Pound Cake Baking Guide

Baking a pound cake sounds like such a simple task, but it actually is not always as easy as it may seem. Baking requires specific steps to be successful and of course doing so will increase your success.

There are various ways to make a pound cake....with a glaze or without, with cookies, candy, fruit, etc. I always recommend starting with a basic pound cake recipe and working your way up to baking more complex pound cakes.

There are also other things that go into it such as picking the right pan, prepping your pan properly etc. This guide is going to help you in the best way possible to get the best result.

Pound Cake Tips + Tricks

Whether you are a beginner or have been in the baking game for a while, I hope these tips are helpful in making sure that your pound cake comes out great!

⇢ Always use room temperature ingredients – Standard pound cake ingredients include butter and eggs which should always be at room temperature to ensure that they properly blend into the batter and do not cause any clumping.

Other common ingredients such as milk, cream cheese, etc should also be at room temperature. Make sure to allow enough time before baking to remove the ingredients from the refrigerator and sit them on the counter to allow them to come to room temperature. 

⇢ Properly measure your ingredients – Always measure each ingredient before adding it to the cake to make sure that you have the accurate amount of each ingredient for the recipe. Baking requires exact measurements for the cake to come out correctly. 

⇢ Properly cream the butter and sugar together– Once blended the texture should be light and fluffy. Blend the ingredients together at a moderate speed for at least two to three minutes.

⇢ Add the eggs one at a time– Eggs must be added one at a time blending well after each addition. Once you’ve added an egg to the batter and no longer see any yellow, then you can add another egg to the batter.

⇢  Don’t overmix your batter–  Aside from creaming the butter and sugar together, once done adding an ingredient, immediately start adding the next ingredient. If you are not quite ready, stop the mixer until you're ready to add the next ingredient. After you have added the last ingredient, just mix until blended. If the batter still requires mixing, for example, if there is any unmixed batter on the side of the bowl, finish the mixing process using a spoon. 

⇢ Spray the hell out of your bundt pan - My favorite method is using a baking spray such as Baker’s Joy which includes the flour and oil all in one can. It's always a no-fail method for me and the cake comes right out of the pan. You can also grease the pan with oil (solid or liquid) then dust the pan evenly with flour if you prefer that method.

Butter Pecan Pound Cake

Choosing a Bundt Pan

It is important to choose the right pan for your Pound Cake/Bundt Cake. There are a lot of options these days, but not all pound cake pans are created equal. Choosing a sturdy pan is important. My favorite pans are Nordic Ware pans.

They are easy to clean and I haven't had many issues with my cakes sticking. My second favorite pans are those that have been passed down. No matter what you choose, make sure it is a sturdy, well-made pan.

It is also important to always follow the recipe and choose the right size pan. I mostly bake using a 12-cup bundt pan. It is usually large enough for most cakes that I make and also allows me to have a little wiggle room to avoid overflow.

We don't want to fill our batter to the rim of the pan so the cake has room to rise and prevent overflow. A 12-cup pan is perfect for that unless I'm making something like a Million Dollar Pound Cake or a Mile High Pound Cake. Those cakes are very large and require a 18-cup pan.

Helpful Baking Tools

• Bundt Pan
• Stand Mixer
• Hand Mixer
• Basting Brush
• Sifter
• Silicone Spatula
• Oven Thermometer
• Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl
• Baker's Joy
• Cake Keeper
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons

Yellow Pound Cake with chocolate frosting

Avoiding overflow/spillage

If it seems that you have more batter than the pan will hold, stop when you are about an inch or at minimum half an inch from the top of the pan. You can always use the leftover batter to make mini bundt cakes or cupcakes.

This is especially important when baking with a pan that has a design. If you overfill the pan, it can throw off the design of the pan or cause the cake to bake unevenly.

Caramel Pound Cake

Greasing the pan

A common issue bakers have is the cake sticking to the pan. If a pan isn't properly greased, it is highly unlikely that it will stick to the pan. My favorite way to grease my bundt pans is to use Baker's Joy spray.

This spray has a combination of oil and flour right in one can. My trick is to spray the hell out of my pan, like literally. Spray every area of the pan, especially a pan with a lot of design.

And spray the pan right before adding the batter to the pan. If you spray the pan and let it sit, the spray may start settling to the bottom of the pan and may not be as effective.

Another method is to grease your pan with oil, butter or shortening and then dust it with flour. This is how I grew up greasing my pans before switching over to Baker's Joy.

Cookie Butter Pound Cake

Mixing the Batter

Overmixing your cake batter can cause a dry, streaky and/or underdone cake. After creaming the butter and sugar, only mix each additional ingredient until blended.

A good rule of thumb is to leave room for hand mixing after adding the last ingredient to your batter. If you watch my cake videos, I always do the last bit of mixing by hand.

Pouring the batter into the pan

Pour your batter into your pan as evenly as possible. This will help make sure that you don't create any pockets in the batter that can cause the cake to have areas that are underbaked. Always use a spatula to spread the batter evenly after adding it to the pan.

Buttermilk Pound Cake

Baking the cake

My go-to temperature for baking is 325 degrees. That is not for all of my cakes, but most of them. I like to bake the cake nice and slow, but not too slow. I generally place the cake in the middle of the oven. That way its not too close to the heat source and also not too far away.

Of course you want to check on the cake throughout the baking process, but especially the last 15 minutes. This will help you determine if the cake needs to come out sooner or later. It is important to not open the oven before this point, as it can cause the cake to sink. Most ovens have a window to look through which is the best way to check on the cake.

Testing for Doneness

A great way to test for doneness is to first press on the top of the cake. If the cake bounces back, does not sink; and if it is not sticky, it is most likely done.

I like to be absolutely sure, so sticking a toothpick into the center of the cake is also a great method for testing doneness. If the toothpick comes out mostly clean, the cake is done. A few crumbs won't hurt, but the toothpick should not be wet whatsoever.

If the cake is not done, place it back in the oven to bake watching it closely. I usually check on the cake in five to ten-minute increments depending on how underdone the cake is.

Once you've determined that the cake is done, allow it to cool for twenty minutes before removing it from the pan.

Red Velvet Pound Cake

Removing the cake from the pan

After the cake has cooled for twenty minutes in the pan, it can be removed from the pan. Place a plate, cake board or wire wrack on top of the pan and turn the cake over onto the surface.

Slightly lift the pan from the surface. If the cake appears to give you any resistance, first tap the pan before slowly removing it.

Million Dollar Pound Cake

Last Tips/Cleaning your Bundt Pan

Proper care of your pan is also very important. A pan that is not properly cared for and has a lot of scratches or nicks can cause a cake to stick to the pan. Always wash the pan according to the care instructions received when you purchased the pan.

Personally, I wash the pan as soon as I remove the cake from it. If I cannot get to it right way, I fill the pan with warm water so that any residue does not stick to the pan. And I avoid using any sponges or pads to try to clean the pan as they can damage it.

I wash my pan with soapy water, rinse and dry it right away. I also never place my pans in the dishwasher.

I hope this guide helps you along your baking journey! If you have any questions, just ask! I included a few more guides below as well.

More helpful baking guides!

• How to make a moist Pound Cake
• Pound Cake Essential Tools
• Mistakes to avoid when baking a pound cake
• How to prepare Pound Cake ingredients
• How to Make a Pound Cake for Beginners

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