This vanilla-flavored pound cake is my mother-in-law’s go-to recipe. Interestingly, her friend Betty gave it to her years ago, and it’s handwritten on a recipe card. The card is titled “A Good Pound Cake,” and it features handwritten notes on both the front and back. Over the years, my mother-in-law has tweaked the recipe to suit her taste, and everyone who has tried it has become a fan. As a result, the descriptor “a good pound cake” has become its official name. Trust me, the simple cake truly lives up to its name!
Flour
Use Two Types of Flour for A Good Pound Cake
This cake uses a 2:1 ratio of all-purpose and self-rising flour: 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 cup self-rising flour. Sift them together to combine. The recipe originally called for 3 cups of all-purpose flour. However, over time, my mother-in-law noticed that this cake didn’t rise as well as it did a few years back. In the past, her cakes came out of the oven very tall. She tried many things to solve this puzzle. Finally, her solution was to substitute a cup of self-rising flour for the all-purpose flour. Then the cake rose as tall as she remembered it being when she made it years ago.
How to Measure Flour for a Good Pound Cake
You should always carefully measure ingredients accurately when making a cake. If the recipe calls for 3 cups of flour, fluff it before putting it into the measuring cup, being careful not to pack it. Then use a knife to level the top of the measuring cup. Place it into a wire mesh over a bowl and use a whisk or the back of a spoon to sift it.
Careful measuring helps prevent adding too much flour to the batter, which can make the cake dry.
Preparing the Pan
Use shortening to grease the cake pan. I have found that a basting brush works best because you can spread the shortening faster and better than other methods. After smearing the pan with shortening, dust it with flour and tap out any excess.
Mixing the Batter
The batter for this cake will be thick and creamy, and it mixes quickly.
Questions & Answers for A Good Pound Cake
Can I turn this vanilla pound cake into a chocolate one?
Yes, it is easy to turn this vanilla cake into a chocolate one. Add 1/2 cup cocoa powder in place of 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, and reduce the vanilla extract to 2 teaspoons and add 1 extra tablespoon of buttermilk.
Do I need to use room-temperature buttermilk?
Yes, the buttermilk, eggs, and butter need to be at room temperature because they mix better and bake more evenly. Cold ingredients can lower the temperature of the batter, which can mess up your baking time.
Other Pound Cake Recipes You Might Enjoy
Click on the name to link to the recipe.
- Simple Pound Cake Recipe
- Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- Buttermilk Almond Pound Cake
- Cheerwine Chocolate Cake
- Almond Cream Cheese Pound Cake
A Good Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- 1 cup (or 2 sticks) butter, salted, room temperature
- ½ cup shortening (Crisco used)
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature and shaken (can substitute whole milk)
- extra shortening to grease the pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Coat a large tube pan thoroughly with shortening, then dust with flour. Set aside.
- Sift the flour. Set aside.
- Beat the butter and shortening with a mixer until creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat well.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating just until incorporated into the butter mixture.
- Alternate adding the flour and buttermilk together, beginning and ending with the flour. Do not overbeat.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Run a knife through the batter, then tap the pan a few times on the counter to settle the batter.
- Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Check the cake after 55 minutes. If it browns too much on top, spray one side of a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray. Add the sheet to the top of the pan with the sprayed side facing the cake pan.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Then turn it out onto a cake plate.