Pound Cake

Recipe from Tracy K. Smith

Adapted by The New York Times

Updated July 13, 2025

  • Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
1 hour 45 minutes, plus cooling
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 40 minutes
Rating
4(834)
Comments
Read comments

This vanilla pound cake from the poet Tracy K. Smith has a fine textured crumb and a very buttery flavor. The heavy cream makes it a bit lighter than the usual pound cake. If you use a tube pan, the crackling top stays crisp (turning it over to cool softens the crunch) and the cake is a bit easier to remove from the pan. Or, you can bake it in two loaf pans (in which case, start checking for doneness after 45 minutes). The magic thing about this cake is that it gets better by the day — ever so slightly sweeter and more settled into its flavors. It keeps well at room temperature for a few days. —The New York Times

Featured in: Two Recipes From Tracy K. Smith’s Kitchen

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

    or to print this recipe.

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

  • 1 ½ cups/340 grams salted butter (3 sticks), softened at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan

  • 3 cups/600 grams granulated sugar

  • 6 large eggs, at room temperature

  • 3 cups/345 grams cake flour, plus more for the pan

  • 1 cup/ 235 milliliters heavy cream

  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 to 8 servings)

110 grams carbs; 264 milligrams cholesterol; 909 calories; 13 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 30 grams saturated fat; 49 grams fat; 2 grams trans fat; 1 gram fiber; 335 milligrams sodium; 9 grams protein; 76 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 325 degrees. Using softened butter, grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan or 10-inch tube pan.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat on high speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

  3. Step 3

    Beat in about 1 cup of the flour until well combined, then beat in half the cream. Repeat additions, beating well in between each one, and ending with the flour. Beat in vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, scrape batter into the prepared pan.

  4. Step 4

    Bake until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean, 60 to 80 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes before turning out to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Tip

  • To substitute unsalted butter, add 1 teaspoon fine salt along with the sugar.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

4 out of 5
834 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

jane raskin

There seems to be a typo in the flour amount. 3 cups d/n equal 270 grams. Did you mean 2 cups? or 375 grams?

Susan Edgerley

When we first tested this recipe at The Times, we used a loaf pan; it turned out great.

Then a reader wrote and said she ended up with a lot of extra batter. She had used a smaller pan, but we had had a little extra batter as well, though less than a quarter of a cup.

We tested the cake again, using a bundt pan this time. Even better. The larger pan made the texture lighter and the cake tastier.

David Look

3 cups.

C VELA

To make a cup of cake flour, place 2 Tbs cornstarch in a 1c measure. Fill the rest with regular flour. Voila!@judithwhelan60

Andy H

Spread between two loaf pans. Came out great. Had a fine texture. Instead of vanilla, I rubbed lemon zest in the sugar and used lemon extract.

Allison

Used 2/3 of the sugar. It’s phenomenal.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.