Sara Lee pound cake is a ready-to-use freezer dessert everyone knows and loves. You can slice it for a simple strawberry shortcake, cut it into cubes and layer in a trifle or eat a forkful right from the tin! But it’s not hard to capture the iconic Sara Lee flavor in a pound cake recipe at home.
Here’s what you need to know about the real Sara Lee.
Homemade Sara Lee Pound Cake Recipe
This recipe makes 1 loaf of pound cake.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature (113g)
- 1-1/2 cups sugar (300g)
- 3 large eggs
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (180g)
- 1/2 cup whipping cream (116g)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Lauren’s Tip: I use a food scale like this to measure certain ingredients by weight rather than volume.
Tools You’ll Need
Loaf Pan: Our Taste of Home bakeware is designed to evenly bake bread, cakes and other treats.
Stand Mixer: If you’re a regular baker, a KitchenAid mixer is well worth the investment!
Measuring Cups: No kitchen should be without a quality set of measuring cups and spoons.
Directions
Step 1: Cream butter and sugar
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugar until pale, light and fluffy; a minimum of 5 minutes. It takes longer than you think to cream butter and sugar the right way!
Editor’s Tip: No, we’re not forgetting baking soda or baking powder. Instead, pound cake is leavened naturally by beating air into the butter and sugar.
Step 2: Add the eggs and vanilla
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, on your mixer’s lowest setting. Stir in the vanilla.
Step 3: Mix in the flour and cream
Gradually add in the flour and whipping cream in alternating amounts until fully incorporated. The finished batter should be smooth, creamy, and have an almost mousse-like consistency.
Step 4: Bake
Transfer the batter to a 9×5 loaf pan lined that’s been with parchment and sprayed with cooking spray.
Place the pan into a COLD oven. Do not preheat! Then set the oven to 325°F and bake for 60-75 minutes.
Editor’s Tip: Using a cold oven improves the texture and rise of dense cakes, like pound cake. It slowly and evenly warms the batter so the outside of the cake doesn’t dry out before the inside can come to temperature.
Step 5: Cool and slice
When the pound cake is golden and fully set, remove and let cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan. Then, transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling before slicing and serving, as desired.
Editor’s Tip: To accurately test the doneness of a pound cake, insert an instant-read thermometer into the center. The pound cake is fully baked when it reaches an internal temp of 210°F.
How to Add Flavor to Pound Cake
Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home
While old-fashioned pound cake will never go out of style, you can easily adapt this recipe with a variety of extracts and flavors to suit your personal taste preferences (and pound cake dreams). Here are a few ideas:
- Lemon Pound Cake: Add the zest of 1 lemon and 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract.
- Almond Poppy Seed Pound Cake: Add 2 teaspoons of poppy seed and 1 teaspoon of almond extract.
- Orange Pound Cake: Add the zest of 1/2 an orange and 1/2 teaspoon of orange extract.
- Spiced Pound Cake: Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.
Things to Make with Pound Cake
Coconut-Layered Pound CakeIf you love chocolate, almonds and coconut, this cake is for you. It comes together in a flash and tastes just like an Almond Joy candy bar! —Linda L. Nichols, Steubenville, Ohio
Raspberry Cocoa TrifleThis lovely layered dessert is my husband's favorite. I always make it for our Christmas dinner, but it's excellent after any special meal. —Karen Bourne, Magrath, Alberta
Here's everything you need to know about
what is a trifle.
Ginger Pound Cake S'moresKids and adults won't be able to resist this fun spin on campfire S'mores. Pound cake replaces the traditional graham cracker while crystallized ginger adds a unique flavor twist. —Peter Halferty, Corpus Christi, Texas
Strawberry Cheesecake TrifleFor a dessert that looks as great as it tastes, this one can't be beat! Layers of rich pound cake, luscious cream and sweet strawberries make this treat very inviting. —Marnie Stoughton, Glenburnie, Ontario
Mocha Baked AlaskasMake these baked Alaskas ahead of time—you can torch the completed desserts and freeze them up to 24 hours before serving. —Kerry Dingwall, Ponte Vedra, Florida
St. Patrick's Day Rainbow CakeFrom out of the blue this time comes a truly beautiful sight. As soon as folks get a glimpse of it, though, it'll likely disappear fast! Conjured up by CT's cooks, the colorful rainbow cake features pound cake topped with a creamy spread and fresh fruit. An orange "pot" at the rainbow's end is full to the brim for dipping, too. You'll have a good-as-gold treat sure to shine at a St. Patrick's Day party! —or any festive event.
Slow-Cooked Strawberry Rhubarb SauceThis tart and tangy fruit sauce is excellent over pound cake or ice cream. I have served this topping many times and have gotten rave reviews from friends and family. —Judith Wasman, Harkers Island, North Carolina
Banana Butter Pecan KabobsDesserts with bananas remind me of Grandma. She and my mom taught me to cook. I rarely measure. For this dish, I set out pecans and butterscotch with kabobs so everyone can customize. —Crystal Schlueter, Northglenn, Colorado
Berries & Cream TriflesLayers of cubed cake, berries and creamy ricotta mixture make pretty trifles that taste as rich as cheesecake. —Joan Duckworth, Lee's Summit, Missouri
Peach & Blueberry TrifleThis crowd-pleasing summer trifle recipe can be made the night before. I love that you can be flexible with the ingredients. Add any in-season fruit you like! —Raymonde Bourgeois, Swastika, Ontario
Blueberry Shortcake SundaesThese blueberry shortcake sundaes offer a summery conclusion to any meal. I make this recipe quite often. If you need to save even more time in the kitchen, just buy blueberry pie filling and thin it out with a little orange juice. —Agnes Ward, Stratford, Ontario
Glazed Pear ShortcakesFamily and friends will savor every last crumb of this lickety-split dessert. The pound cake absorbs the apricot flavor and the warm sweetness of the pears. Special enough to serve company—and cute, too! —Fran Thomas, St. James City, Florida
Shortcut Strawberry-Vanilla DessertThis quick and yummy strawberry dessert is loaded with fresh strawberries and a creamy pudding topping. Make sure you make plenty—it disappears quickly. —Christine Johnson, Ricetown, Kentucky
Red, White 'n' Blue TorteMy guests see fireworks when I turn a frozen pound cake into a patriotic pleaser! Assemble this tempting torte early in the day and keep it in the refrigerator until it's time for dessert. —Margery Bryan, Moses Lake, Washington
Grilled Peaches & Pound CakeBrush up on grilling dessert with fresh peaches and pound cake. Store-bought cake makes it quick to prepare, and the caramelized flavor will make it disappear fast! —Joy Pendley, Ortonville, Michigan
Fruit 'n' Cake KabobsA neighbor served these kabobs at a family picnic and brought some over for us to sample. I was pleasantly surprised at the tasty toasted cake and juicy grilled fruit. —Mary Ann Dell, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Red, White 'n' Blue TorteMy guests see fireworks when I turn a frozen pound cake into a patriotic pleaser! Assemble this tempting torte early in the day and keep it in the refrigerator until it's time for dessert. —Margery Bryan, Moses Lake, Washington
Cranberry-Orange TrifleI make this showstopper for many occasions, slightly changing—or adding—ingredients. I sometimes add toasted coconut between the layers. —Raymonde Bourgeois, Swastika, Ontario
Red, White & Blue Berry TrifleThis luscious trifle tastes best if made the day before serving. Keep additional berries on hand for decoration. —Kaia McShane, Munster, Indiana
