This Buttermilk Pound Cake recipe is moist, flavorful, and easy to make. The perfect dessert for any occasion!
I just love a pound cake. There’s something magical about the simplicity of a perfectly baked, deliciously flavored pound cake. But, I love really simple things like that. My family often jokingly calls me the “Mayor of Vanillatown” because of my love for simple flavors. (No offense to the Mayor of Flavortown, Mr. Guy Fieri. 😆)
The name pound cake comes from the fact that the original recipe, thought to be northern European, contained a pound each of butter, flour, sugar, and eggs. Fortunately, we’ve since adapted the recipe a bit.
In fact, we worked for weeks to get this one right. Testing cake after cake and variation after variation to get it to the point where we feel it needs to be. I think we made something close to 8 different versions. Nevertheless, I think we have landed on a buttermilk pound cake recipe that is both delicious and easy to implement.
Ingredient FAQs
Real quick before we hop into some ingredient details, here is something to keep in mind: When you are looking at different pound cake recipes whether new or traditional pound cake recipes, you will almost always find that the ratios of fat to flour to sugar remain relatively the same but variations on ingredients range from butter to shortening to cream cheese to sour cream and milk to buttermilk to water. And that’s ok, for the most part. It’s one of those things where you just have to decide what “tastes” like pound cake to you and realize that each ingredient presents certain challenges and advantages.
Unsalted butter – Make sure your butter is unsalted. And, you will want to give your butter time to reach room temperature before you mix it in with the sugar.
Granulated sugar – I recommend only granulated white sugar for this recipe.
Eggs – You will need 4 large eggs for this recipe. Make sure you get the large size. Anything smaller can change how your pound cake turns out. And, make sure your eggs are brought to room temperature before you add them to the other ingredients. Room-temperature eggs blend so much better with other ingredients than cold eggs.
All-purpose flour – I highly recommend you use all-purpose flour over self-rising flour for this particular dessert. Ingredient measurements are important to make this the best pound cake possible. It’s easier to make sure you are getting the correct amount of rising agent when you don’t substitute all-purpose flour and baking powder for self-rising flour. And, that is extra important when baking pound cakes.
Salt – Salt enhances the overall flavor of the pound cake, balancing the sweetness and other flavors. So, be sure you don’t skip out on the salt!
Baking Soda – Baking soda is a leavening agent that helps the pound cake rise and become fluffy. You want to make extra sure you are measuring this amount correctly.
Buttermilk – Buttermilk is a tangy dairy product that adds moisture and a subtle tanginess to the pound cake. I highly recommend using actual buttermilk. However, if you can not get ahold of buttermilk, you may use a buttermilk substitute by following the directions below.
Vanilla & Almond Extracts – I am not picky about the brand you use here. I don’t even mind if you use vanilla and almond flavoring rather than extract. This is one ingredient you can alter a little to accommodate what you may already have on hand. The end result will still be just as delicious.
How to substitute milk for buttermilk:
Don’t have buttermilk on hand? Only have regular milk? No problem! While there may be a slight change in flavor, you absolutely can convert regular milk into a buttermilk substitute with the help of vinegar or lemon juice:
- You will need 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice for every 1 cup of milk.
- Start by adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a 1-cup liquid measuring cup. Then add enough milk to create 1 cup. Stir the milk and lemon juice or vinegar really well.
- Let the mixture sit at room temperature for about 5 to 10 minutes. The milk will curdle slightly and thicken. It will also develop a tangy flavor similar to buttermilk.
- Once your improvised buttermilk has thickened slightly, it is ready to use.
Perfect Pound Cake Tips
- Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature. This allows the cake ingredients to emulsify together.
- Make sure to measure your flour correctly. The method I recommend is to spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup and then use the back of a butter knife to level off the flour in the cup.
- Cream the butter and sugar together very well. The process typically takes about 5 minutes. Yes, five whole minutes.
- Don’t over mix after adding the eggs. Once the eggs go into the batter, you want to mix just enough to get everything combined, but not too much. Whipping too much air into the batter can cause the cake to overflow and eventually fall.
