Old-Fashioned Pound Cake (with Chocolate Glaze)

Mar
6

This is no sissy, prissy, namby-pamby, modernized cut-the-sugar-and-butter pound cake. This is more power pound cake. This is full tilt, all-out, unabashed pound cake. This is your great-grandmother’s pound cake.

This is pound cake the way pound cake was meant to be. With a pound of everything.

And our great-grandmas knew what they were doing. It’s my favorite, simple, all-around, delicious cake and, well, who really needs a recipe? It’s a pound of everything with a little vanilla and nutmeg thrown in. (Our great-grandmas were SO SMART.) But here it is. (Keep the old-time spirit and use homemade vanilla and fresh-grated nutmeg.

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How to make Old-Fashioned Pound Cake:

1 pound butter (4 sticks), softened
1 pound sugar (3 1/2 cups)
1 pound eggs (10 large)
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 pound all-purpose flour (4 cups)
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in flour and nutmeg. Could this be easier? Grease a 10-inch tube or bundt pan and pour the batter in. Bake at 350-degrees for one hour and thirty minutes. (Cover with foil the last thirty minutes.)

Tear off little pieces from the top of the cake and eat it warm because when you turn it over, no one will know. ~~I DIDN’T SAY THAT!~~ Yes. Yes, I did. And I’m not ashamed. I highly recommend it. Do you know how good this is right out of the oven???

Invert and cool. You can just dust with powdered sugar, or glaze it. Pound cake is perfect plain and really doesn’t need anything more, but of course you know I like more. Of everything. You can drizzle it with Fruity Jam Cake Glaze or chocolate. Because as long as we’re talking about pounds of butter and sugar, we might as well throw some chocolate in there, you know?

How to make Chocolate Glaze:

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons hot water

In a small saucepan, melt chocolate and butter (and if there’s one thing this cake needs, it’s more butter); stirring to blend. Remove from heat and transfer to a medium-size bowl. Add sifted powdered sugar and hot water; stir well. If necessary, add additional hot water to bring glaze to drizzling consistency. (Makes enough to glaze a 10-inch tube or bundt cake.)

I’m sure there’s some way to add even more butter to this recipe. When I figure it out, I’ll let you know.

Pound cake with chocolate glaze anyone?

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3-6
4:54
am

That’s the kind of cake that you take a pinch of every time you walk by it. Before you know it, a whole cake is gone and you’re wondering who ate it!

I have that same yellow bowl!

Bee -
3-6
5:31
am

Suzanne, I am so thankful for you. Michigan is a very bleak place, the Jackson area in particular. Starting the day with your blog lifts my spirit immensely. I love your sense of humor and way of looking at things. Making this cake tonight… because I have lots of chickens laying right now!

Cathy J. -
3-6
6:14
am

Just when I was thinking I got to cut out sweets you tempt me with this!!! I might have to make this for the family this weekend. Then walk an extra mile or so. lol.

Diane -
3-6
6:30
am

Wow, that sounds good…and it sounds like it would put on the pounds too…

Kacey -
3-6
6:32
am

My Mom gave me her pound cake recipe, from memory. But it never turns out right. Thanks for this, I will compare the two and see what’s missing.

I have that same yellow bowl, too. It was my Mothers.

Fencepost -
3-6
6:40
am

Yes, please, I’ll have a piece (or 3 ) !

Suzanne, that looks totally scrumptious!! Yes, I do believe our grandmothers knew exactly what they were doing….. ahhh, I think it’s called the simple life……..

CindyP -
3-6
6:54
am

So what? Are you trying to make all your friends fat so YOU look better? We’re on to your evil plan lady.

Christine -
3-6
6:57
am

When I was little and my mom would make pound cakes like this, I would tear pieces off the bottom! WOWWWWEEEE, did she get mad! I tried to tell her that same thing, No one will ever know, but this was my mom and you just didn’t do that! Glad someone else is a “rebel” like me!

feathrencox -
3-6
7:19
am

Dashboard kitty is beautiful and he looks like a Maine Coon cat. I’m sure he has lots of purrsonality too!

DragonLady -
3-6
7:55
am

Say this 10 times:Butter makes a better batter,butter makes a better batter,butter makes a better batter,butter makes the batter better,…..Whew!…You get the message.
Who likes butter better, you or Paula Deen?
Just feeling poetic this morning after seeing that pound cake up close and personal.
Oh Lawsy, what’s a girl to do?

shirley -
3-6
7:59
am

That looks amazingly delicious! Silly me, I never realized why it was called pound cake until I read your post, hehe. I guess “Kilogram Cake” just wasn’t as catchy!

Kate -
3-6
8:40
am

That looks wonderful Suzanne.

Linda -
3-6
8:46
am

Ohhhh. Ahhhh. Mmmmm. Oops, sorry, I got carried away!

And I love Dashboard Kitty, too – what a beauty!

