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Million Dollar Pound Cake

Million Dollar Pound Cake is a buttery and decadent dessert to serve for any occasion. It is perfectly delicious served plain or topped with whipped cream and fresh berries. Easy enough for any day of the week and a great dessert for celebrations, holidays and any special occasion.

Million Dollar Pound Cake

A while back I was looking through my mom’s recipe binder and came across a clipping from the Rural Electric Arkansas magazine with the classic Million Dollar Pound Cake recipe, It’s a southern classic that literally taste’s like a million bucks!

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Why You Will Love this Million Dollar Pound Cake

  • Just a few pantry ingredients for a simple and delicious homemade cake.
  • This pound cake is rich and buttery with a dense crumb.
  • An easy recipe that can be made for any occasion and delicious enough for holidays.
Ingredients for pound cake: butter, sugar, flour, eggs, milk, vanilla & almond extract

Ingredients Needed

  • Butter – I like to use salted butter, use your preference.
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Large Eggs
  • Almond Extract
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Milk
  • All Purpose Flour

How to Make Million Dollar Pound Cake

step by step photos of mixing butter, sugar and eggs for pound cake
  1. Add a pound of butter to a bowl. Cream butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add in sugar with the mixer running. 
  2. Mix in eggs one at a time until incorporated. 
Mixing flour, milk and extracts into pound cake batter

3. Next, add flour with the mixer on low, a bit at a time, alternating with milk. Mix until all combined. 

4. Fold in vanilla and almond extracts. 

Greasing and flouring a bundt pan

5. Grease and flour a 12- cup bundt pan. See notes if you have a smaller bundt pan.

Bundt pan filled with pound cake batter

6. Pour in cake batter and smooth out evenly. 

Baked bundt cake - overhead view

7. Bake for 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 40 minutes. 

8. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Pound cake cooling on a wire rack

9. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Slices of pound cake on 2 plates with whipped cream, strawberries and blueberries, blue napkin

Slice and serve plain or with whipped cream and fresh strawberries or mixed berries. 

Tips for Baking Pound Cake

  • Leavening: It seems unusual that this pound cake does not included baking soda or baking powder but it does not. This cake rises simply from the air incorporated during the mixing process. 
  • Make sure to grease your bundt pan well and dust it with flour. This will ensure your cake doesn’t stick. 
  • Smaller Bundt Pan: Fill the pan up to about an inch from the top and bake the remaining batter using a cupcake pan.
  • Loaf Pan: This recipe will fill two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans if you prefer to make pound cake in a loaf. 
  • Bake on the middle oven rack so that the top doesn’t over brown. 
  • Check your cake for doneness about 10 minutes before the cooking time is up. Oven temperatures can vary. Inserting a long toothpick or sharp knife near the center will come out clean when the cake is baked through.
  • Use a sharp knife to loosen the cake from the edges of the pan before removing. 
  • Allow cake to cool completely for nice, clean slices.

Whole pound cake on a white plate - top view

How to Store Pound Cake

  • Pound cake can be wrapped tight with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature up to three days. If refrigerated, it will keep up to about a week.
  • Freeze: You can also freeze pound cake by wrapping it in several layers of plastic wrap and placing in a freezer bag or wrapped in foil. It will keep about 6 months in the freezer. Thaw to room temperature before serving. 
Million Dollar Pound Cake with fresh berries and whipped cream, 2 plates and cake plate with whole bundt cake

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Best Tools for Baking Pound Cake

Slice of pound cake with whipped cream and berries, bundt cake in background

This is the best pound cake recipe and it is delicious with or without a glaze I usually just serve it with fresh berries and whipped cream. Add a simple powdered sugar glaze by mixing 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon melted butter and 2 tablespoons of milk. Drizzle over cooled cake.

For a thick and rich glazed try this Amaretto Pound Cake. It’s rich and buttery with delicious Amaretto syrup poured over the top while it’s still warm. 

Favorite Pound Cake Recipes to Try

Buttery pound cake with 2 slices out

Pound cake has always been one of my favorite desserts and this is probably my most favorite version. The buttery flavor really stands out and the texture of this cake is velvety and smooth with a crunchy crust. It’s one of the best desserts you can make for any occasion.

If you love this recipe as much as we do, please leave a comment and a five star review. Help us share on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook!

Million Dollar Pound Cake
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4.59 from 158 votes

Million Dollar Pound Cake

Million Dollar Pound Cake is a buttery and decadent dessert to serve for any occasion. It is perfectly delicious served plain or topped with whipped cream and fresh berries. Easy enough for any day of the week and a great dessert for celebrations, holidays and special occasions.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 40 minutes
Total Time1 hour 55 minutes
Course: Cakes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 861kcal
Author: Milisa

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of salted butter 4 sticks, room temperature
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 6 large eggs room temperature
  • 4 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • shortening or butter for greasing the pan
  • additional flour for flouring the pan
  • Whipped Cream and fresh fruit for serving optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 300°.
  • Add softened butter to a large mixer bowl and beat at medium speed for 5 minutes. Gradually add in sugar while mixing and continue to mix until batter is fluffy and light in color.
  • Mix in eggs one at a time with the mixer running until all incorporated.
  • Add flour a bit at a time, alternating with milk and mix well.
  • Fold in vanilla and almond extracts.
  • Prepare 12-cup bundt or tube pan by greasing with shortening or butter and then dusting with flour.
  • Pour batter into pan and smooth evenly.
  • Bake on the center rack of the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes or until a sharp knife inserted into center comes out clean.
  • Remove from oven and allow cake to cool 10 minutes. Loosen edges of cake with a sharp knife and invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Serve plain or with whipped cream and fresh fruit if desired.