- Be sure to pick the right pan and grease and flour it well. I typically use a paper towel to smear vegetable shortening on the entire pan surface, dust the pan in all-purpose flour, and shake the excess flour out. Many have had success using homemade cake release. To do this, simply mix equal parts of all-purpose flour, vegetable shortening, and vegetable oil together until smooth and use a pastry brush to coat the pan before adding the batter. Extra release can be store in the fridge in an airtight container for several months. We tested many different cake pans, but determined that the newer cake pans did the best with releasing the cake over our antique pans.
- Make sure the cake is done. The cook time will vary based on the specific oven, pan type, etc. The cake should be golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. A few moist crumbs are ok. I typically like to also temp my cakes using an instant read thermometer. I shoot for between 208°F and 210°F.
Recipe Card
Buttermilk Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour*
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease and flour a 10 to 12-cup bundt pan. Set aside.
- Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy – about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing just enough to fully incorporate each egg after adding. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together.
- Add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the butter mixture, alternately. Start with 1/3 of the dry, then half the milk, another 1/3 of the dry, the other 1/2 of the milk, then the remaining dry. Mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.
- Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix to combine.
- Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Gently tap the pan on the countertop to force air bubbles to the top of the batter. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Bake times may vary**. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then place a plate or platter over the pan and invert to turn the cake out onto the plate. Allow to cool completely. Slice and serve. Store covered on the counter for a few days or in the refrigerator for longer.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note:
If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Second time making this and each time it comes out with a beautiful crust and buttery taste. Last minute and delicious. Easy to make.
It’s beautiful!! Glad you enjoyed it!
My husband asked me if you can make this pound cake in chocolate. How would I go about doing this? I will be making another pound cake today but thought I could also make one in chocolate. I’m thinking that I could just add one or two tablespoons of Cocoa to the dry ingredients. What do you think?
Hi Kathleen! I’ve not tried turning this into a chocolate version, so I can’t say for sure. I think you’d have to reduce the amount of flour roughly by whatever amount of cocoa powder you add to ensure the cake doesn’t end up dry.
OMG I just took the cake out of the oven and it smells divine! I followed the recipe exactly and can’t wait for the cake to be cool.
It looks absolutely perfect!! Hope it tastes as good as it looks!
We just had a piece of cake. So moist and wonderful flavor. My family said that I have to keep making this cake and never ever change a thing. It’s absolutely perfect the way it is. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
So happy to hear that, Kathleen!!!
Stacey: Sounds like a perfect pairing with buttermilk ice cream.
Love that idea!
I made the pound cake this week. It’s so moist and flavorful! My only “oops” was that my bundt pan was too small and it overflowed. I always put a tray under by bundt pans just for this reason. I will make it again and use a larger tube pan or one of my larger decorative bundt pans. But what if I want to make it as a loaf? What should the cook times be adjusted to?
Thanks, Debora! So glad you enjoyed it! It’s beautiful! You should be able to divide the batter between two loaf pans. The cook time will be less, but I can’t say exactly.
If I could give this 10 stars I would. This is the most light, delightful, best tasting pound cake I have ever had. This surely will be a card club night favorite from now on.
It’s beautiful, Patti and that pan makes it look even better! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe!
Thoughts on adding your brown butter glaze to this buttermilk cake???
I think that sounds AMAZING! Though, I think I’d eat brown butter on just about anything. 🙂
Looking forward to try this recipe today, however, if using a non-stick coated pan, should I bake the cake 25 degrees lower than specified temperature?
Hope you’ll enjoy it! While I’ve never reduced the oven temp on this recipe, regardless of the pan, you can certainly try it. Often times recipes will call for a reduced oven temp when you’re baking something at a high temp while using a dark colored pan as the dark color conducts heat differently. Most of my nonstick pans have a lighter silver coating now.
You mentioned ‘baking powder’ in Tips section and ‘baking soda’ in the recipe section, which one should it be? Thank you.
You’ll want to use baking soda in this recipe.
Still in the oven, but batter tasted great and it looks beautiful with 15 min left. PLEASE, PLEASE put the info about using cake flour in the notes section. I thought I was doing the right thing using cake flour until I read the comments (while the cake is baking). It looks like I needed 7 more TBS of cake flour 🫣!! I have to exact GF, so not used to using other flours. A pound cake is my husbands fave for his BD. Hoping it comes out ok. I’ll circle back with a photo.