Nancy in Atlanta -
3-6
8:47
am

whenever i make cake, i cheat and use a package as base.
you just inspired me to make it from scratch….

i will let you know how it turnes out, but judging from your pictures it looks delicious.

hugs
gwen

Gwen -
3-6
9:14
am

I envy your life! When I’m done with my 12 week gym program, I’m gonna make this! nom…nom…nom…

dalgal -
3-6
9:26
am

You know, I don’t think I ever realized that it’s called a pound cake because it’s got a pound of everything in it…

Robin G. -
3-6
9:46
am

You’ve got to know I’m putting on the pounds just thinking about eating this pound cake, Suzanne!

Kaye Manro -
3-6
10:31
am

I haven’t had pound cake in years. Now I must make one again. That looks delicious. My favorite way to eat them is with a strawberry topping. Yum……..

Treasia/TruckersWife -
3-6
11:15
am

Okay blog ate my post – hmmmm it didn’t like what I said lol which was I would kill for that cake!!! I DIDN’T SAY THAT! Yes. Yes, I did I’m doing an exercise routine on another blog site – you guys got to get together – do you want us skinny or fat

I have a male cat that is partly Maine Coon who looks very similar to your cat although I think he has a larger mane. Baby – he’s a big ole lug of a cat that gets along with all the other cats –

catslady -
3-6
11:16
am

Pound cakes are the best!!!!!
And yours looks scrumptous

Vera -
3-6
11:43
am

No she didn’t! Went and posted a recipe for my favorite cake! This looks sooooo good!The heavier the cake the better….for me! I like my Pound Cake recipe but I’m sure trying this one out! Thanks for posting it!

Leah -
3-6
12:05
pm

Mmmmmmmmmmm…looks delectable!

AndiK -
3-6
12:40
pm

This cake looks yummy for the tummy. I can see it with fresh strawberries and ice cream.

Shirley -
3-6
12:53
pm

Suzanne, that sounds like my pound cake recipe to a T. – minus the Nutmeg. I don’t think mine has nutmeg, but all else sounds just the same, so I can attest that it is WONDERFUL! The glaze sounds delish. I have never glazed mine.

I like to cut thin slices and put it in the toaster oven…sort of toast it, too. There are so many things you can do with poundcake,too, in variations, such as put strawberries and whipped cream on it, for Strawberry Shortcake…or, make a trifle with chunks of pound cake and puddings, ect. – sort of a Dump Cake Trifle – like canned cherry pie filling, pecans, whipped cream. Anything! OR, just eat it plain. YUM

The story behind mine, is …in my late teens or more like early twenties, my boyfriend asked me to make him a poundcake, so I searched my mother’s cookbooks, and found this one, calling for a dozen eggs and a pound of butter….he LOVED it and so I named mine, after HIM. LOL

Donna -
3-6
1:52
pm

tear off pieces????? i just cut a whole slice from the cake cause
i usually have to cut it in half to remove nicely from tube pan….
at least that is my excuse….and the smell! have to have a whole
slice….

lady under the oaks -
3-6
2:07
pm

OH. MY. GOODNESS! That Looks so very divine. I’m leaving work right now to make it…..

Dawn -
3-6
2:16
pm

Now if you make up instant french vanilla pudding while the cake cools, slice the cake into three layers, spread pudding on bottom layer then replace middle layer, repeat then replace top layer then cover the pound in the chocolate glaze you have basically a eclair cake.
I don’t do pound cakes from scratch (my waistline is big enough thank you ) so I will do this one once in awhile using a Sara Lee store brought cake. There isn’t that much to share around and I usually can satisfied with just the left over pudding.

maryann -
3-6
2:19
pm

OMGosh! My hubs is going to go ga-ga over this. Thanks!

Brandy -
3-6
3:08
pm

Pound cake is my absolute favorite! This looks like an all-time great one. It’s what I’ll be making the next time I “need” a cake. Unless I can’t bear not making the burnt sugar cake. (You really started something with that one!)

Suzette -
3-6
3:14
pm

I’ll stay with the powdered sugar.

Susan -
3-6
3:18
pm

I’ve never been able to bake a pound cake that really turned out right, and I’m feeling lazy these days. How about you bake one, sell it to me along with the cost of shipping,include your profit, and I would be forever grateful? See, you could expand your baking sales to consist of mail order… you could do it informal with just requests from your blog readers! I also drool over those gingerbread men cookies you feed Clover. I mess up roll out and cutout cookies big time as well. I’m serious about this! I want pound cake!

Gail -
3-6
4:03
pm

I have a recipe almost identical but mine doesn’t call for the nutmeg. It’s wonderful stuff!
The way I found to add even more butter is to make a butter lemon glaze!! just melt half a stick of butter mix in the juice of one lemon and enough powdered sugar to sweeten. I pour this on while the cake is still warm and just let it soak right in. Yummy!!

Debi -
3-6
4:17
pm

Looks scrumptious! Tearing off the delectable top bits is absolutely the cook’s prerogative!

jenn -
3-6
4:25
pm

It looks delicious!

Estella -
3-6
4:48
pm

I call this butter and egg cake- but it has pecans in it. It is about 2/3 of the ingredients and only cooks for an hour. It is delicious and doesn’t need any frosting. Good all by itself.

