I love the simplicity of a good pound cake and have baked my fair share of recipes searching for the ONE. From ones featuring cream cheese, sour cream, or heavy cream to promising ones so aptly named after people that surely know their way around a kitchen – Grandma’s Pound Cake, Aunt Mae’s Pound Cake, Abuela’s Pound Cake… I’ve even tried one with the bold claim of Best Pound Cake in the World. It wasn’t. So, today, in celebration of making my way out of my cloistered kitchen and into the blogosphere, I am sharing my winner. This is the one I always come back to, so I am officially giving it the title it deserves: My Favorite Vanilla Pound Cake.
This cake has a very special place in my heart, so it seemed appropriate to feature as my first post. It takes me to a time when my mom was still well enough to bake. There were only two things she baked regularly when I was a child. This was one of them. She enjoyed making this cake for anyone who requested it. That turned out to be pretty frequently considering how large my mom’s side of the family is. I have 33 first cousins on her side alone, which means my grandmother (God bless my Mama Lola) had 34 grandchildren. My mom is disabled now, both physically and mentally, but she still knows this recipe, and all its measurements, by heart.
I remember this cake coming with us to many weekend beach trips in Nicaragua when I was a child. I remember it sitting on my lap still warm inside its bundt pan for the 2 hour car ride to San Juan del Sur, the small beach town we frequently vacationed at back then. The warm, familiar scents of butter and vanilla traveled with me with whole way. They say scents are highly emotive and that they are capable of evoking powerful memories. My mom’s pound cake does that for me.
This recipe is as straight forward as they come. Its ingredients are basic pantry staples, yet somehow the way they are incorporated, turn it into something very special. I love its perfect balance of sweetness. It’s interesting how much better a cake can be savored when it’s not overly sweet. When there is just the right balance of sugar, other ingredients can shine through. Here, it is the richness of the butter and light aroma of vanilla.
This is not the traditional dense, loaf-type pound cake, nor does it contain the 1 pound measurements typical of a traditional pound cake. It is lighter and lovelier, thanks to the beaten egg whites. It is the only side step in this recipe since they are beaten separately. But, please don’t skip it because I believe it is what sets it apart. This cake lends itself well to flavor adjustments for those who prefer extracts other than vanilla. Usually, though, I prefer it in its original unfussy state, the way my mom made it.
I used to wonder if maybe I was biased about this cake. After all, I grew up on it and then there are all the memories. Recently, though, I shared the recipe with a friend who is an avid baker. She texted me not long after to tell me how much she loved it…that she will never make another pound cake recipe again. I share it with you now to celebrate the start-up of my blog and to honor my mom, whose daily struggles give me the strength and confidence to pursue what I love.
Bake this lovely cake for yourself and eat a slice when just barely warm, pairing it with a cup of tea or coffee. I look forward to hearing what you think!
My Favorite Vanilla Pound Cake
My favorite vanilla pound cake. It is made with basic ingredients and produces a light, buttery, and delicious cake.
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, whites and yolks divided
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Heat oven to 350
- Grease sides and bottom of a bundt pan
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Whisk flour, salt, and baking powder in bowl and set aside
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Separate egg whites and yolks, placing yolks in a small bowl and whites in a medium bowl
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Using a mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until butter is very light in color, 2-3 minutes
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Add egg yolks and vanilla and continue to mix until well blended
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Decrease mixer speed to low and add flour alternating with milk until both are just incorporated, being careful not to overmix
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Separately, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Fold gently into prepared batter until incorporated
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Bake for 35-40 minutes until light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in cake comes out mostly clean
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Cool in bundt pan for 10 minutes and then invert onto serving dish
Store well covered at room temperature.
This cake is best slightly warm. Reheat slices in microwave for 15 seconds.
This looks like a delicious recipe and I will surely try it. I am, however, confused about the amounts of butter. You call for “2 sticks (16 oz) of butter”. 16oz. of butter is a pound, hence, four sticks. Do you mean a full cup (2 sticks)? Half a pound? I suspect that is what you mean, but I will wait to hear. Thanks for the lovely tribute to your Mom; she clearly deserves it.
Hi Karen. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. Yes, it is 2 sticks…8 oz, not 16 oz. I fixed it on the recipe.
Let me know how you like it 🙂
Blanca
I know why it’s one of your favorite recipes. This cake is amazing! Everyone in my family raves about it. It has become a staple for me. I have experimented with different extract flavors, glazes on top, and other additions. But I love that it is perfect in its original simplicity and doesn’t need any extras to taste delicious, My mom and my aunts all say it reminds them of a something from their childhood, and they request it frequently. Thanks.
It makes me happy that you make it so often and that your family loves it so much 🙂 I love it for the same reason – it’s unassuming, but tastes so, so good. Thanks for the comment!
I used this recipe and it turned out perfect! 10/10 recommend.
Hi Emily. I’m so happy you liked it. It’s truly a simple yet special cake 🙂
Could this be made into cupcakes? Have you tried that?
Hi Marcee. I have not tried making cupcakes from this recipe, but my mom used sometimes to make layer cakes with it. If you make it into cupcakes, please let me know how it goes 🙂 Thank you
hello,
do you need to cool this cake upside down in the pan when it is done?
Hi Laura. Let it cool in the bundt pan for 10 minutes when it comes out of the oven. Then, invert it onto your serving plate or cake platter to continue cooling.
Blanca, can you follow the same recipe for the pineapple upside down cake? My mom has a similar recipe as yours for the vanilla cake and adds pineapple rings with a maraschino cherry in the center at the bottom of the pan where the cake is going to bake..
Hi. Yes, you can! In fact, my mom used this same recipe when she made Pineapple Upside Down Cake. She just placed it in a rectangular 9X13 inch pan. It works well 🙂
I made this cake today and it was light and perfect. Added lemon zest and juice of one lemon with just a dab less milk. Wonderful recipe!
So happy you liked it, Kathy! This one never fails me 🙂 I’ll have to try your lemon version! Yum!
Hi Blanca,
I made this today and it is AMAZING! Thank you for sharing this recipe! The only thing I did different was using a 20- mini Bundt cake pan. I used the entire batter to fill them about 1/2 way and cooked for 12 minutes. It’s so airy, soft on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. Perfection! My son ate 2 mini Bundts as soon as they came out and kept saying, “yum” after every bite!
Hi Carmen! I’m so happy you (and your son) liked this cake as much as I do! I love that you made it into mini bundts. My mom used it in cupcakes and in her pineapple upside down cake too! It’s versatile. Thanks for your comment 🙂
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