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This old fashioned sour cream pound cake recipe is a recipe that has been passed down to me from my great aunt and has been captivating tastebuds for years! The subtle tanginess of the sour cream perfectly balances the buttery sweetness of the cake, making every bite creamy and moist.
For more pound cake recipes, try my Cream Cheese Pound Cake, Sock it to Me Cake and Mile High Pound Cake!
This Sour Cream Pound Cake recipe holds a very special place in my heart. It’s inspired by my late Aunt’s pound cake recipe that was simply out of this world.
It’s buttery and fluffy and so easy to make.
This is actually difficult to write this post because it’s hard to talk about. With many things, time passed and I hadn’t spoke to her in years. One day, I got the call that she’d passed away. It was gut wrenching because I never got the chance to say goodbye. It really breaks my heart to think about it but I am so grateful that I have so many fond memories to remember her.
She gave me her recipe on one of the last visits I had with her (pictured below) and I cherish it deeply. I’ve made this recipe millions of times and have tweaked it slightly with the help of a little food science and experimentation.
And I nailed it! This sour cream pound cake recipe is soft, flavorful and slightly dense. A true classic pound cake.
I think Aunt Hazel would LOVE this sour cream pound cake recipe. It’d make her proud and I’m so excited I get to share it with you!
Table of Contents
Why This Is The BEST Sour Cream Pound Cake
- Easy to make! This is what makes this the best sour cream pound cake – not only is it absolutely delicious but it’s so simple to make with only 15 minutes of prep work!
- Classic recipe but elevated! This sour cream pound cake is one of those traditional pound cakes but made even better with a few adjustments!
- Ultra moist with a tight, plush crumb! Sour cream and a touch of buttermilk keep this cake rich, tender, and soft for days!
- Simple ingredients! This recipe calls for common ingredients that you likely already have in the house! That means no special trips to the grocery store.
Key Ingredients
(full recipe and list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card below)
- Cake Flour has a lower protein content than all purpose flour, resulting in a soft, fine crumb instead of a chewy/heavy texture.
- Sour Cream adds moisture and richness while keeping the crumb dense and tender. Its acidity weakens gluten strands for a plush pound cake texture.
- Salted Butter adds rich buttery flavor and structure. You can use unsalted butter if you prefer!
- Just a little Vegetable Oil boosts moisture and keeps the cake soft for days. Because oil stays liquid at room temperature, it helps prevent dryness or staleness.
- Eggs and Egg Yolk provide structure, moisture, and richness. The extra yolk adds a little more fat, creating a richer flavor and velvety crumb.
- Sugar sweetens the cake while trapping air during the creaming process, which helps with lift and moisture. It also slows gluten formation for a softer, more tender crumb.
- Buttermilk adds tang and moisture to the batter. The acidity also helps tenderize the crumb, giving every bite that “melt in your mouth” texture.
Substitutions and Variations
- Add in more flavorings if you’d like! Lemon extract, rum, orange, and almond extracts are superb with this recipe. It’s a super buttery pound cake and these flavors add brightness to the cake.
- You can use all purpose flour if you’d like! The texture won’t be as soft but it’ll still have a tender crumb and be a super delicious pound cake.
- Greek yogurt is a good substitute for sour cream. If you wanna get fancy, you can also use creme fraiche like I did in my creme fraiche pound cake!
- Add a lemon glaze on top for a pop of citrus. Use the lemon glaze from my lemon cream cheese pound cake.
How to make a Sour Cream Pound Cake
Prep: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients – cake flour, baking soda, kosher salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.
Step 1: Combine sugar, room temperature butter, and oil in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix together on medium speed for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl half way through. Reduce mixer to low speed and begin adding eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated prior to adding the next.
Step 2: Add half of the mixture, mix until just combined, then add the vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract), sour cream, and buttermilk. Mix until smooth, then scrape down the sides of the bowl again. Add the remainder of the flour mixture and mix until just smooth, about 30 seconds.
Step 3: Spray a 10 or 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick baking spray. Pour the pound cake batter into the pan and bake for 70-80 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn over onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 4: While the cake is cooling, make the glaze. Combine melted butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Whisk together until combined and pour on top of the cooled cake and enjoy!
Pro Baking Tips
Don’t Overmix: Once you add the dry ingredients to the batter, mix until just combined. Overmixing can result in a dense and heavy cake.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Allow your butter, eggs, and sour cream to come to room temperature before incorporating them into the batter. Let them sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours. This helps ensure the creaming process is done properly for a smooth batter and best texture.
Gradual Mixing: Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. This gradual mixing helps prevent the batter from curdling and promotes a smooth and uniform texture.
Sift the Dry Ingredients: This tip is from my Aunt Hazel! Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together before adding them to the batter. Sifting removes lumps and aerates the ingredients, contributing to a finer crumb structure.
