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Sara Lee Pound Cake

Sara Lee Pound Cake - recipe card
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A dense, buttery pound cake with a fine, tender crumb and a golden, crackly top. This classic dessert is rich with vanilla flavor and a moist, velvety texture that melts in your mouth.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter, then dust with flour, tapping out the excess. This ensures the cake releases cleanly after baking.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and sugar together on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Stop to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl once during mixing to ensure even creaming.
  3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, about 30 seconds per egg. The mixture should look smooth and slightly glossy. If it looks curdled, it’s likely the eggs were too cold—let it sit for a minute and beat again.
  4. Beat in the vanilla extract until fully incorporated, about 15 seconds.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt until combined. This aerates the flour and evenly distributes the salt.
  6. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter-egg mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk. Start and end with flour. Begin with half the flour, mix until just combined, then add the milk and mix, then the remaining flour. Mix each addition just until no streaks of flour remain—overmixing develops gluten and makes the cake tough.
  7. After the last addition, stop the mixer and fold the batter gently with a rubber spatula, scraping from the bottom to the top, to ensure everything is evenly incorporated. The batter will be thick and smooth.
  8. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly with the spatula. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any large air bubbles.
  9. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, with only a few moist crumbs attached. The top should be deep golden brown and cracked in the center. If the top is browning too quickly (around 40 minutes), loosely tent with aluminum foil.
  10. Remove the cake from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack. Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes. This allows the cake to set so it doesn’t crumble when inverted.
  11. After 15 minutes, carefully run a thin knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake, then invert it onto the wire rack. Turn it right side up and let it cool completely, about 1 to 2 hours, before slicing. Slicing too early will cause the cake to tear.
  12. For best flavor, wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap and let it rest overnight at room temperature. The moisture redistributes, making the crumb even more tender and the flavor more developed.

Notes

Store unfrosted pound cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. To freeze, wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 2 hours before serving. To reheat individual slices, place on a baking sheet in a 300°F (150°C) ovenfor 5-7 minutes, or microwave on high for 15-20 seconds until just warm.

Nutrition

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Find it online: https://copycatkitchenco.com/sara-lee-pound-cake/