thaw in the fridge prior to serving.
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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Helpful Kitchen Items:
Million Dollar Pound Cake
Servings: 16 pieces
Calories: 496kcal
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 pan (tube pan) with a removable bottom OR spray with baking spray. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, whip together the butter, vanilla and almond extracts. Whip for 5 minutes on medium-high speed.
- 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 with a rubber spatula.
- After all has been added, beat for 1 minute or just until the flour has been fully incorporated.
- Spread the batter evenly into the pan, gently 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. (You could also use a long wooden pick or cake tester).
- Cool for 15 minutes, then remove the outer ring.
- Cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
-
- Rule of Fives – 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.
- Butter – If you don’t have salted butter, you can use the same amount of unsalted butter and add 1/2 tsp salt.
- Use Pure Vanilla Extract – The amount of vanilla extract called for in the recipe is one Tablespoon, not one teaspoon. It’s not a typo.
- Use the Proper Pan – Please note this is a big cake. You’ll need a large tube pan, sometimes called an angel food pan, for baking. I use one with a removable bottom, but it’s fine to bake it in a pan that doesn’t have that option. This cake can be made in a tube pan without a removable bottom.
- Test for Doneness – Baking time may vary by oven. Bake until a toothpick or a cake tester, inserted into the center comes back clean.
- How to Serve – You can enjoy topped with strawberries and whipped cream, ice cream, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, lemon curd or any fresh fruit that you enjoy.
- Alternate Pans – You can divide the cake batter and bake it in two loaf pans. When doing so, the baking time will need to be adjusted, less batter will take less time to bake.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 496kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 232mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 816IU | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 2mg
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Can I use gluten free flour? We have 2 celiac grands.
I haven’t tested it specifically, but I’m sure you could adapt this recipe using different flours. If you try it, let us know how it goes!
The staff at my boys school loved this cake. I was wondering if I could double the recipe in the same mixing bowl or do I need to do them separately?
I’m happy you enjoyed it. I would definitely make two separate batches.
I would say separately that way there are no mistakes, I’ve made several and everyone Loves them, I sometimes switch the Almond flavoring because some people are allergic to nuts.
Almond extract is NOT made from nuts… it is made from the apricot seed.
I need my oven for other things. Can I bake this cake and then refrigerate it for the next day? Or is it better to serve it the day it is baked?
You can make it one day in advance, no problem at all.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I have made it numerous times and never posted a review or comment. It gets raves every time.
I’m so happy to hear that, thanks so much for such a kind comment.
If I use a loaf pan, how long would I bake it ?
This would need to be baked in two loaf pans, it’s way too much batter for one. Check it halfway through baking and add in 5-10 minute increments from that point.
Can I use unsalted butter
Yes, but you’ll need to add an additional 1/2 teaspoon salt.
HELP…..suddenly my pound cakes are a bit dry …I have been told this may be due to my new darker tube pan…and that I should lower temp by 25…which would be from 300 to 275 … and also reduce cooking time (no specifiic suggested on o much to reduce…
what shalll I do? My friends and family are missing the wonderful moist cake this recipe has always produced …
Hi Nancy, I’m not certain I have a definitive answer. Overbeating can cause a cake to dry out as well as using more flour than the recipe calls for. It’s important to always spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level rather than scooping it into the flour as the flour can become compacted. I’ve never baked this cake at so low a temperature, I doubt that’s the issue. As far as your pan, again I’ve not used a dark pan but recommend a classic angel food pan for this cake. If you’ve made this cake successfully in the past, it may be due to any little change you’ve made.
Hi Melissa, c.w. here, I have been making this wonderful pound cake for years, it is wonderful. But I have tried using different flavoring along with the vanilla, lemon, coconut, etc. Wonders what can be done with a wonderful recipe beginning. Thanks for sharing
Thanks so much for letting me know!
Hi, can I use heavy whipping cream or buttermilk instead of regular milk?
Yes, either one will work.
Have you tried cream cheese or 7 Up with this recipe?
You can browse for more pound cakes here in the recipe index.
I followed recipe and baked the cake for 1 1/2 hours at 300 degrees. . Cooled It 20 min and removed outer pan. The top crust has separated and flaked off the cake. It is still cooling in bottom of cake pan. What happened? I made this cake a few months ago and it was perfect.
Wondering if I over mixed the batter. I beat batter about 7 min.
If you beat the batter for 7 minutes, it likely was over beaten. It’s difficult for me to be able to say exactly. Otherwise, if you’ve made this cake in the past without issue, retrace your steps and see if there was something you did differently this time.
You over beat the eggs.
I made this recipe exactly as written except I was out of almond extract so didn’t use. Delicious!! The texture is perfect!
Thanks so much!
Which milk do you find works best for this recipe, whole milk or buttermilk?
it comes down to personal preference. I make this cake both ways and you can’t go wrong, it’s always delicious.
Can you add nuts and mini chips to the recipe..?
I haven’t tested those additions specifically but in general, you can add mixins to most cake batters.
This looks fabulous. I have a friend who wants me to make her one however this is such a big cake. Can it possibly be split into 2 loaf pans and what would you suggest on the timing if so? I’d love to be able to split it and have one for myself as well. Thanks for your help.
You can split this into loaf pans. Check the cake at the halfway point and adjust the time from there.
I made this cake last night. It turned out really good. It is a big cake. Thank you for sharing. ❤️
Can I use swans Down cake flour
It’s not necessary to use cake flour but you can, yes.
Am i reading the cook time correctly….an hour and a half??
Lower baking temp = longer baking time. But it makes the cake lovely
Can loaf pans be used ?
Can this cake be baked in a bundt cake pan
This is a big cake you need an angel food pan.
Yes, I made it in a Nordic Anniversary pan with the addition of cream cheese and 1 cup of whipping cream and it fit.
Hi Can I use can milk instead of whole milk or buttermilk?
Whole milk is full fat milk. Yes, you can use it.
Hi, can cake flour be used instead of AP flour? Thanks.
You could but in this cake all purpose flour works best.
Thank you! I plan to make the cake tomorrow.