Success!!! Even with the 7 TBSP of flour missing (see previous post about cake flour). Taste and texture were right on the mark! But the best part, my husband loved it….it was for his birthday.
It’s beautiful, Kristen! So glad it turned out great for you and that your husband enjoyed it!
I actually don’t recommend using cake flour with this recipe. I just replied to that comment to give the conversion. I’m glad it turned out great for you!!
Can you use salted butter? I don’t have unsalted
Yes, it will work in a pinch. 🙂
So good!! Made a glaze to top it off and patriotic sprinkles..chef’s kiss!
It’s beautiful! Love the festive sprinkles!
Taste! Five glorious stars! The cake was bumpin!!!good! Thank you for the recipe and sharing it!
Awesome! Love hearing that!
Well.. i made your buttermilk pound cake recipe today..and if I were not such a hic… i would be able to post this picture I took of this beautiful cake. I usually do sour cream because i love a crunchy top and normally use a regular angel food cake pan for my pound cakes but used a bundt today instead. Looking at the cake its picture perfect. It also has a crunchy top..and i come now to believe that its the slow cooking thats gives the tops a crunch not the type dairy used..but sour cream and buttermilk are almost double first cousins..dontcha think?. I will have to repost able the taste later..as that we will cut it tonight at supper….yeah
. I am a hic..we eat supper..dinner is earlier in the day! Lol. Thanks for sharing and God Bless us all…always. ps..figured it out..photo attached
Hopefully it tasted as good as it looked!
Just made this pound cake! It looks delicious…have yet to try it. I used butter, flour, and then used sugar in the bottom of the Bundt pan. Cooled for about 10 minutes. Came out instantly!
Awesome! So happy to hear it!
I have my aunts recipe for the buttermilk pound cake it was her mother’s. She used vanilla and lemon flavoring, instead of butter she used cooking oil, I used crisco. She used self rising flour this is the only change to her mother’s recipe. I have a tube pan one my aunt gave me it’s a steel pan she got it at the restaurant supply store many years ago. I use the spray flour in my pan have never had a cake stick in it and I’ve made fruit cakes as well as pound cakes and it never sticks.
Sounds great!
I love ❤️ all your recipe’s.
Thanks, Anna!
I have been making pound cakes for over 50 years as my mother did before me. This is my new favorite recipe. I had no problem with sticking. I used two 9″ Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Non-Stick Loaf Pans that I rubbed a tad of butter over and lightly dusted with flour. I popped them right out of the pans after pulling from oven after cooking 1 hr and 15 minutes. I highly recommend cultured buttermilk and not low-fat, though it can be hard to find. Definitely a keeper recipe.
SO glad to hear you’ve enjoyed it, Anita!! Thank you!
Can you freeze it?
I don’t see why not.
Made this for a party last weekend- I locked the beaters and the batter was delicious (good sign) used sugar over grape seed oil spray and it released beautifully after cooling about 15 min- everyone said it was the best pound cake they had ever tasted- people were shoveling it down! It was gone fast…I made a blueberry lemon compote to drizzle over it which I love but it honestly didn’t need it…definitely keeping as my go to!
Licked not locked!👀
That sounds amazing!! So glad you enjoyed it!
While i have not yet baked this cake (though it looks and reads delicious and so i hope to bake it very soon!), you remarked that as you tried several variations of the cake, the problem always seemed to be getting the cake out of the pan successfully. I read another recipe not too long ago, where the baker said she uses granulated sugar instead of all purpose flour to prepare her pan. Though I have not tried this myself, i wonder if the crystals in the sugar might somehow work to help your cake (or any cake) to release more consistently. I would love to know if anyone else uses sugar instead of flour for pan preparation.
Hi Lynda! Yes, I’ve actually tried this on several occasions. The sugar melts and gives the exterior a delicious crunchy texture. I’m not sure that it necessarily helped the cake release, but it did improve the outside texture. The thing about using sugar thought is you’ll want to make sure that you invert and release the cake before the sugar has time to cool and harden back up or it will stick even worse.
I use the sugar method instead of flour and sometimes I use a cinnamon sugar. Stacey is right it creates a yummy crust.
