- Southern pound cake with a moist and velvety crumb!
PREPARATION TIME:
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (measured correctly. See note.)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder (measured correctly. See note.)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups unsalted butter (room temperature) (3 sticks)
- 3 cups granulated cane sugar
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon pure lemon extract
- ¼ teaspoon pure coconut extract (optional but yum)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease a 10-cup bundt cake pan with a thin layer of shortening (I use butter-flavored shortening for this. It gives the crust a nice golden crunch and buttery flavor) and then very lightly coat it with flour. Set aside. (If using loaf pans use two 9.5 loaf pans) Set aside.
- In a large bowl add flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together well to make sure all of the dry ingredients are combined. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, cream together butter until creamy.
- Gradually add sugar while mixing at low speed. Mix for about 3 minutes until creamy and combined. (set timer).
- Mix in eggs one or two at a time, just until combined. Keep your mixture on low speed and do not overmix.
- Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients alternating with milk. Start and end with dry ingredients. Mix until batter is combined and fluffy. Keep the mixer on low speed. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl regularly.
- Stir in the vanilla extract, lemon extract, and coconut extract if using.
- Spoon batter evenly into prepared bundt pan. Shake and tap the pan on the counter to even out the batter and release any air pockets.
- Place on the middle rack and bake for 1 hour and 10-20 minutes (check on it at the 70-minute mark) or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the pound cake comes out clean. (Ovens vary and you may need to add a few more minutes) To be on the safe side, I peel up a piece of the cake to make sure it’s done. Since this is the bottom of the cake nobody will see it.
- Place pan on a cooling rack until it is cool enough to touch but still warm.
- Carefully remove the cake from the pan and place it on a wire rack to cool.
- Slice the cooled cake and serve. *Remember pound cake is one of those desserts that gets even better the next day.
Notes
- Measuring flour: To measure flour, first sift the flour and spoon it into the measuring cup until overflowing, give the cup a few taps in case there are any air pockets, and then level it off with the back of the knife to prevent using too little or too much flour. Do not pack the flour.
Measure baking powder & salt: Scoop from the container and level it off with the back of a knife.
