Sour cream pound cake is a classic Southern dessert that is a definite crowd pleaser, no matter what time of year.  This moist cake is known for its fine crumb and dense, yet airy, texture.  In fact, the sour cream in this pound cake makes it extra moist and provides a slight tangy flavor.

Why is this favorite dessert called pound cake?  Originally, this European cake was made with one pound each of flour, sugar, butter, and eggs, but most modern bakers prefer to use a different ratio for a better texture.  If you want to learn the science behind this, you’ll want to read this fascinating blog post by Eileen Gray at Baking Sense.

The first step to making amazing pound cake is creaming the butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla together until they’re thick, fluffy, and very pale–almost white.  This incorporates air into the mixture, and is the secret to a fine-crumbed cake.  Don’t rush this process; it can take up to 10 minutes.

Once the butter is thoroughly creamed, lightly beat the eggs and gradually add them to the butter mixture.  Add a tablespoon or two of the flour with each addition of egg to prevent the batter from curdling.

Next, add the wet and dry ingredients in a couple stages, mixing for about 5 seconds between each addition.  This short mixing time will prevent the batter from being overmixed and tough.  Then, gently pour the batter into a buttered and floured bundt pan, and smooth the surface of the batter.

The hard part is waiting for this cake to bake.  The divine smell of this sour cream pound cake will make you even more excited to dig in to its crunchy caramelized crust and moist interior. 😋  Serve it with whipped cream and fresh berries for a delightful summertime dessert!

Tips for a Fantastic Pound Cake

• For maximum flavor, use real butter, not margarine or butter spreads.
• You can use either cake flour or all-purpose flour.
• If you’re out of sour cream, feel free to substitute regular or Greek yogurt.
• Change up the flavor by replacing the vanilla extract with lemon extract or by adding a teaspoon of almond extract.
• Decorate the cake with a simple glaze with sifted icing sugar and lemon juice, or simply dust with icing sugar.

Lovin’ this sour cream pound cake recipe?  You’ll want to try these other delicious desserts.

• No Bake Homemade Banana Pudding: a refreshing medley of velvety vanilla pudding and fresh bananas.
• Buttermilk Pie: an old fashioned Southern dessert that’s easy to make ahead.
• Easy Coconut Cream Pie: this family favorite dessert is surprisingly simple to make.

Made this recipe?  Leave a recipe rating and comment to help our readers.

Sour Cream Pound Cake from Scratch

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• Author: Emma
• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Yield: 24 slices
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Make this moist sour cream pound cake from scratch with this easy recipe.  Pound cake is a fabulous summer dessert for a crowd at a BBQ or party.  Whether you top this Southern dessert with a glaze or leave it plain, it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser!

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Ingredients

For the Cake

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (230g)
• 3 cups granulated sugar (594g)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (360g)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup sour cream (227g)

For Serving

• Whipped cream
• Fresh berries (such as raspberries and blueberries)

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Butter and flour a 10-cup bundt pan, making sure to tap out the excess flour.
2. Place the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed for a couple minutes until the mixture is thick, fluffy, and very pale.  Scrape down the sides once or twice with a spatula to get an even mix.
3. While the mixer is going, sift the flour and baking soda together into a large bowl.
4. Lightly beat the eggs in a medium bowl until blended, then gradually add them to the butter mixture.  Add a tablespoon of flour with each addition of egg to prevent the batter from curdling.  Beat the batter until well blended, scraping down the sides as needed.
5. Add half of the sour cream to the batter, then stir on low speed for about 5 seconds.  Add half of the flour mixture and mix again for 5 seconds.  Repeat until all the sour cream and flour is added to the batter.
6. Fold the batter by hand for a few seconds to make sure the mixture is evenly blended, then beat on high speed for 3 seconds.
7. Gently pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top.
8. Bake at 350 F for about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the cake has a golden brown dome with a crack on top.  The cake is done when a wooden toothpick or skewer inserted into the crack comes out clean.
9. Let the cake cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn it out onto a wire rack and let it cool for about 30 minutes before slicing.  Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries.

Notes

If your vanilla extract is quite strong, reduce it to 1 teaspoon.