I kept reading notes about substituting sugar for flour to give the cake a crunchy exterior and it was a disaster. Maybe I did something wrong, but I’ve cooked many cakes in this pan and this is the first to stick, and it was a catastrophe. I had to spoon it out of the pan. Feedback is welcome. 😉
Just so I’m clear, you used sugar to coat the pan and not flour? So, the cake tasted good, but it stuck?
How much buttermilk goes into a buttermilk pound cake
This recipe calls for 1 cup of buttermilk.
I plan on making this tomorrow. Can you use cake flour instead of all purpose flour?
You can use cake flour, but the amounts will need to be adjusted as cake flour is just a finer milled low protein flour. If I remember correctly, you’ll need to add an additional 2 tablespoons of cake flour for each cup of all purpose flour. I’m pretty sure the exact conversion/swap is listed on the box.
I have a question. I’m not a fan of anything almond. Can I just substitute another teaspoon of vanilla for the teaspoon of almond extract?
Absolutely!
Question : How to make Cubed Steak turn out tender ? I only want to batter and fry them, but mine always, always turn out tough as leather even though the store tenderizes them. I’m looking for Chicken Fried Steak. I have no luck at all with fried meat, unless it’s Fried Fish. With that I’m going to try Your Breaded Okra. That, Fried Fish, Fried Onion Rings, & of course Fried Hushpuppies is a must, about once or twice a year. We are from Louisiana. We love good fried food. Thanks in advance for your reply. I pray you have a wonderful day.
I like to pound the meat out with a mallet even after it’s been done by the store. I think it does help some when I know I’m going to fry them like with chicken fried steak.
Thanks !!! I will try this and hope it will be fork tender.
You are so wonderful to reply with such helpful advice.
Take care.
I made this Buttermilk Pound Cake tonight. Followed the recipe as written. Baked it a total of 1 hr. 15 min. I had sprayed the Bundt pan with cake release. This was absolutely the best, moist, delightfully sweet, cake we have ever eaten, esp. beings I’m not much of a baker. Had a little trouble getting it out of the pan, but ran a knife down the sides and around the funnel. The cake amazingly rose to the very top of the pan, with a nice crust around the outside of the cake. We enjoyed slices of this warm cake tonight after dinner. Looking forward for some more the next couple of days. I marked this recipe as The Best !!! Oh, I even followed all the helpful tips. Thanks Ever So Much.
Fantastic! I’m so glad it turned out great for you!
This is definitely The Best Pound Cake, Ever ! I and my sister love it.
I plan on making this again for a function at church on the 18th. of March.
I know it will be a wonderful dessert that everyone will love. Tonight I plan on making your Biscuits, b/c I have enough Buttermilk left. I never made good Biscuits before, but I’m keeping the positive attitude these will be grand. Thanks for helping me to be a good baker. I enjoy it. I’m just not good at it, least till now. I love your site. God Bless You and whom ever taught you.
I’d love to hear how they turned out!
Sooo good. I’ve done this pound cake three times now. First time we had it for dessert when invited to a dinner and twice for home.
I’m so glad it has turned out well fr you, Elaine!
LOVE anything made with buttermilk…..but I don’t own a bundt pan!!! Do, however, have a 10″ tube pan with removal bottom; think this will be an acceptable substitute?
Sure! That should work!
That was just the best Pound Cake. Easy to make ! Very tasty, came out of the pan no problem. Make no chances to to the recipe, it is perfect. I will be making this again!! Thank you
I’m tickled to hear it turned out great for you!
Thanks so much Stacy! Love this site, your recipes are amazing!
You’re so welcome! Thanks for the kind words!
Can I use lowfat buttermilk? Thanks!
I don’t see why not. Enjoy!
It tastes great too. Finally cooled!!!
Awesome! So happy to hear it!
Love love this cake have made several times always comes out amazing
Thanks, Joe! So glad to hear it!
I made it tonight and put in long and short loaf pans. I did alter the recipe a bit. 1 cup of butter and equal amounts of sugar and flour (3 cups each).
My favorite pound cake to make! The men in our church builds wheelchair ramps for those in need. I always make this cake for them to have as a treat!
That’s amazing, Karen! Thanks for helping to support their great work!