Keary -
3-6
4:48
pm

Wow! Paula Deen and her bunches of butter recipes has nothing on your!

Rennagayle -
3-6
4:51
pm

Oh, and while you’re divulging pound cake secrets, I’ll share mine. Whenever I cook any kind of cake in my bundt pan, I’ve learned you can cut a slice (as long as it’s not too thick), then squish the cut edges together and slather plenty of icing over that spot, and no one will be the wiser.

Rennagayle -
3-6
5:50
pm

I’m making this right now! You posted this on grocery shopping day, so I was able to get fresh blackberries and pie filling! YUM. Thank you for posting this!

Heynanni -
3-6
7:47
pm

I love the kitty pic!More kitty pics please.

shirley -
3-6
8:38
pm

Ok, it’s in the oven. We’ll see how this turns out.

Mary Kellogg -
3-6
9:46
pm

Lovely! I have to say, I’ve never made a pound cake in a Bundt pan. Sounds wonderful!

Amy Weishuhn -
3-6
9:58
pm

I love how you always introduce classic recipes and explain how simple they really are to make. It motivates me to try new things in the kitchen.

Amber -
3-6
10:34
pm

I am assuming all these wonderful foods are from your classic cook book?

Nikki L. -
3-7
1:47
am

my favorite variation of pound cake leaves out the nutmeg and adds more vanilla and miniature chocolate chips. It is so yummy.

Alison -
3-7
2:06
am

MaryAnn – that sounds so unbelievably delicious I almost drooled. I’m a sucker for eclairs. I’m going to have to remember that.

Steph -
3-7
12:01
pm

I hope I didn’t miss this somewhere, but does this recipe need baking powder or b. soda? Hope you can respond rather quickly as I would like to make this cake ASAP! Thanks!

Darleen -
3-7
12:08
pm

Hi, Darleen! This cake requires no baking soda or baking powder and I use regular all-purpose flour. (It must be magic cake!)

Suzanne McMinn -
3-7
12:22
pm

Wow the cake turned out great. HUGE cake! And is good and plain. i like to toast a slice and put Nutella on it.

Husband said to say THANK YOU. Loved it!!

Mary Kellogg -
3-7
4:52
pm

Thanks for your quick reply, can’t wait to get started!

Darleen -
3-7
6:19
pm

I can feel my butt getting bigger just looking at that ….mmmm..it looks wonderful!

Joanne -
3-9
11:02
am

Thi recipe was perfect timing, I just bought a lovely harvest yellow bundt pan from Good Will on Friday. My husband loves pound cake and I’ve never made it for him. I made it on Saturday, it was HUGE, SO GOOD and he loved it. Our oven is so tempermental (bakes very hot) that I’ll have to bake it a few times to get it right. It was on the dry side. I put the foil on it after baking for 50 min and when the edges were already over done. The rest of it looked like it needed just a little more time to finish baking but I let it go another 25 mins.

MaryLundShu -
3-16
9:51
am

Your pound cake recipe is excellent. Pairs perfectly with freshly brewed black coffee. Super recipe. Thank you.

Doris Willis -
4-13
7:24
pm

Ok I have to admit I was so excited to taste this recipe. I am very pregnant with only nine days to go and could not help but make a pound cake. Here is where you get to laugh. I have been baking and cooking since I was nine..I am now 31 and still find it hard to believe that my mind lapses and I make these crazy mistakes. Needless to say as I was making this recipe I ended up grabbing a container of flour. Problem is that I have 3 containers of flour, cake flour, AP flour, and bread flour. As you can imagine to my dismay when I tasted the pound cake I realized that I happened to use bread flour. Hahahahahaha. My husband said it was ok but asked if next time I could use the right flour.

I definitely had a laugh over this and then of course cried (what do you expect with pregnancy emotions). However, this is definitely a try again recipe.

Thank you so much.

Jamie Dome -
1-6
10:58
pm

Hi Suzanne,

I just wanted to know if I should alter these cake recipes due to elevation. I am in Houston, Tx and tried the chocolate cake with white icing, but I baked it too long. I am going to try it again and bake it for 20 – 25 minutes. Other than it being a little dry, it had a great taste. I know once I master the time it will be perfect! That is a wonderful recipe!

Thanks!!

Karen -
1-7
6:12
am

Hi, Karen! If you’re asking if my recipes are altered for *my* elevation, they’re not (we’re not That high) so these are not high-elevation recipes. Now whether you need to alter them for your elevation, I don’t know, but I assume you’re at a normal (albeit low) baking elevation, so I’d guess not.

Suzanne McMinn -
5-7
8:37
am

The pound cake is baking in the oven and smelling heavenly. I think I am going to nibble of some of the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. I don’t see you mentioning any baking powder or soda in the recipe. I added some to mine but needed to find out whether it would bake equally well without any.

Rituparna -
5-7
8:40
am

Rituparna, that’s not a mistake, it doesn’t need any! (It won’t hurt, though, I’m sure.)

Suzanne McMinn -
5-7
8:40
am

well I got my reply while going thorough the comments.

Rituparna -