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There was a cake under the glass dome on the counter in almost every Southern kitchen, and nine times out of ten it was a sour cream pound cake. Tall, golden, dense but never heavy, with a crack running across the top that the cook pointed to as proof it had been done right. It was not a special-occasion cake. It was the cake you kept on hand for whoever came by, and someone always did.
This is that cake, written down properly. There is nothing clever in it: butter, sugar, eggs, flour, sour cream, vanilla. What makes it work is patience at two points, the creaming and the oven. Cream the butter and sugar for a full six or seven minutes until it turns pale and fluffy, because that is where the crumb is made. Then bake it low and slow and do not open the oven door for the first hour. Do those two things and the cake takes care of itself.
Why this sour cream pound cake works
- A long creaming. Six to seven minutes of beating puts air into the butter and sugar, and that air is the only leavening that matters here. The pinch of baking soda is just insurance.
- Sour cream keeps it tender. The acid softens the crumb and the fat keeps it moist for days, which is why this cake is better on day two than day one.
- Low oven, long bake. At 325°F the outside sets slowly, so the inside has time to rise and the top cracks instead of doming and collapsing.
- A tube pan, not a Bundt. The plain tube pan gives the straight sides and the flat top that slice into even wedges. A Bundt works, but grease every crevice.
Ingredients
Makes one 10-inch tube pan cake, about 16 slices. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (3 sticks, 340g), softened
- 3 cups granulated sugar (600g)
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream (240g), at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Butter and flour for the pan
Room temperature matters here. Cold eggs or cold sour cream make the batter curdle and the cake turns out heavy. Take everything out an hour ahead.
How to make sour cream pound cake
- Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Butter a 10-inch tube pan thoroughly, then dust it with flour and tap out the excess.
- In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar on medium-high for 6 to 7 minutes, scraping the bowl twice, until the mixture is very pale, fluffy and almost doubled in volume. Do not shorten this step.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each one and scraping the bowl. The batter should look smooth and glossy.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a bowl. With the mixer on low, add the flour in three additions, alternating with the sour cream in two, starting and ending with flour. Mix only until the last streak of flour disappears.
- Stir in the vanilla. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes. Do not open the door before the hour mark. The cake is done when the top is deep golden and cracked, and a long skewer pushed into the thickest part comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs.
- Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for exactly 20 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edges and the tube, then turn it out onto the rack and let it cool completely before slicing.
Tips that make the difference
- If your mixer is small, cream in two batches or use the largest bowl you own. The batter is close to 3 quarts.
- A cracked top is the goal. A smooth, domed top usually means the oven was too hot or the creaming was too short.
- Slice with a long serrated knife in a gentle sawing motion. A straight chef’s knife compresses the crumb.
- If the top browns before the inside is done, lay a sheet of foil loosely over the pan for the last 15 minutes.
Variations
- Almond. Swap 1 teaspoon of the vanilla for 1 teaspoon almond extract. This is the version half the South grew up on.
- Lemon. Add the finely grated zest of 2 lemons with the sugar, and brush the warm cake with a glaze of 1 cup powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons lemon juice.
- Cream cheese. Replace the sour cream with 8 ounces of softened cream cheese, beaten in with the butter. Denser, richer, and it keeps even longer.
- Toasted. Day-three slices, buttered and browned in a skillet, are the best breakfast this cake will ever give you.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep the cake under a dome or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. It slices better and tastes better from the second day on. Do not refrigerate; the crumb goes dry and tight.
To freeze, wrap the whole cooled cake or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. It keeps for 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, still wrapped, for a few hours.
If you are taking it somewhere, carry it whole and cut it there. A cut surface dries out on the drive.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my pound cake sink in the middle?
Almost always an oven door opened too early, or a batter that was under-creamed. Give the creaming the full 6 to 7 minutes and leave the door shut for the first hour. A too-hot oven can also set the outside before the middle has risen.
Can I use a Bundt pan instead of a tube pan?
Yes. Use a 12-cup Bundt, grease every crevice with softened butter and dust with flour, and start checking 10 minutes earlier. A decorated pan will hide the crack, which some people prefer.
Can I use light sour cream or Greek yogurt?
Full-fat sour cream gives the best crumb. Full-fat Greek yogurt works nearly as well. Light sour cream makes the cake slightly drier, so if that is what you have, add 2 extra tablespoons of it.
Why do all the ingredients need to be at room temperature?
Cold eggs or sour cream cause the creamed butter to seize into little lumps, and the trapped air escapes. Room temperature ingredients blend into a smooth emulsion that holds the air through the bake.
If your mother’s pound cake had a crack across the top, this is her recipe, or close enough that nobody at the table will argue. Make it on Saturday, and it is ready for whoever walks in on Sunday.
Sour Cream Pound Cake (Old-Fashioned Tube Pan Recipe)
A tall, tender old-fashioned sour cream pound cake baked low and slow in a tube pan, with the crack on top that means it was done right. Cups and grams, and the creaming rule that makes it.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (3 sticks, 340g), softened
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream (240g), at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Butter and flour for the pan
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Butter a 10-inch tube pan thoroughly, then dust it with flour and tap out the excess.
- In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar on medium-high for 6 to 7 minutes, scraping the bowl twice, until the mixture is very pale, fluffy and almost doubled in volume. Do not shorten this step.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each one and scraping the bowl. The batter should look smooth and glossy.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a bowl. With the mixer on low, add the flour in three additions, alternating with the sour cream in two, starting and ending with flour. Mix only until the last streak of flour disappears.
- Stir in the vanilla. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes. Do not open the door before the hour mark. The cake is done when the top is deep golden and cracked, and a long skewer pushed into the thickest part comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs.
- Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for exactly 20 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edges and the tube, then turn it out onto the rack and let it cool completely before slicing.
