Our All-Time Favorite Pound Cake Recipes

By Kelly Vaughan
Updated March 11, 2021
BERJAYA
Credit: Reed Davis

Our collection of pound cake recipes includes everything from classic vanilla and cinnamon spice to chocolate and citrus flavors. If you're in the mood to make this traditional treat, know that there's a sweet recipe here for you.

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BERJAYA
Credit: Reed Davis

We'll never get tired of eating pound cake. There's nothing quite like a moist slice that's golden brown on the outside and light and crumbly on the inside. The beauty of a basic Vanilla Pound Cake, like the one pictured here, is that you can eat it unadorned or top it with whipped cream, berries, a citrus glaze, or silky chocolate sauce. We have plenty of recipes for a perfect, basic pound cake, and recipes with bold flavors—red velvet, peaches and cream, and lots of fresh citrus—for a modern take that everyone will love.

A true old-fashioned pound cake gets its name because the original recipe used to call for a pound each of butter, flour, eggs, and sugar. Our food editors have tweaked that basic ratio and developed new iterations that call for extra-rich ingredients like sour cream, condensed milk, and cream cheese. You won't be able to resist our 21st-century recipes of the super spongy cake—and why would you want to? We also have recipes for chocolate lovers. Whether you're ready to go all out with several kinds of chocolate or aren't quite ready to give up a beloved vanilla version, you'll fall head over heels for our variety of super chocolatey pound cake recipes.

Along the way, we'll also introduce a new method for serving pound cake. Once you bake it, place it on the grill along with seasonal summer fruit for the ultimate backyard barbecue dessert. Add a dollop or two of whipped cream for a cloud-like finish.

So, whether you're in the mood to make a timeless, traditional pound cake, a red velvet iteration, or a triple-chocolate layer treat, we have a recipe here for you. Ultimately, though, you can't go wrong: If you bake any one of these recipes, you're in for a delightful dessert.

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Three-Layer Pound Cake

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Credit: Sidney Bensimon
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Can't decide between chocolate or vanilla? Try baking our ultimate marble pound cake, which features a base layer of dark chocolate batter, a middle layer of milk chocolate batter, and finished with a simple yellow-vanilla mixture on top.

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Condensed-Milk Pound Cake

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Credit: Mike Krautter
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The ultra-luscious pantry staple brings an extra-dose of sweetness and moistness to an otherwise classic pound cake recipe. It's also the secret to the tart lime glaze on top.

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Red Velvet Pound Cake

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Credit: Bryan Gardner
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Go bold with this intensely-hued pound cake that's made with two tablespoons of cocoa powder and red gel food coloring. Of course, it wouldn't be red velvet cake without a decadent cream cheese frosting.

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Lemon Pound Cakes with Candied Lemon Slices

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Credit: Clive Streeter
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A classic pound cake is perked up by a combination of lemon zest and lemon juice in this light and bright recipe. A cup of sour cream and six eggs make for an extra-rich bite and a homemade lemony simple syrup adds zest and moistness.

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Orange Pound Cake

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Credit: Minh + Wass
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Take a trip to the tropics with this citrus pound cake made with the zest of six oranges. Once it finishes baking, brush with an orange simple syrup, then top with a generous glaze of orange icing.

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Grilled Pound Cake with Peaches and Plums

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Credit: Bryan Gardner
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In the heat of summer, why not grill slices of pound cake to impart it with toasted flavor? Serve alongside grilled fruit and a tangy yogurt-whipped cream for a warm-weather treat.

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Cream Pound Cake

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Credit: Marcus Nilsson
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The secret to the light crumb in this pound cake is cake flour, which has a lower protein count than all-purpose flour. It's our go-to recipe when we want to make a strawberry shortcake-inspired ice cream sundae.

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Tutti-Frutti Pound Cake

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Credit: Johnny Miller
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Enjoy the magic of a layer cake in this summer dessert recipe. You'll find a heavenly peach mousse studded with fresh sweet cherries in between slices of pound cake.

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Martha's Cream-Cheese Pound Cake

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Credit: Bryan Gardner
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Our founder uses cream cheese in this simple pound cake recipe. The rest of the ingredients (think butter, flour, eggs, and vanilla extract) are as classic as they come.

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Perfect Pound Cake

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Credit: Con Poulos
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Pound cake gets its name from a traditional recipe that includes a pound each of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. We upgraded the recipe with just 1/3 cup of sour cream, baking powder which acts as a leavener, and pure vanilla extract.

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Cinnamon-Toasted Pound Cake

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Warm and comforting, this pound cake tastes like home and feels like a hug. 

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Best Pound Cake

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Here's our best basic pound cake recipe, and whether you prefer a light or a slightly more dense crumb, this recipe delivers. Try the variation for a lighter cake made with sour cream if that's your preference. 

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Chocolate Pound Cake with Peanut Butter Glaze

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This delicious dessert translates the flavors of a peanut butter cup to pound cake form. 

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Pistachio Pound Cake with Drippy Icing

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The delicate green color of this cake comes from ground pistachios in the batter. It's topped with an easy icing made with confectioners' sugar, heavy cream, and lemon juice—and more pistachios!

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Cream-Cheese Pound Cakes

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Credit: Minh + Wass
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This rich make-ahead pound cake recipe calls for six eggs, eight ounces of cream cheese, three sticks of butter, and plenty of sugar.

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Blackberry-Swirl Pound Cake

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A deep jammy swirl of puréed blackberry runs throughout this cake. Be sure to serve slices with a dollop of whipped cream. 

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Brown Sugar-Walnut Pound Cake with Peach-Maple Sauce

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The walnuts in this cake caramelize when combined with brown sugar and heat. The result is a delectable nougat flavor to rejoice over.

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Double-Chocolate Pound Cake

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Credit: Con Poulos
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Double the chocolate means double the deliciousness in this pound cake recipe. 

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Chocolate Chip Pound Cake with Chocolate-Coffee Liqueur Sauce

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Think of this recipe as a dense, moist cake with chocolate in every bite. For even more flavor, it's served with a rich sauce made with Kahula.

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Orange-Barley Pound Cake

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Credit: Jonathan Lovekin
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Here's an irresistible twist on pound cake made with orange juice and zest and barley flour which gives this loaf a delicate crumb. And the glaze? It's a simple, delicious mix of confectioners' sugar, orange juice, and orange liqueur. 

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Brown-Sugar, Maple, and Pecan Pound Cake

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Credit: Con Poulos
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A little maple syrup, along with toasted pecans, give this pound cake a nutty, almost caramel flavor.

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Blueberry-Sour Cream Pound Cake with Lemon Cream

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Sour cream produces an extra tender pound cake and blueberries make for a wonderfully fruity bite. This recipe makes two loaves, which means twice the result for the same baking effort.

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Cinnamon-Raisin Pound Cake with Basic Glaze

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The classic fruit-spice combination works wonderfully in pound cake. The glaze is so simple to prepare: It's just confectioners' sugar and milk, but it's just the right touch to finish this loaf cake.

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By Kelly Vaughan