Moist Pound Cake Recipe (Soft & Buttery!)
Print Pin VideoThis classic pound cake is incredibly soft, buttery, and perfectly dense, with a rich vanilla flavor in every bite! Made with simple ingredients, it's an easy homemade pound cake that's beautifully moist (say goodbye to dry, crumbly pound cake!) and perfect with a cup of coffee or tea!
IMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups (150 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsps (22 g) cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt - omit if using salted butter
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter - room temperature (see note 1)
- 1¼ cups (250 g) white granulated sugar
- 1½ tbsps (19 g) unflavored vegetable oil - I use canola oil
- 3 large eggs - room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 g) whole milk - room temperature
- 2 tsps vanilla extract/essence
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) conventional (see note 2 if using a convection oven). Lightly grease an 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pan, then line it with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides to make it easier to lift the cake out later.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Whisk everything together until evenly combined, then set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the unsalted butter and beat using a hand or stand mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute, until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and oil, then continue beating for another 2 minutes, until the mixture is light and creamy.
- Next, add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition until just incorporated before adding the next egg.
- Add the milk and vanilla, then mix on low speed until everything is well combined.
- Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter (see note 3). As soon as you no longer see any large streaks of flour, stop mixing. You can use a spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is evenly mixed, but again, do not overmix! :)
- Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and spread it into an even layer. Gently tap the pan on the counter once to help settle the batter and get rid of any large air bubbles.
- Bake for 60 minutes, or until a skewer or thin knife inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. If you notice the top overbrowning and beginning to burn, lightly tent the top of the pound cake with foil.
- Allow the pound cake to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before running a thin knife along the edges of the pan not lined with parchment, then use the overhanging paper to lift the loaf out of the pan and place it on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, slice and serve as is or with homemade whipped cream and fresh fruit like strawberries on the side!
Video
Notes
Note 1. Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature, but not melted. It should still hold its shape when pressed, but be soft enough to beat easily. This is important for creaming, as the butter needs to be able to incorporate air to give the cake its light, tender texture.
Note 2. If using a convection (fan-forced) oven, bake at 320°F (160°C), as the fan function cooks faster.
Note 3. Once you add the dry ingredients, mix only until just combined. Overmixing can develop too much gluten in the flour, resulting in a tougher, denser cake rather than the soft, tender crumb we're after. Stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour and the batter looks uniform.
Nutrition
Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 541IU | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
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