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.
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 Needed for Pound Cake
- Butter – I like to use salted butter, use your unsalted butter if preferred.
- Granulated Sugar
- Large Eggs
- Whole Milk
- All Purpose Flour
- Almond Extract
- Vanilla Extract
How to Make Million Dollar Pound Cake
- Grease and flour a 12- cup bundt pan. See notes if you have a smaller bundt pan.
- Add a pound of butter to a mixing bowl. Cream butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add in sugar with the mixer running.
- Mix in eggs one at a time until incorporated.
- Next, add flour with the mixer on low speed, a bit at a time, alternating with milk. Mix until all combined.
- Add in vanilla and almond extracts, just until combined.
- Pour cake batter into prepared pan and smooth out evenly with a rubber spatula.
- Bake for 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 40 minutes.
- Cool in pan for 10 minutes.
- Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
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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.
Serving Suggestions
- 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.
- Serve with caramel sauce, chocolate sauce or any berry sauce. Lemon curd is also great with pound cake.
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.
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Million Dollar Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1 pound salted butter 4 sticks, room temperature plus more to butter the pan
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 4 cups all purpose flour plus more for flouring the pan
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Whipped Cream and fresh fruit for serving optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°.
- Prepare 12-cup bundt or tube pan by greasing with butter and then dusting with flour.
- 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.
- 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Delicious Pound Cakes
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Best Tools for Baking Pound Cake
- Bundt Pan or Tube Pan: works best for this recipe. You could also split into two loaf pans.
- Electric mixer: best to get the batter mixed to the lightest and fluffiest.
- Slicone spatula: essential for scraping the batter into the pan.
- Wire cooling rack: perfect for cooling cakes and cookies.
- Serrated knife: great for getting those perfect slices.
How cups was the cake pan that you used?
Hi Jeanette,
A 12 cup bundt pan works best.
~ Milisa
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?
Hi Linda,
I think that would work just fine and it sounds amazing! Let me know how it turns out.
~ Milisa
I do not see any baking powder in your recipe, is there supposed to be a teaspoon of it?
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
It said 300°
*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. ðŸ˜
Hi Etta,
I’m sorry your cake overflowed! I have updated the recipe card with more clear instructions.
~ Milisa
Worked great for a lamb cake! Made enough batter for 2 of them.
Hi Brittany,
That’s awesome, thanks for stopping by with your experience.
~ Milisa
A family favorite!
This is by far the best pound cake recipe I have tried. I baked one yesterday and everyone loved it. Thanks for sharing!!
Hi Tasha,
I am so glad y’all enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by.
~ Milisa
Hi Tasha,
It’s my favorite too! So glad y’all loved it.
~ Milisa
Can you use cake flour in this?
Hi Corrine,
I have not tried it with cake flour, let me know how it turns out if you do.
~ Milisa
Hi,
Looking for a really good Pound Cake Recipe. Can you use Buttermilk instead of regular Milk?
Hi Lori,
I haven’t tried that but I think it will absolutely work. Let me know how it does if you try it.
~ Milisa
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.
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
10 out of 10 recommend
Hi Leona,
So glad you liked it! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving 5 stars!
~ Milisa
This is my go to pound cake for all occasions I’ve been making this for about 10yrs now it’s always a winner. Have several friends who will not make it but always request I make them one♥♥♥ You will love it
Hi Deborah,
It’s my favorite too, thanks for stopping by.
~ Milisa
Thank you so much for the detailed recipe other than me putting a little too much batter in my pan it came out great and my husband says he likes this one better than all my other pound cakes
Hi Chandra,
I am so glad y’all enjoyed this pound cake, it’s our favorite too.
~ Milisa
Can you put this in a loaf pan
Hi Kenzie,
Yes you can – it will fill 2 9 x 5 loaf pans.
~ Milisa
Should I make any adjustments to this recipe at 4200′ elevation? thanks
Hi Ruth,
I used to live at about 4600′ elevation and I never adjusted my baking recipes. General rule of thumb is to increase baking temperature 25° and reduce cooking time 8 – 10 minutes. Let me know if you try and make any adjustments.
~ Milisa