Sour Cream Pound Cake Recipe

Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) Headshot By Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes)
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I can’t lie to y’all. My big mama’s Sour Cream Pound Cake was about as famous as a cake could be in Winona, MS. She figured out that the right amount of sour cream would keep it moist and tender while letting the butter and richness shine. It also had the type of tight crumb that pound cakes envy. Barely any air pockets boos. Just like my family’s classic pound cake, it’s a hit! Watch my tutorial video below so you can learn how to make it just like she did.

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A slice of sour cream pound cake being removed from a full cake on a cake server in a white background

Video Tutorial

Sour Cream Pound Cake Ingredient Notes

  • Butter: Go with high fat European style butter. Unsalted is my preference but you can also use salted. Just leave the salt out.
  • Granulated Sugar: The creaming of this and butter is necessary for building air into the cake so it doesn’t need leavening.
  • Eggs: room temp.
  • Cake flour: In my testing and perfecting of the recipe, we discovered that cake flour truly makes a difference in the final texture. It keeps it light and soft so it doesn’t get too heavy. If you don’t have any, make your own cake flour with all-purpose flour and cornstarch.
  • Sour cream: Plain greek yogurt also works here.
  • Vanilla extract: Make sure it is high quality and not artificial.

How to Make Sour Cream Pound Cake

Butter and granulated sugar in a stand mixer bowl on white countertop
Step 1: Add butter and sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer or use a large bowl with a handheld mixer. Mix them together for 3-4 minutes on high speed, until very pale yellow and fluffy.
Eggs added to a creamed butter and sugar mixture in a stand mixer bowl on white countertop
Step 2: Add the eggs, one at a time, combining well after each egg. Scrape down the sides of your bowl as needed with a spatula.
Dry ingredients added to a sour cream pound cake batter in a stand mixer on a white countertop
Step 3: Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly add flour into the batter in two increments. Then add the salt and baking soda if using. Be careful not to overbeat.
Sour cream and vanilla extract being added to a sour cream bundt cake batter in a stand mixer bowl on white countertop
Step 4: Lastly, add the sour cream and vanilla extract, scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix until just combined. Turn off the mixer.
Cake batter in a greased bundt pan on white countertop
Step 5: Pour the cake batter into a greased bundt pan.
Baked sour cream pound cake recipe in a bundt pan on a white countertop
Step 6: Bake in a preheated 325 F oven for 1 hour and 15-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Wait 15 minutes before flipping and removing from pan. Cool to room temperature.

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A slice of sour cream pound cake being removed from a full cake on a cake server in a white background

Sour Cream Pound Cake Recipe

My family's sour cream pound cake recipe is velvety, buttery, and rich filled with the moistness and flavor of sour cream. 
4.50 from 286 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Resting time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams
Course: Dessert
Servings: 16 people

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
  • 1/8 tsp baking soda (optional!) I don't usually add this since I think pound cakes don't need it so this optional.
  • 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

Calories: 438kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 203mg | Potassium: 73mg | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 710IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 0.5mg
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Recipe Tips

  • 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.
  • Grease your Pan Properly: I love to use my homemade cake release so the cake comes out clean without sticking. You can also go old school and grease your pan with shortening or butter then sprinkling flour over it.

Serving Suggestions

Recipe Help

Can I make this sour cream pound cake recipe ahead of time?

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.

What kind of pan do you use for a pound cake?

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.

What does sour cream do to a cake?

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.

A perfect slice of a pound cake with sour cream on a white plate with a silver fork

More Pound Cake Recipes

This post was originally published in September 2018. It has been updated with some new images and new content.

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Filed Under:  Christmas, Dessert and Baking, Easter, Holidays, Mother's Day, New Year's, Oven, Pound Cakes, Thanksgiving

Comments

    1. It might be more like 3 9 inch pans because this cake makes a lot of batter. You will also shorten your baking time a lot.

  2. I would love to make this cake. I don’t want to use 3 cups of sugar what can I put in its place? Will 1/4 cup work

    Reply

    1. No that will totally change the chemistry of the cake unfortunately. If you want, you can cut the entire recipe in half which would bring you to 1 1/2 cups of sugar and you could use just a cup and it should still be fine but I would definitely not go down to that amount. Also you can use a sugar replacer like Swerve.

  3. I MADE THIS CAKE 3 TIMES. THE FIRST WAS WOW, GREAT. DID IT AGAIN, IT HAD A LAYER OF UNBAKED DOUGH. UGH! OK I DID SOMETHING WRONG, DID A THIRD TIME, UGH, UGH, THE SAME LAYER OF DOUGH. KNOWING I FOLLOWED RECIPE TO THE LETTER, I HAD MY OVEN TESTED MAYBE THERMO PROBLEM, NOPE. WHAT HAPPENED, I NOTED ON THE SOUR CREAM CAKE PICTURE THE SAME LINE OF DOUGH. WHERE DID I GO WRONG. CAKE ONE WAS DEELISH, HOORAY, GREAT!

    Reply

    1. This happened to me when I didn’t allow all of my ingredients to come to room temperature. The first time I know I did but I feel like the second time I didn’t let the eggs get to room temperature like I did the butter and sour cream.

  6. This cake was AMAZING! I will be using this recipe again, and again, and again! This was my first time using cake flour but it won’t be my last. I added 1 tbsp of lemon extract but kept everything the same in instructions. FANTASTIC!

    Reply

  7. Ok I made the pound cake. The first time it came out perfect. I did it the second time and it came out big and over the cake pan can you tell me why? But it was good didn’t last no more then one day at my house.

    Reply

    1. I have made this cake three times. I shared with family and friends and they love it.

  9. Thanks for this great recipe for Covid-19 lockdown baking!!!!
    Strawberries are ripening on nearby farms!

    Reply
4.50 from 286 votes (169 ratings without comment)

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