Sour Cream Pound Cake

Total Time

Prep: 15 min. Bake: 1-1/4 hours + cooling

Makes

20 servings

Updated: Aug. 31, 2023
Because I'm our town's postmaster, I can bake only in my spare time. I especially enjoy making desserts such as this one. It tastes amazing as is, or tuck it under ice cream and chocolate syrup like a hot fudge sundae! —Karen Conrad, East Troy, Wisconsin

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 6 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Optional: Confectioners' sugar and fresh fruit

Directions

  1. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream and vanilla. Beat on low just until blended. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan.
  2. Bake at 325° for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, garnish with confectioners' sugar and fresh fruit.

Sour Cream Pound Cake Tips

What flour is best for pound cake?

Because pound cake is traditionally a denser, buttery cake, all-purpose flour tends to do the best job. Cake flour produces a very light and tender crumb, which is lovely in many cakes, but not quite right for pound cakes. Learn more about the different types of flour.

How do you make pound cake moist?

You can make pound cake moist by including sour cream or buttermilk among the ingredients in your pound cake recipe. The acid in both sour cream and buttermilk acts as a tenderizer to the gluten in the flour as the cake bakes.

Why is pound cake called pound cake?

Originally, traditional pound cake recipes called for a pound of butter, sugar, eggs and flour. No leaveners (such as baking soda or baking powder) were used to lighten or aerate the batter. Over time, pound cake recipes have adapted somewhat, retaining the flavor, texture and overall essence of pound cakes but with adjusted amounts of these central ingredients.

Any tips for getting cake to release from a Bundt pan?

We know what a showstopper a Bundt cake can be when it slides right out from the pan with ease. While there are many tips and tricks out there to prepare a Bundt pan for a clean cake release, we’ve developed what we think is the best solution. Learn how to grease a bundt pan the right way.

What ingredients can I add to this pound cake recipe?

Experiment with different flavor combinations to top the pound cake, such as peaches and pecans; apples and walnuts; cherries and almonds; or pineapple and macadamia nuts. In the summer, quickly grill the pound cake for a toasty flavor boost.

Nutrition Facts

1 piece: 311 calories, 13g fat (7g saturated fat), 96mg cholesterol, 163mg sodium, 45g carbohydrate (30g sugars, 1g fiber), 4g protein.