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❤️ Why you'll love it
- It's a classic recipe for a reason - the simple buttery flavor is always perfect for any occasion.
- It's. So. Easy.
- It's a great base for berries or other fruit because it's not too sweet.
This easy buttermilk pound cake recipe is always moist, dense, and full of delicious flavor!
It's also flavorful enough to stand on its own with or without the glorious brown butter glaze that I've included here.
This is a classic southern cake recipe, made with simple ingredients, that you'll want to keep handy for those moments when you just need an awesome dessert without a lot of work.
Have a birthday coming up? Try this buttermilk cake with three layers of goodness and a whipped frosting - so good.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
- Butter
- Sugar
- Large eggs
- Vanilla
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Buttermilk
- Confectioner's sugar
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl then beat in eggs and vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk.
- Pour cake batter into prepared pan.
- Bake.
🥫 Storage
Store buttermilk pound cake at room temperature in an airtight container or tightly covered with plastic wrap. It should be fine for 4 days or so.
This pound cake freezes really well. Wrap tightly and place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
📖 Variations
- Add a tablespoon or so of orange or lemon zest.
- No buttermilk? Here are some substitutes including instructions for making your own buttermilk from a starter.
- You can also substitute sour cream for the buttermilk. For each cup of buttermilk use ¾ cup sour cream plus ¼ cup milk.
- Instead of the glaze you can dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar. Add the powdered sugar to a fine-mesh sieve and shake it over the top of the cake.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Expert tip: If you have a fancy pan with a lot of carved edges it's better to use the baking release spray - it's easier to get all the surfaces covered.
- It is imperative that all ingredients are at room temperature before beginning!
- Lightly spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level off. It's important to measure accurately for the best results.
- Use a heavy bundt cake pan. It will bake more evenly and have a better texture.
- Grease the bundt pan well, whatever you use.
- You can use 2 loaf pans instead of the bundt pan - start checking for doneness at 50 minutes.
- Butter is not the best thing to grease the pan with. The milk solids in the butter can cause sticking.
- Make sure the cake is all the way done. The center will register 210F on a insta-read thermometer or you can stick a toothpick in it to see if it comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it.
- Let cool in the pan at least 10 minutes, or as directed in your recipe.
- Slow ovens for longer periods usually work better than hotter temperatures.
- Bake a day ahead of time so that the flavors have a chance to mellow and blend.
You can slice it and place softened ice cream between the layers (or jam or mousse). You can cube it and use it in a punch bowl cake or to replace the angel food cake in this strawberry cake recipe. Really, so many possibilities!
👩🍳 FAQs
Classic pound cake originally called for a pound of each ingredient. Even though the recipe changed over the centuries the name didn't!
A heavy bundt pan or angel food cake pan is perfect. I've linked to my favorite below.
10 minutes unless otherwise directed in the recipe.
Don't use butter to grease the pan. Either use a cake release spray or vegetable shortening dusted with flour and make sure to grease ALL inside surfaces, including the center tube. Flip the pan over and tap the bottom and sides to release the excess flour. The milk solids in butter can cause the cake to stick .
It gives it a delicate, tangy flavor and a moist crumb.
📚 Related recipes
I used to hate buying a quart of buttermilk for a recipe and then just using a cup or two. Here are some recipes to help you deliciously use up the leftover buttermilk.
- Honey Buttermilk Bread is a reader favorite! It's a light, slightly sweet loaf that rises beautifully. A good one for beginners.
- Buttermilk Banana Bread is so moist and delicious!
- Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins are so tender with big juicy blueberries!
- Southern Buttermilk Biscuits are light and flaky - these are the real deal, y'all.
- White Texas Sheet Cake is moist with a delicate coconut flavor - so good! Nothing like it.
- Chocolate Buttermilk Bundt Cake with Port Wine is absolutely one of my favorite cakes. SO delicious!
🍽️ Serve with...
🥄 Restless Chipotle recommends
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You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- bundt pan
- stand mixer
📞 The last word
This classic southern buttermilk pound cake recipe is absolutely one of the simplest desserts you can make. There aren't many ingredients and you probably have all of them in your pantry right now.
If you are reminiscing with someone about the southern desserts of your childhood this one will just about always make the list.
There's something so comforting about this no-nonsense cake that it plays a role in almost every southern cookbook ever written.
And really, it deserves to be there. It's a dense cake that's equally comfortable swathed in plump, fresh berries or juicy ripe peaches as it is served with a sweet glaze or scoop of ice cream.
This is the cake equivalent of a worn quilt and a favorite movie with thunder rumblings and rain spattering against the window - pure comfort.
Try the bourbon cake with pecans next!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Buttermilk Pound Cake
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup butter, soft room temperature
- 2 -½ cups sugar
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
Brown Butter Glaze
- ½ cup butter, salted butter works best
- 3 cups Confectioner's sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
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Instructions
Cake
- Grease and flour (or use baker's release spray) a bundt pan. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 325F. Gather the ingredients and make sure they are at room temperature before beginning.
- Cream butter and sugar with the mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs to butter mixture, one at a time, beating well after each.
- Beat in vanilla.
- Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl.
- With the mixer running on low speed add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk.
- Beat on low speed until you have a smooth, thick batter but don't over-mix.
- Pour into the prepared bundt cake pan, using a rubber spatula to get all of the batter into the pan.
- Bake at 325F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 70 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Carefully run a knife down the sides of the pan to separate the cake from the pan.
- Turn the pan over and let the cake slip out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
Brown Butter Glaze
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, watching carefully until it turns golden brown.
- Mix the butter and vanilla with the confectioners sugar until smooth.
- Add a little milk if you need to thin it down.
- Spoon glaze over the cake.
Notes
- It is imperative that all ingredients are at room temperature before beginning!
- Use a heavy bundt cake pan. It will bake more evenly and have a better texture.
- If you have one of those fancy pans with a lot of carved edges it's better to use the baking release spray - it's easier to get all the surfaces.
- Butter is not the best thing to grease the pan with, though. The milk solids in the butter can cause sticking.
- Make sure the cake is all the way done. The center will register 210F on a insta-read thermometer or you can stick a toothpick in it to see if it comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it.
- Let cool in the pan at least 10 minutes, or as directed in your recipe.
- Bake a day ahead of time so that the flavors have a chance to mellow and blend.
- You can also use 2 loaf pans instead of the bundt pan.
Nutrition Facts
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First published May 1, 2019. Last updated December March 13, 2023 for editorial updates and more helpful information.
Diana
I made this cake for our church pot luck luncheon and it went super quick and had many compliments on how good it was! I had no cake to bring home! I have found a great recipe! Thank you so much for posting this recipe!!
Stacey
Me again! Since I commented/questioned on Nov 14th, I've made several of these! None were in bundt pans, but regular-sized loaves & minis. The fam LOVES them. I added fresh chopped cranberries to some, and lemon zest + cranberries to others. Thank you for a SOLID recipe that I'll keep/use for ages to come! YUMMM.