Y’all, this Sour Cream Pound Cake recipe is the real deal! It’s velvety smooth, buttery, all kinds of rich, and packed with that creamy, moist goodness only sour cream can give ya. And that crumb? Baby that crumb is EVERYTHING. This recipe from my Mississippi Big Mama has been passed down from generation to generation and trust me, it’s gonna turn into an absolute classic in your fam for years to come.
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They’re Lovin’ It! Here’s what They’re Sayin’:
“I have made this countless times now, always requested. I share the recipe often. Thank you giving the world this best ever pound cake!!!”
—KAT
My Big Mama’s cake recipes are the true treasures of my family. They work consistently and perfectly always yielding impeccable results. Tried and true, it’s a recipe that just slaps every single time y’all. It has been passed down through generations and is guaranteed to be a hit whenever you serve it up. With a crumb as smooth as silk, this moist sour cream pound cake recipe is dense to the point of creaminess, and velvety-soft as it melts on your tongue. Let’s get into it!
The Lowdown of This Sour Cream Pound Cake Recipe
Cuisine Inspiration: Southern Soul Food Classic
Primary Cooking Method: Baking
Dietary Info: Beyond rich and indulgent with dairy and eggs. Can be made gluten-free with swaps.
Key Flavor: Dense, Moist Buttery Goodness
Skill Level: Easy y’all (No Sweat Fam!)
Moisture on Point
Y’all sour cream creates the most crazy-moist crumb ever to a pound cake. It’s responsible for creating that bomb melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Old School Vibes
We keep it classic with OG ingredients like real butter, sugar, eggs and flour which you probably already have in your kitchen y’all. The simplicity of this cake is what makes it so delish!
The Ultimate Crowdpleaser
Whether you bring this to a bake sale, a potluck or serve this to the church ladies for Sunday supper, it’s a hit!
Ingredients You’ll Need to make Sour Cream Pound Cake
- Butter: This gives your cake that insane richness and flavor y’all. To make your cake the best it can be, go with high fat and high quality unsalted butter option.
- Granulated Sugar: This melts into the butter providing sweetness while also adding air to give our cake a lift during the creaming process.
- Eggs: These stabilize our cake while adding moisture and richness too!
- Cake flour: This type of flour is lower in protein than all-purpose flour and gives this old fashioned sour cream pound cake a more delicate, tender crumb.
- Salt: Just a little balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavors.
- Baking Soda: I only use a very small amount here and it is actually optional. It just gives a tiny lift to the cake.
- Sour cream: Not only does it give a subtle tang to the batter, it adds moisture on moisture!
- Vanilla extract: Those aromatic notes stay popping with a high-quality, PURE extract.
How to Make Sour Cream Pound Cake
How to Serve Sour Cream Bundt Cake
- Get Fruity: Add fresh berries or peaches as a topping adds a delightful lightness that will be the highlight of any summer get-together.
- Drizzle it Up: Drizzle each slice with a strawberry sauce, caramel sauce or a chocolate ganache.
- A La Mode: Now y’all know a nice warm slice will hit with some vanilla ice cream or even a scoop of strawberry ice cream.
- Dollop it Up: Add a nice dollop of whipped cream to each slice you serve.
Recipe Substitutions
- Unsalted Butter: You can use salted butter here instead but just make sure you leave out the salt.
- Cake Flour: If you don’t have any around, you can make homemade cake flour with all-purpose flour and cornstarch boos.
- Baking Soda: If you don’t have any, you can actually leave this out. Just cream your butter and sugar a little longer to add more air.
- Vanilla Extract: Feel free to swap out for some vanilla bean paste for more intense vanilla or even use almond extract instead.
They’re Lovin’ It! Here’s what They’re Sayin’:
“Hands down the best recipe for Pound Cake ever. Even better the next few days after it sits and flavors marry… Being southern we love pound cakes and this one is over the top !!!”
—DONNA L.
Recipe Variations and Additions
- Spice it Up: In the Fall, add cinnamon or brown sugar to the batter like in this brown sugar pound cake.
- Go Bananas: Top the cake with some delicious bananas foster.
- Zest it Up: Swap out the vanilla extract for lemon, lime or orange extract and add some fresh citrus zest to the mix to brighten the flavors more in your sour cream bundt cake.
- Go Marble: Remove half of your batter and add cocoa powder to one half and swirl the vanilla and chocolate batters together and bake it up boos.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Go Room Temp: Make sure the butter, eggs and sour cream are at room temperature. This will help them to melt into each other while mixing.
- Take your time!: During the mixing of the butter and sugar, also known as the creaming period, exercise some patience boos. This will add a lift of air and lightness to your cake that you won’t even believe y’all. It also ensures that your ingredients start off well mixed.
- Don’t Overdo the Dry Ingredients: Only mix the dry ingredients into the batter until just combined. Don’t over mix and risk additional gluten forming which will make the cake less tender.
- New To Baking? Get some additional baking tips to help you out!
How to Store Sour Cream Pound Cake
Once your cake has completely cooled down, either tightly wrap in plastic wrap so no air gets in or add to a cake container. Store at room temp for up to 5 days.
How long will it last in the fridge?
Don’t do it boos! I simply don’t recommend storing pound cake in the fridge since it will dry it out y’all. Store at room temp so that texture stays on point.
Can I freeze?
