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.
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 Southern Million Dollar Pound Cake from scratch:
- Flour – All-purpose flour.
- Butter – Salted butter.
- Flavorings – Vanilla extract and almond extract.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar.
- Eggs – Large eggs.
- Milk – 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.
- 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 1/2 tsp 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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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.
I have the million dollar pound cake in the oven and it is very pale after 1 hour and 40 mins,how long should I leave it to get light brown on the top, 6he cake does. It look cooked
It’s very odd it hasn’t browned by the time it’s done baking. If the inside is done you might turn on the broiler to brown the top a bit but, don’t walk away. Otherwise, maybe the oven rack is too far from the top element.
I have this cake in the oven now, and it is smelling so good after only 30 minutes baking. This is pretty much a classic pound cake recipe, using a pound of butter, and I am surprised at the people questioning the flour, and the lack of baking powder and salt. My Mama used to say that salt helps in the rising, which I’m thinking is where the salted butter comes in, PLUS most pound cakes will always call for all purpose flour. I’ve seen people accidently use self rising flour to make a pound cake, and the result had a reverse effect that was regretted. I bake all the time, and this is a great recipe to use, no matter what flavors you choose to add. I added lemon to mine, in addition to the other flavors.
Thank you!
Note to self: in winter get the butter out a full day before you intend to make this cake! After 8 hours my butter was still pretty stiff. However, I whipped it with the KitchenAid wire whisk until it was light and fluffy! Then I added sugar, vanilla, and almond before switching to the paddle to add eggs, flour/milk (alternating 1 cup flower, 2 oz milk, 1 cup flour, 2 oz milk, 1 cup flour, 2 oz milk, 1 cup flour). The batter was super light and fluffy as I transferred it to the pan and after 1 1/2 hours at 300°F, the place smelled heavenly! It’s cooling right now…
Wonderful, enjoy this rich buttery cake.
My cake never tasted like my grandmothers.
She beat hers my hand . Wonder if I over beat. Memories of a heave cake .
What are the measurements for the recepie ingredients oh million Dollar Pound Cake. Did i missed?
Scroll to the bottom of the page, it’s there.
Does it matter if you use cake flour (Swan or Presto) instead of all purpose flour?
You can use cake flour in the same amount, if you prefer. It will change the texture a bit.
Actually I do make a pound cake. I tried your pound cake recipe today, but used 2 cups of sugar, instead of 4 and it turned out amazing. Thanks for the recipe!!!
This recipe calls for 3 cups of sugar not 4.
This recipe look amazing. The only think I’m concerned about is the 3 cups of sugar. It seems like soooo much sugar. I’ve made many, many cakes, and I can’t ever remember using more than 2 cups of sugar for a cake and that was even a lot of sugar. Comments??
It sounds as if you’ve never made a pound cake. It does indeed take 3 cups of sugar, hence the name “pound cake.”
Hi Melissa, I am so excited to try this recipe. Hubby just came home and asked me to make a dessert to bring to someones house this afternoon. question: I do not have an angel food pan. If I use a bundt cake pan, how high do I fill the pan. I have read every comment – especially the ones about cake overflowing pan – but don’t see any instructions as to how much to fill the pan. novice baker here …
Hi Jo-Ann, fill the cake pan 2/3 full to give room to rise. Otherwise, make in 2 loaf pans.
My cakes turned out beautifully! They were a big hit!! no overflowing, I did cook a little long so it was a tiny bit drier than I expected, but everyone asked me to make this again. Just fyi, I used half n half and Walmart salted butter. It WAS more work using a hand mixer but worth the effort and I had everything I needed on hand. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!! Happiest of New Years to you!!
Jo-Ann so happy this worked out for you. It’s not unusual for this cake to be made slightly under-baked. Try that next time you may enjoy it that way. Happy New Year to you as well.
This cake is excellent!
Hollllaaaa! Im baking the poundcake now, but am now questioning how big of a tube pan did u use? I left some of my batter out as it was kinda full . I hope it bakes properly ????
I used a standard size angel food/tube pan. This is a big cake so, use your best judgement based on the size you use.
Can i use a hand mixer to whip the butter.. i dont have a wisk.. i have a small food processer can i use that? I’m in the process of making it now. or can you recommend a recipe using the same amount of butter and extracts.
It’s more labor intensive but, feel free to work with what you have. It will still be delicious.
Hi Melissa,I just wanted to say this cake came out just fine.. It is delicious. The best pound cake i had in a long time. thanks for the recipe
Wonderful!
Merry Christmas!!! I am making the cake for Christmas and would like to know if the flavor is better with buttermilk or regular milk?
Being a Southern girl, I reach for buttermilk if I have it. Otherwise whole milk, half & half or cream. Enjoy!
I don’t have a tube pan, can I use a Bundt pan instead? Sorry if this has already been asked and I overlooked 🙂
I’ve had success making this in a large bundt pan. For some odd reason some haven’t. I can only think their pans aren’t as large as mine. It’s a big cake so a tube pan works best, or 2 loaf pans.
I do not have a standup mixer. Is the small hand held ok. I won’t be able to switch out blades.
You can make it with whatever you have it will just be a bit more labor intensive.
Merry Christmas!
My cake is in the oven and I can’t wait to share with my husband for his critique!
If it’s a thumbs up, I will make loaf cakes for our GODChildren!
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Hello! I am excited to use the recipe but I wanted to know if my pound cake would still turn out perfectly if I used a cake pan instead of the kind you are using with the hole in the middle. Thank you! 🙂
This cake is a dense cake so, if you plan on baking it in a solid form you should divide the batter so it’s not too thick allowing it to bake thoroughly.
At 80 and living in an assisted livingcommunity, I no longer cook or bake but I DO LOVE TO READ RECIPES!!! Since my daughter,Ruth, got me the Amazon Kindle I have the internet and WI-FI so my reading includes those two also!!! I want you to know how much I admire your patience with your readers that ask the same questions over and over !!! I don’t know if they read the questions or just want to see their name in print,lol !! Anyway your recipes sound lovely and I would love to be able to fix a few of them. I hinted for your book at Christmas but don’t know if I’ve been a good enough girl !! Here’s hoping your Christmas is MERRY and bright and your new year filled with all things wonderful !! GRAN FROM GREELEY,COLORADO
Hi Janice, I’m honored you stopped by my blog. Thank you for such a sweet note and you’re welcome to visit here as often as you like. Merry Christmas to you and yours and my best wishes for a prosperous 2017!
I just finished reading all of your comments on this wonderful Pound cake recipe. All of which were very helpful. I didn’t see where it showed what the internal temperature of the cake should be when done.
Thank you.
There’s no need to take an internal temperature. Use a long skewer or toothpick to check for doneness will do fine.
Hi Melissa,
How would i adjust this cake for high altitude?
Hi Laketia, for this cake you’ll need to increase the baking time to 325°F. Check it at 1 hr 15-1/2 hours and adjust the baking time from there. No ingredient changes needed.
HEllo. Do you sift the flour before or after measuring it?
Spoon the flour into the cup, level then sift.