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This Vanilla Pound Cake Recipe features a gorgeous golden buttery pound cake that’s faintly flavored with vanilla and almond. It’s easy to whip up strawberry sauce from scratch, or use any fruit that’s in season!
This is the perfect summer dessert.
It’s simple and pretty, not to mention it’s a fantastic vessel for topping with some of summer’s beautiful bounty: fresh strawberries, blueberries, peaches, apricots, or cherries!
Traditional Pound Cake Recipe
The traditional pound cake recipe is 1 pound by weight of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. That’s it!
Vanilla Pound Cake Recipe
This Vanilla Pound Cake Recipe is based the traditional pound cake recipe, but with just a couple modifications.
I cut the amounts in half, so instead of being 1 pound each of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar, it’s half a pound of each. Mostly because I only wanted to make one loaf!
Also, I added a touch of vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt to give the cake more flavor. Don’t be tempted to add a leavening agent – this cake does not need it! (The cake will rise and split on the top without any leavener.)
Tips for Making the Best Pound Cake
- Because it’s flavor will be pronounced, use the best quality butter you can find (I like Kerrygold unsalted).
- Don’t over-mix the batter.
- Don’t over-bake the cake.
Just be mindful of these things and this cake is virtually impossible to mess up!
What to Serve with Pound Cake
Pound cake is wonderfully delicious – rich and buttery – on its own! However, to make it even more special, here are a few ideas on how to serve it:
- A dollop of Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey
- Sliced bananas and a little melted peanut butter
- Fresh raspberries and shaved dark chocolate
- Grilled peaches and pecans
- Whipped cream
- Make this easy strawberry sauce!
Easy Strawberry Sauce
Even if you don’t make this strawberry sauce to top pound cake, you can make the strawberry sauce for something else! It’s great for topping oatmeal, pancakes, or yogurt. Make it into strawberry shortcake. Or just top it with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and eat it with a spoon!
How to Make Strawberry Sauce
- Combine sliced berries with sugar.
- Pop it in the fridge and leave it alone.
- After an hour in the fridge, the sugar will be dissolved and the berries will be coated in a sticky-sweet syrup that is absolutely perfect for topping pound cake.
You can add any flavorings you want, such as vanilla or rosewater.
More Pound Cake Recipes to Try:
- Earl Grey Tea and Honey Pound Cake with Walnuts
- Chocolate Pound Cake
- Chocolate Chip-Peanut Butter Pound Cake with Peanut Butter Glaze
- Passion Fruit Poppy Seed Pound Cake
- Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- Very Berry Pound Cake
- Avocado Almond Pound Cake
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below because I love hearing from you! You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media. To stay up-to-date FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Xoxo, Faith
Vanilla Pound Cake Recipe with Easy Strawberry Sauce
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Ingredients
Vanilla Pound Cake:
- Butter to grease the pan
- 1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract or use an additional 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 pound sugar about 1 cup + 2 tablespoons
- 1/2 pound eggs 4 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 pound all-purpose flour about 1 3/4 cups
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Easy Strawberry Sauce:
- 3 cups sliced strawberries
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or rosewater
Instructions
For the Vanilla Pound Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325F; grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan (preferably a glass pan) with butter and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- Use a handheld electric mixer to beat the butter and extracts together in a large bowl. Cream in the sugar. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating until fully incorporated and fluffy before adding another. Once the eggs are added, beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the flour and salt and use a wooden spoon to stir just until combined, being careful not to over-mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the loaf is golden on all sides, split on top, and a toothpick inserted inside comes out with just a couple crumbs (not completely dry), about 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Cool for 20 minutes in the pan, and then run a knife along the perimeter and slide the loaf out. Transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
For the Easy Strawberry Sauce:
- Combine all ingredients and let them sit for an hour in the fridge.
To Serve:
- Serve each slice of pound cake topped with strawberry sauce, and of course you can also add a dollop of whipped cream if you like.
Notes
- This recipe makes 1 (9 by 5-inch) loaf and about 2 cups of strawberry sauce. Cut the loaf into 12 slices. Each serving is 1 slice of cake with about 2 1/2 tablespoons of strawberry sauce.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
Share it with me on Instagram and leave a comment to let me know your thoughts!
This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on July 18, 2013. I updated it with more information on May 18, 2020.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links to products I believe in, which means that even though it doesn’t cost you anything extra, I will receive a small amount of money from the sale of these items. Thank you for helping to support An Edible Mosaic!
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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What a beautiful cake!
pound cake is pretty fool-proof, and i love all the ways you can sauce it and make it unique. this is lovely!
Hi Faith – beautiful shots. Love that strawberry rose sauce. Will definitely try that, maybe garnish with some roses from my garden too. Thanks for the inspiration…
LL
Never used rosewater this way! We generally use it in puddings. Combining it with berries for a pound cake sauce sounds intriguing! Thanks for the idea!
I just discovered your blog and it’s amazing, so elegant and cute! I love your pictures, I will add it to my favourite :)
The pound cake looks so perfect. I especially like the rosewater addition.
Such a pretty pound cake, Faith! I love your strawberry sauce!
Rose water seems like it would be an interesting ingredient to try using! I need to look around for it.
Love the spin you put on the pound cake- and even the strawberries! Love.
this looks heavenly. I have a weakness for pound cakes.
SO yum! My Mom used to have pound cake around a lot when we were kiddos. I remember sneaking into the kitchen to steal little pieces of the cake….I think I need to make this so I can repeat this action as an adult hehe
I have been looking for a vessel for my summer fruit! Your pound cake looks absolutely perfect and I love the vanilla-almond addition plus the strawberries and rosewater. Completely unique and tasty! Awesome berry round-up you folks put on!
A beautiful cake. Wonderful when served with fruits and whipped cream.
Cheers,
Rosa