Toothpick test: here’s the secret, you don’t actually want to use a toothpick or butter knife to check for doneness. A toothpick doesn’t go deep enough and because a butter knife is smooth, under-baked batter will slide right off of it making you think the cake is done when it’s not. Get a wooden skewer and stick it to the bottom of the bundt pan. When it comes out with just a few crumbs, it’s done!
What to Serve with Pound Cake
Feel free to add your personal touch to this classic pound cake recipe! You can top it with a chocolate sauce and homemade whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream and fresh fruit or fresh berries.
Sometimes I like to keep it simple and omit the glaze and just add sprinkle of powdered sugar for a little zhush on top. It’s so delicious you can eat it all by itself!
It’s also great with a cup of coffee or homemade peach sweet tea.
Recipe FAQs
Sour cream adds moisture and richness while keeping the crumb tight and tender. Its acidity also helps balance sweetness and gives the cake that classic, plush pound-cake texture.
Yes. Full-fat Greek yogurt or crème fraîche work best and can be used 1:1. Lower-fat options will work, but the cake won’t be quite as rich.
Traditional pound cake relies mostly on eggs for structure, but a small amount of baking soda helps with a gentle lift. Baking powder can be used but isn’t as effective as baking soda because sour cream and baking soda are both acidic ingredients.
The cake should be deeply golden and a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake should come out with just a few moist crumbs. The top should spring back lightly when pressed.
Yes! Wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
More Pound Cake Recipes
Desserts
Brown Sugar Pound Cake
Desserts
7 Flavor Pound Cake
Desserts
Peach Cobbler Pound Cake
Desserts
Vanilla Buttermilk Pound Cake
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Sour Cream Pound Cake
Equipment
- 10 or 12 cup Bundt Pan
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups (344 g) Cake Flour
- 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
- 1 cup (227 g) Salted Butter, (room temperature)
- 2 1/4 cups (450 g) Sugar
- 2 tbsp (28 g) Vegetable Oil
- 4 (200 g) Eggs, (room temperature)
- 1 (18 g) Egg Yolk
- 1 tbsp (15 g) Vanilla Bean Paste , (or Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup (240 g) Sour Cream
- 1/4 cup (60 g) Buttermilk, (room temperature)
Vanilla Glaze
- 2 tbsp Salted Butter, (melted)
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) Powdered Sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3-4 tbsp Milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients – cake flour, baking soda, kosher salt, and nutmeg. Set aside. 2 3/4 cups Cake Flour 1/4 tsp Baking Soda 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
- Combine sugar, room temperature butter, and oil in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix together on medium speed for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl half way through. Reduce mixer to low speed and begin adding eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated prior to adding the next. 2 1/4 cups Sugar 1 cup Salted Butter 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil 4 Eggs 1 Egg Yolk
- Add half of the flour mixture, mix until just combined, then add the vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract), sour cream, and buttermilk. Mix until smooth, then scrape down the sides of the bowl again. Add the remainder of the flour mixture and mix until just smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl one last time, ensuring all of the ingredients are incorporated and the batter is smooth. 1 tbsp Vanilla Bean Paste 1 cup Sour Cream 1/4 cup Buttermilk
- Spray a 10 or 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick baking spray. Pour the pound cake batter into the pan and bake for 70-80 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn over onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling, make the glaze. Combine melted butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Whisk together until combined and pour on top of the cooled cake. 2 tbsp Salted Butter 1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract 3-4 tbsp Milk
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Main Course
Juicy Pan Seared Pork Chops
Desserts
Vanilla Pound Cake
Breakfast
Hola! quería saber la diferencia ente la mantequilla y la manteca para asegurarme utilizar la adecuada.
te refieres a aceite vegetal o manteca de cerdo o vegetal?
Gracias
Hi! I’m referring to vegetable shortening. I hope that you loved this recipe! / ¡Hola! Me refiero a la manteca vegetal. ¡Espero que te haya gustado esta receta!
This is a great recipe with a great family story. Extremely moist, anything with sour cream or cream cheese I’m in.
i’m so happy to hear that, thank you!
It’s so wonderful that you have the recipe in her handwriting, and I love that it’s got ‘kitchen marks’ on it. I’ve got recipe cards from both of my grandmothers, and they’re so precious to me.
This is take to a special occasion good! Thank you for the recipe. One thing I did with a special recipe that was written in my grandma’s handwriting was I had it printed onto tea towels for the kitchen. I love it so much.
That’s such an awesome idea! I’m so happy that the cake turned out well for you! Thank you for your feedback 🙂
I must make this. This sounds like a delicious recipe! Thank you for sharing the story and woman behind it. Food and family and memories are all linked for me as well, so I know how special sharing a recipe like this truly is.
Hi Christine! It’s so true, food brings so many memories and is so personal. I hope that you love this recipe 🙂