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.
This is the first pound cake I’ve ever made. This is a keeper recipe for me. Everyone loved it! I made the following changes for my situation:
I halved the recipe because I have a mini bundt pan (7-cup capacity) & didn’t want to buy any other bakeware. For flavoring, I added: 1-1/2 T coarsely ground black pepper, 1 tsp. lemon extract, 1-1/2 TBLS Limoncello (because I had it on hand), 1 small lemon juiced & zested.
I served it with peppermint flavored whipped cream, but t doesn’t really need any accompaniment.
Next time I plan to flavor the cake with 5 T. Cream de Menthe
Black Pepper?
It looks so soft and delicious!
I love this cake! Simple pound cake is so tasty!
Love this
Old-fashioned, simple desserts like this are just the best! Perfect for so many occasions.
I need a million dollar fix! Looks delicious.
Such a great recipe. Pound cakes never disappoint.
To Jill…about your comment to Melissa at 2:02am!!! TOO FUNNY!!!!!🤣🤣🤣
To Melissa…this recipe sounds awesome, as do ALL of the recipes you have very generously shared!!!!
Thank You
Thanks Rosita!
Would love to see these receipes with nutrition information we are diabetic and need to count our carbs these recipes look wonderful
I think it’s safe to say this cake isn’t Keto friendly. There are countless numbers of free apps on the internet that will calculate for you.
Wow. It looks delicious. I love cakes. So, I will try to make it. Thanks for sharing.
I saw two recipes. Which one is the correct one? I think I know the correct one but if there’s a mistake you might want to check
There’s only one recipe. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see it in full.
Almost didn’t try this recipe because of the negative comments. This is my first attempt at making a pound cake. I always thought about it, but because of the ingredients and the time I opted out. I suppose now that I’m retired anything goes. LOL I used 2 loaf pans and a tiny cute ceramic one and the pound cake came out fabulous ! Took a little over an hour. Melissa, I wish my top was as crusty as your. It will be fun to experiment with different flavors in the future. I sliced most of it, wrapped in plastic wrap, put the slices in an airtight plastic container and into the freezer to enjoy at a later time.
This cake freezes beautifully. you’ll have pound cake for anytime you’re in the mood for cake. Great job, thanks!
1. I love the recipe. Much appreciated for this. 2. The video doesnt match with the instructions of the recipe. I followed the written, so I hope I did it right. 3. My batter is leaking out of the bottom of my angel food can pan. Is there something I should have done to prevent this?
I hope the pan was snuggly put together. Videos are for demonstration purposes always follow the written recipe.
Amazing. I’ll give it a shot.
Melissa, I made this cake for the first time this past weekend. I followed the directions exactly and it turned out just beautiful! It was a big hit with everyone…..just deliciously decadent. I particularly loved the distinctive pound cake crunch on the cake’s top and sides. I served it with macerated berries…blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Heaven on a plate! Next time around, I think I’ll swap out the almond extract for lemon or orange. Thank you for the perfect pound cake recipe!
Hi Joan, I’m delighted you enjoyed this classic cake and fresh berries were the perfect accompaniment. Yes, please do experiment with flavorings the sky is the limit. Thank you for such a sweet note, visit often.
I haven’t tried the cake yet but I loved reading all the comments that claimed there MUST be something wrong with the recipe. There is just no possible way it could have been a problem with the equipment, ingredients, or procedure. In my opinion, you should always follow the original recipe exactly and measure carefully the first time you make it. Any changes you make to a recipe, even changing the type of flavoring (almond to lemon), changes the intended outcome of the recipe. Looking forward to trying this recipe.
Thanks Sherryl!
Hi I may have missed it in the questions but do you have a substitution for the almond extract? We have a nut allergy here.
Thank you!
Hi Stephanie, you can use all vanilla or another favor you like more such as lemon.
I would think you could use any flavoring you want be it almond, vanilla, lemon or any other. Changing the flavoring will only change the flavor of the cake. As long as you use the same amount, it shouldn’t change any other aspect of the recipe.
I have never made this type of cake but would like to. I do have a question or six.
In the old days (okay 1940s-50’s) don’t ever remember my mother using cake flour and the explanation for that is clearly explained.
1) Do I measure out the flour first then sift it, or sift it and measure out the 4 cups?
2) My husband will NOT eat angel food cake so I don’t have one, for a test will a “cheap” angel food cake pan work. I don’t want to invest in a really good one with the removable bottom.
3)What size is a loaf pan that is referred to? The ones I use for bread would take about 6 to hold the dough
Thanks in advance for your help.
All purpose flour will absolutely work, it just changes the texture a bit. Scoop, level and measure the flour then sift. Any Angel food cake pan will work with or without a removable bottom.
Can I make this in 2 or 3 loaf pans?
Sure, no problem. Just adjust the baking time accordingly.
Hi, can I use this recipe to make cupcakes???
I absolutely love the cake and use this recipe all the time. I add a nice vanilla glaze and it’s delish!!!
You can adapt this batter to any shape you like, even cupcakes, sure.