Notes

Store cooled cake wrapped tight with plastic wrap at room temperature up to 3 days or in refrigerator up to 7 days.
Freeze cake wrapped in several layers of plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag or a layer of foil up to 6 months.
If using a smaller bundt pan, fill cake pan up to about an inch from the top wih batter and bake the remaining batter in a cupcake pan.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 861kcal | Carbohydrates: 109g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 214mg | Sodium: 355mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 60g

68 Comments

  1. This was delicious! I did make one adjustments because it is a preference in taste. I used 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract instead of 1 teaspoon. It was perfect!

      1. Hi Linda,
        Yes, you can skip the almond extract and use more vanilla. I also make it with lemon or orange extract for a citrus flavor that is really delicious.

        ~ Milisa

  2. Almost forty years ago, I had a recipe for “German Pound Cake.” I lost the recipe after moving house, and haven’t found anything quite like it.
    The recipe I had calls for alternating layers of batter with layers of streusel mixed with nuts and maraschino cherries. Begin with batter, and end with the streusel-nuts-cherries mixture on top. When it has been baked and cooled, invert it onto a plate; the “top” layer of streusel-nuts-cherries becomes the bottom layer when it’s on a plate. The nuts were walnuts, I believe, and no almond extract was used.
    Thank you for this recipe! I hope to bake that cake again for a special occasion, after all these years.

      1. Could you use loaf pans for this? If so how many, what temp and how long? I LOVE this recipes but don’t want to make a huge one for everyone for Christmas.

        1. Hi Shannan,
          I think it will make 2 – 9 X 5 inch loaf pans. Baking time should be between 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, use a toothpick to test for doneness.

          ~ Milisa

  3. Omg I have tried so many and none came like this. Thank you so much for sharing. I was worried this would not turn out thinking the recipe missed the rising agent but it was perfect🥰🌹🙏

    1. Hi Catherine,
      I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I always have to go back and double check to make sure there isn’t any baking powder every time I make it 🙂

        1. Hi Ana,
          I haven’t tried it but I think you could do two 8″ round pans, reduce the baking time, probably to 20- 25 minutes.Let me know how it turns out if you try it.

          ~ Milisa

    1. Hi Joanna,
      You should be able to cut the recipe in half and it should bake about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. I have not tested this but it should work.

      ~ Milisa

  4. I have your Lemon Pound Cake recipe and the Amaretto version of the Million Dollar Pound Cake. Do you have any suggestions what substitutions I should make to convert the Million Dollar Pound Cake to a Lemon Pound Cake? My thought would be to substitute lemon juice for part of the milk the way Amaretto was substituted. Thanks for any suggestions.

    1. Hi Sue,
      I’ve been working on a lemon version but haven’t perfected it yet. I would try mixing lemon zest with the sugar and use lemon extract for the most lemon flavor.
      ~ Milisa

  5. Hi! I’m a new baker. My cake was not done in the middle. I’m wondering if my Bundt pan was too small. It rose way above the top of the pan

    1. Hi Jalen,
      I think a 12 cup bundt pan works best for this cake. If your bundt pan is smaller, you can always fill it 3/4 full and use the rest of the batter for cupcakes. Oven temperatures can vary and that may have caused your cake to not be done in the middle. I like to check it with a toothpick inserted in the center and if it comes out clean, it should be done. I hope that helps.

      ~ Milisa

  6. My family’s favorite pound cake recipe! It is buttery and delicious, the almond extract gives the cake a great flavor. Thanks for sharing!

  7. I never write reviews but I have to say this is now our go-to cake! I make it at least once a month and the whole family loves it. It is light, not too sweet, great with coffee or as a dessert. Thank you so much for an amazing recipe!

    1. Hi Stephanie,
      It is my favorite too. I’m so glad y’all are enjoying it and I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment.

      ~ Milisa

  8. Good evening I was just wondering if I can use the same recipe for a Cherrie and Walnut cake with rum instead of the almond and using 2 loaf pans?

    1. Hi Linda,
      As crazy as it sounds, there is no baking powder or leavening in this cake. It is one of my favorites, I hope you try it!

      ~ Milisa

  9. *DO NOT use a regular Bundt !!!*
    I should have read some of the replies 😩. Ohhhh well … it just over flowed in my oven, all that work and ingredients . I just wanted to cry. 😭

  10. 5 stars
    This is by far the best pound cake recipe I have tried. I baked one yesterday and everyone loved it. Thanks for sharing!!

  11. 4 stars
    Such an excellent cake! Took me a long ( much longer than 15 min) to mix together, but worth it. Baking at 300° was fine, but had to keep checking and testing the last 20 min. I think I may have overlooked it a tiny bit. Fresh off cooling rack it was perfection to taste. Once cool, I wrapped it very well and the next day it still tasted great, but a little dry and crust was hardening. Otherwise I am happy with the result.

    1. Hi Winifred,
      I am glad you enjoyed this pound cake. It could be a difference in oven temperatures. My oven doesn’t always regulate correctly so I have a thermometer in the oven to keep an eye on it.
      ~ Milisa

4.59 from 158 votes (154 ratings without comment)

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