Many years ago a friend of mine gave me the recipe for this Creamy Pound Cake. I remember thinking this couldn't possibly work - as bakers we have been trained to preheat the oven. This started in a cold oven. But because she was such a good cook I decided to give it a try exactly as it was given to me. Wow! was I wrong! This is a fantastic, easy pound cake. The only caveat is to make sure the butter is really soft or it won't blend together with the large amount of sugar. I find it fascinating that is rises as it does without the benefit of any kind of leavening which is why it is important beat a lot of air into the butter/sugar. It is a dense cake, as pound cakes are, but it has a moistness and flavor that is incomparable. It literally lasts for days under a cake cover and freezes well.
Everyone I know who has made this has sworn by it and like me, finds the recipe fascinating. In fact, the reputation of this pound cake is so great, I was asked by a local magazine for the recipe to use in their yearly cookbook.
Every time I make this I think of my friend, now gone, and what a wonderful gift she gave me.
Baking gets better when you subscribe to receive this PDF on getting the most out of baking including information on equipment, ingredients and baking equipment.
Pound Cake
2 sticks butter (½ pound or 225 grams)
3 cups sugar (600 grams or 21 ounces)
6 eggs
1 tablespoons vanilla
1 cup cake flour (100 grams or 3 ½ ounces)
1 ¾ cup all purpose flour (245 grams or 9 ounces)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup 40% cream
Spray tube pan very well. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, 3 at a time beating well after each addition
Add the vanilla; beating well.
Sift the flours and salt together. Add alternately with cream, starting and ending with flour.
Pour into tube pan
Smooth the top. 
Place in a COLD oven. Set the oven for 275 degrees. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes until golden brown on top and a tester comes out clean.
Cool 15 to 20 minutes. Release from pan.
Strawberry Lemon Sauce
4 cups sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Grated lemon zest from ½ lemon
⅓ to ½ cup sugar, or to taste
¼ teaspoon pepper, optional
Combine all together in a mixing bowl about 1 hour before serving. Let rest at room temperature.
Special thanks to Hillary for commenting she didn't have a tube pan, what could she do. The recipe will cut in half really easily so I suggested a 9x5 loaf pan. She wrote back today saying she had made 2 loaf pans out of a full recipe and they were fantastic. Hilary said she baked them for the same amount of time. She did mention the top of the cake was very crusty and fell off, but all was good otherwise.
My suggestion is to either cover the top loosely with foil after it browns or try reducing the time by about 10 minutes. Check to see if it is done.
Thanks Hilary for the help.
Eileen Murphy says
Hello Helen,
I wanted to thank you for the modifications to this cake, making it chocolate. I delivered it today and our Chief of Police was so happy to receive it for his birthday. It was a hit with everyone in the station. I am in your debt!
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Eileen - Delighted to hear the Chief was happy as well as you. I am always happy to help. I'll add this to the recipe when I re-do it.
Hillary says
I made this cake this weekend in 2 loaf pans and it was FANTASTIC! It needed the full baking time, although I was watching it carefully after 1 hour. It developed a crust on the top which came off when taking the cake out of the pans, so it wasn't particularly attractive on top. But it tasted delicious. Thanks for the great recipe!
hfletcher says
Hi Hillary: So glad you let me know about this. There is a bit of a crust normally,but it isn't usually that thick. Just dump a ton of powdered sugar on it and no one will know! I'm going to add your notes to the blog as an alternative.
Thank you so very much for sharing and getting back to me. I do appreciate it.
Hillary says
I do not have a tube pan, could you make this is in another type of pan? Or could you scale the recipe up or down to make it in loaf pan(s)?
hfletcher says
Hi Hillary: This will cut in half beautifully. That should fit into a 9x5 loaf pan. The baking time may need to be adjusted downward.
Rachell says
I am looking forward to making the pound cake using your recipe. Thank you for sharing it with us. I am very excited for I know that it will be a melt in your mouth dessert that my family will enjoy.
hfletcher says
My friends recipe is truly the best I've ever had. I hope your family enjoys it.
don says
Okay....
So, I haven't baked in a while and decided to try my hand at this gorgeous recipe. My contribution is about equipment and not the recipe. Someone gave me a tube pan, like the one you used in your recipe photos, and I dusted it all off and got it ready for use. My friend told me "my mother never used this pan so you might as well have it".
I know why she never used it - after filling it up it leaked all over the place! So, after throwing it in the trash I started over, cleaned the oven, drank some wine, and then built this pound cake beautifully! New rule for me - know your equipement, use decent equipment and know that I'll "re-gift" the next time someone gives me a pan they don't want!
Thanks for the recipe! The cake turned out beautiful! Directions were perfect.
Helen S. Fletcher says
I always look forward to your comments, Don. They always have a lesson in them. So glad to liked the recipe. Some of the people in class who couldn't remember to turn on the oven could use this, don't you agree? Thanks for your comment, it made me laugh at the end of a long day! Also, a habit I have retained since owning the bakery is to put everything that goes into the oven on a rimmed baking pan - like a sheet pan or jelly roll pan.
That way it contains any problem that might occur.