Grandma's Pound Loaf Cake

True pound cake is one of the oldest cake recipes in American baking, and this version is the genuine article. Five ingredients: a pound of butter, four cups of flour, ten eggs, two cups of sugar, vanilla. No baking powder, no baking soda, no buttermilk shortcuts. The lift comes entirely from beating air into the eggs and butter.

Separating the eggs and beating the whites with sugar before folding them in is the technique that makes this work. The whipped whites are the cake’s only leavening agent, fold them too aggressively and you knock the air out, leaving you with a dense brick. Fold gently with a spatula in slow figure-eights.

Working the flour into the creamed butter (rather than alternating wet and dry) is unusual but intentional. The flour coats the butter and slows gluten development, which is what gives pound cake that distinctive tender, slightly dense crumb.

The long bake at low temperature (325°F / 160°C for 75 minutes) is required for that even, golden interior. High heat browns the exterior before the center sets and you get a dome with raw middle.

Pro Tips

• Bring everything to true room temperature, eggs, butter, and your mixing bowl. Cold ingredients refuse to incorporate properly.
• Beat the butter alone for 5 minutes until it’s truly fluffy and almost white before adding flour.
• Don’t open the oven door during the first hour. A drop in temperature can collapse the structure.
• Cool in the pan for only 10 minutes, then turn out. Leave longer and the steam makes the bottom soggy.

Variations

• Add 1 tablespoon of grated lemon zest and replace vanilla with lemon extract for a classic lemon pound cake.
• Stir in 1 cup of toasted pecans or chocolate chips along with the flour for a heartier cake.
• Glaze with a simple powdered sugar drizzle while still warm so it sinks in beautifully.