Classic Homemade Pound Cake (Grandma Miller’s Recipe)
This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
This traditional pound cake, with classic ingredients like butter and flour, is a family recipe that we enjoy for special occasions. It’s perfectly moist and basically melts in your mouth.
This pound cake recipe is extra special because it comes straight from Isaac’s grandma. She used to bake it for holidays and family gatherings, and it’s one of those recipes that instantly takes you back to her kitchen.
The texture is rich and buttery with that perfect golden crust and a soft, melt-in-your-mouth center. It’s simple, comforting and feels like home every time I make it.
I don’t share a lot of traditional desserts here on EBF, but this one deserves a spot. It’s a family classic we love making for birthdays, holidays or anytime we’re craving something nostalgic and sweet.
Table of Contents
“Absolutely delicious!!! I made it exactly as described. Added fresh fruit and whipped cream when I served it. It was a big hit!!! Thanks so much for sharing.”
Why I Love This Pound Cake Recipe
- Timeless – This is one of those old fashioned treats that never disappoints and always gets people talking.
- Bright – The mix of vanilla and lemon gives it a simple lift that makes each bite taste fresh and buttery.
- Tender – It bakes up soft in the center with a light golden crust that feels just right.
- Shareable – It is the kind of recipe you bring out for brunch or pass around after dinner because everyone loves a slice.
Ingredients in Pound Cake
I typically put my spin on recipes so they’re an upgraded, healthier version, but some things shouldn’t be tweaked so this is the classic recipe straight from Grandma Miller’s old recipe card! Here’s everything you’ll need to make the pound cake:
- sugar – you can’t have traditional cake without sugar.
- vegetable shortening and butter – this is what makes the pound cake nice and moist. Just be sure your butter is room temperature for easy mixing!
- vanilla extract – adds a warm, sweet flavor to the batter.
- lemon extract – the lemon extract adds a bright flavor to this cake.
- eggs – another key ingredient in this pound cake. The eggs help it rise and give it that beautiful golden color. Bring them to room temperature before mixing.
- all-purpose flour – all-purpose flour works great for this pound cake, but you can also use cake flour for a lighter texture.
- salt and baking powder – a small amount of each keeps the cake balanced and tender.
- milk – this helps moisten the dough and keeps the cake texture tender.
Substitutions
- Vegetable shortening: The original recipe uses shortening, but if you don’t have any or prefer not to use it, replace it with ½ cup butter (three sticks total).
- Gluten-free: I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, but if you try it, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend made for swapping evenly with all-purpose flour. If you try a gluten-free or dairy-free version, let me know in the comments how it turned out. I love hearing what works for you!
How to Make Pound Cake
Prep pans – Grease and flour a 9-inch tube pan or two 8-inch loaf pans. I usually use loaf pans for this recipe, but it looks really pretty in a bundt or tube pan.
Mix wet ingredients – In a large bowl, cream together the sugar, butter and shortening until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and lemon extract.
Mix dry ingredients – Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Slowly mix into the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk until just blended.
Bake – Pour the batter into the prepared pans and place in a cold oven. Set the temperature to 325ºF and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Cool and enjoy – Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for the Best Pound Cake
- Start with room temperature ingredients: Cold butter, eggs or milk can make the batter dense instead of fluffy.
- Grease and flour the pan well: This cake loves to stick, so make sure every corner is coated.
- Don’t overmix: Once the dry ingredients are combined, mix just until everything comes together for a soft, tender crumb.
How to Serve Pound Cake
This pound cake is insanely good on its own so feel free to eat it by the slice without any fancy toppings, but here are some additional ways to serve it up:
- Strawberry shortcake – Make a summer classic by serving this pound cake with strawberries and whipped cream. This is definitely my favorite way to serve it up!
- Ice cream and chocolate sauce – Go all out and top the cake with your favorite ice cream and drizzle a little chocolate sauce to top for good measure.
- Make a trifle – Cut the pound cake into cubes and layer with fruit, pudding (or whipped cream) for a beautiful dessert.
- Frosting – Make healthy chocolate frosting, greek yogurt frosting, or healthy cream cheese frosting and top with sprinkles to make a delicious celabratory cake!
How to Store Leftover Pound Cake
After letting the cake cool completely, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Pound cake also freezes really well! Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it sit on the counter to thaw before enjoying.
Frequently Asked Questions
True pound cake is a recipe that dates back to the 18th century. The name pound cake came about because the original recipe called for one pound each of flour, sugar, butter, and eggs.
The recipe has been adapted over time and as you’ll notice, Grandma Miller’s recipe doesn’t call for a pound of each ingredient, although it’s pretty close.
This is one of those old-fashioned tricks that makes a difference. Starting the cake in a cold oven allows it to rise slowly, giving you that perfect dense but soft crumb and even golden color.
The easiest way to tell is to insert a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, it’s ready. The top should be golden and slightly cracked.
More Desserts to Try
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Grandma Miller’s Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable shortening
- 1 cup 2 sticks of butter (at room temp)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 5 eggs, one at a time (at room temp)
- 3 cups flour*
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup milk, I used 2% milk
- powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Grease and flour a 9-inch tube pan or two 8-inch loaf pans.
- In a large bowl, cream together the sugar, butter and shortening until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla and lemon extract.
- Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; mix into the wet batter alternating with the milk just until blended. Pour into the prepared pan(s).
- Place in cold oven, set temperature to 325°F and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar if using, cut and serve.
Notes
- Vegetable shortening: The original recipe calls for vegetable shortening. If you don’t want to use shortening I recommend cutting this out and using an extra 1/2 cup of butter, so 3 sticks total.
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour but you can also use cake flour if you want the cake to be less dense. I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour!
- Storage: Let the cake cool completely, then store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To freeze, wrap well and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
Was just wondering how many cups of batter does this recipe make? Wanting to make sure I get a Bundt pan large enough. Thanks
Hi Kimberly – I am not sure how many cups of batter this recipe makes, but you will need a 9-inch bundt pan for this recipe. Hope this helps and you enjoy this recipe.
It looks amazing. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, Baishakhi! You have to let me know if you make this recipe and how it turns out. : )
Absolutely delicious!!! I made it exactly as described. Added fresh fruit and whipped cream when I served it. It was a big hit!!! Thanks so much for sharing.
Yay!! I’m so glad this pound cake was a hit, Laura! Thanks so much for trying it and coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!
Beautiful consistency (I made it gluten free). Very sugary. Next time, I’ll try a bit less sugar.
Oh yay so glad it turned out for you, Dawn. Did you use gluten-free all-purpose flour?