Now freezing is totally fine boos. Wrap the leftovers in plastic wrap tightly then put it in a heavy-duty freezer bag. Make sure you add a label with the date. It should keep for for 4-6 months. When ready to serve it back up, thaw overnight in the fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely boos! You can bake and store this cake at room temp for up to 3 days before you serve it. Just don’t pop it in the fridge.
Grease that pan and don’t skimp! I like to personally use my homemade cake release brushing it into all the nooks and crannies so it doesn’t stick at all.
A round bundt or fluted pan is the most common type of pan used for making a pound cake though some recipes will use a loaf pan for a rectangular-shaped cake. For making a pound cake, I think the cake presents best when using a fluted bundt cake pan.
The sour cream adds moisture that keeps your cake soft and silky, just the way it was intended to be. It can also add richness and slight tang thanks to the additional dairy it provides to the cake.
Y’all my family’s sour cream pound cake is perfect for indulgent late-night treats or as an offering to unexpected guests or even lightly toasted and served with your morning coffee. The possibilities are endless. And trust me, you will find all types of ways to enjoy it. Let’s get into it!
More Cake Recipes
- Big Mama’s Sour Cream Cake
- Hot Milk Cake
- Louisiana Crunch Cake
- Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- 7 Up Pound Cake
- Sock It To Me Cake
- Million Dollar Pound Cake
- these 35 Pound Cake Recipes
- Kentucky Butter Cake
Sour Cream Pound Cake
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 3 cups cake flour sifted
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature
- 2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 325 F then liberally spray a 12 cup bundt pan with non-stick baking spray.
- In your stand mixer bowl, add butter and sugar and mix for 3-4 minutes on high speed until very pale yellow and fluffy.
- Next add eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides of your bowl as needed.
- Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly add flour into batter in two increments then add salt and baking soda. Be careful not to overbeat.
- Lastly add in sour cream and vanilla extract, scrape down sides and mix until just combined and turn off mixer.
- Pour cake batter into prepared bundt pan, and bake for 1 hour and 15-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes then invert cake on serving plate for at least an hour or until the cake is cool to touch.
Notes
How to Store Sour Cream Pound Cake
Once your cake has completely cooled down, either tightly wrap in plastic wrap so no air gets in or add to a cake container. Store at room temp for up to 5 days.How long will it last in the fridge?
Don’t do it boos! I simply don’t recommend storing pound cake in the fridge since it will dry it out y’all. Store at room temp so that texture stays on point.Can I freeze?
Now freezing is totally fine boos. Wrap the leftovers in plastic wrap tightly then put it in a heavy-duty freezer bag. Make sure you add a label with the date. It should keep for for 4-6 months. When ready to serve it back up, thaw overnight in the fridge.Nutrition
This post was originally published in September 2018. It has been updated with some new images and new content.
What will happen if I mix all the dry ingredients together and then mix the wet ingredients
I do not recommend changing the recipe steps as it will not yield the same results.
It was excellent. I need to buy a better bundt pan because even with spray it stuck slightlt. Instead of vanilla extract I used lemon extract. The directions and tips were on point. I was careful to overmix after adding flour and I left all ingredients out at room temperature. Another perfect recipe.
This is my family’s most requested dessert whenever we get together!
So wonderful!!
I have a handed down bundle pan, but I don’t know if its 12 cups or not. How would I find out? Pour 12 cups of liquid in it, or 12 cups of flour?
12 cups of liquid will definitely help. Also if it is 10 cups, you can use the rest of the batter to make cupcakes or mini bundts.
I just finished making this cake and OMG!!! So, delicious, fluffy and light. Wasn’t too thrilled to have to sift the flour but it was worth it!!! Thank You and Your Big Mama for such a delicious recipe!!!
It is an extra step that makes a difference! So happy you like it!
Wonderful Pound Cake! I don’t like extremely sweet cakes, so I reduced the sugar by half a cup. As I wanted an eggnog pound cake, I used 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. I also used half vanilla and half rum flavoring, and made a glaze from powdered sugar and eggnog. Amazing crumb, very light, and baked awesomely. I used butter and flour and the pound cake did not stick at all!
This sounds absolutely delightful! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Can I substitute granulated sugar with coconut sugar or brown sugar?
Brown sugar can be used. It will slightly change the texture of the cake given the additional molasses. But it will be super moist.
Excellent pound cake! Very moist and full of flavor. This will be my go to Pound Cake recipe!
Thank you so much, Laurie!!
Hi, Is there a way I can use this recipe to make a slice cake. Like just add in cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice. Just looking to make a simple spice cake. And I’ve made your brownies & strawberry Bundt cakes. And everyone loved them! So that’s why I need a slice cake recipe and don’t want to buy the box. Thank you
Love the idea of adding a spice cake recipe! Thank you for the suggestion.
Absolutely one of the best cakes I’ve ever made!! Wonderful recipe that I’ll definitely make again and again. I wanted an almond flavor so subbed 1 Tbsp vanilla and 1 Tbsp almond extract for the 2 Tbsp vanilla. Came out great! Thank you!
You’re so welcome!
I have made this cake before and it was great! However all of a sudden I have been having a problem with my cake getting stuck to the pan even when I have sprayed the pan with PAM baking spray. What could be the problem?
It could be the pan. Sometimes you might need to add something a bit stronger than pam. I use a homemade cake release with flour, oil and shortening: https://grandbaby-cakes.com/homemade-cake-release/