I just took the cake out of the oven. I had a little problem releasing the cake from the pan, so I tasted the little bit of cake that was left in the bottom of the pan. It is delicious! The color is beautiful also. I will definitely use this recipe again.
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear it turned out great for you!
Absolutely delicious. I used Bob’s Red Mill Fine Pastry flour . Cooked down some strawberries and blueberries and spooned it warm on top of the slices. Rave reviews from my family! Thank you!
Tried giving it 5 stars but it wouldn’t work. Definitely 5 stars!
So glad to hear everyone enjoyed it!!
Great cake, can you substitute lemon extract for the almond extract for a good lemon flavor?
I think you could certainly substitute lemon for the almond.
Omg this was the best pound cake I’ve ever had. It turned out perfect!
Wonderful! So glad it turned out great for you!
Cake came out perfect went strickley by recipe perfect texture taste superb
Thank you so much!
This is a great recipe. I will be adding this to my “favorites”. Everyone loved it. Thank you!
Thank you!
My mouth is watering. I’ve order the almond extract that is missing in my pantry and I shall be making this cake today. I pray it turns out nice like your pictures because pound cake is my second favorite cake with a nice cup of coffee or a tall glass of ice water. Wish me luck.
Good Luck! But you won’t need it!!!
To get a cake to release every time!!! turn it over on a cloth/plate/rack while the pan is still hot.. Cover the bottom of the pan with a wet, squeezed out, dish cloth and let it sit a few minutes. My mother taught me this more than 50 years ago. Never fails.
I will definitely be trying this method! Thanks!
Great pictures and explained correctly just like measuring.
Thank you so much Suzzette!
Love it, thank you🥰
Thanks you so much Shonda!
This recipe sounds amazing! Do you think a little lemon juice would be too much in this? And could it be made with einkorn flour?
Lemon juice would be a great addition! As for the einkorn flour, I have never tried it so you will have to let us know how it goes!
Your recipes are awesome! I enjoy cooking, especially baking, and your recipes are a delight to make!!
Thank you for sharing!!!
Norman, thank you so much!
I made this wonderful cake and it was absolutely perfect and delicious! It turned out so beautifully that someone even told me it looked like a cake you would buy at professional bakery! That’s a huge “WOW” for me because pound cakes aren’t my strong suit. Thank you for sharing all f your wonderful recipes!!
Diane, I am so proud of you! Thanks for stepping out of your comfort zone and trusting my recipes!
It would be nice to get the recipe in oz or grams. Thank you
USE GOOD QUALITY BUTTER (unsalted in my case) …
And measure your eggs to make sure 4 large eggs = 1 liquid cup (8 ounces)
Clean stick is too well done for my liking. Moist crumbs on the stick, take it out 🙂
I like the temp probe idea, I really do need to get one :))
Thanks Stacey!!!
Thanks so much Ellen!
Hi Stacey –
My husband just bought me an air fryer “to make it easy to prepare dinner”. Although I have been cooking for years I have no idea what works best cooked that way. (The accompanying literature is not offering many recipes.) Just wondering if you have any advice or recipes to suggest . I always appreciate the recipes you share. Thank you. – always susan (in Florida)
Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of experience with using an air fryer. Here is a link to another recipe blogger that I trust that has lots more experience in that area!
https://therecipecritic.com/air-fryer-recipes/
would it be ok to reverse the flavorings – we are real fans of almond, so I was thinking 2 t almond; 1 t vanilla – or maybe even 1-1/2 t of each.
Thoughts???
Either way should work fine, whatever you prefer!
Btw, still loving your new website redesign, Stacey. 🙂
I love pound cake and have searched for years for a fairly genuine but easy enough recipe. I haven’t tried any of the ones I found but I’m really liking the way yours reads. I had a very good German Almond pound cake recipe many, many years ago but have lost it over time. The almonds were whole and on the outside of the cake, not the inside.
Also, I don’t have a bundt cake pan anymore. Can I use a loaf pan? I realize I would need to adjust the baking time.
Aileen, I am sure that you could use a loaf pan but this amount of batter will be WAY too much for a loaf pan. If you happen to have two loaf pans you could half that amount between the two pans or simply half the recipe altogether!