After one bite of my buttery, rich Million Dollar Pound Cake, you’ll understand how it got its name. This rich, dense, moist pound cake with a small crumb, crusty top, and a delicious vanilla flavor is the perfect combination of taste and textures.
Made with simple ingredients this Southern classic is one of my favorite pound cake recipes. Don’t wait for a special occasion to serve my Million Dollar Pound Cake. It’s the perfect dessert for a busy weeknight dinner, brunch, potluck or family get-together.
Moist, buttery, and oh-so-delicious my million dollar pound cake is a pound cake your whole family will love,
If you love pound cakes, make sure to check out my cream cheese pound cake and sour cream pound cake and lemon blueberry cake recipes.
Ingredients to Make a Million Dollar Pound Cake
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my million dollar pound cake recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
How to Make a Million-Dollar Pound Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease and flour a tube cake pan (or 12-cup bundt pan)
- Add the room temperature butter and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Cream butter until light and fluffy, starting on medium speed, then increasing to high speed.
- Add the room temperature large eggs one at a time.
- Mix to combine, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl between each addition.
- Add half the flour to the whipped butter.
- Mix on low speed, just enough to combine. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
*There is no leavening agent in this cake. Making the process of whipping air into the butter an essential step in the process.
- Add the milk to the mixture.
- Mix just enough to combine. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Add the remainder of the flour.
- Mix just enough to combine. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the vanilla extract and almond extract to the cake batter.
- Mix just enough to combine.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.
- Place the pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes or until a wooden skewer (or cake tester) inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
*Place the cake in the pan on a wire rack and allow to cool for 20-30 minutes, then invert the buttery pound cake onto a serving platter.
- Add the ingredients for the glaze into a small bowl. Add enough milk to get the desired consistency.
- Whisk to combine.
Drizzle the glaze onto the cooled cake and allow the glaze to set and harden.
Serve this delicious Million Dollar Pound Cake with whipped cream and fresh berries, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or my homemade lemon curd.
Store any leftover cake in an airtight container or properly covered at room temperature for 4-5 days. Refrigerated, it can last up to a week.
The cake does freeze well for up to 3 months. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil.
Recipe FAQ’s
1. Proper Measuring of the ingredients is crucial to any cake recipe. Use the spoon-and-level method for flour to avoid adding too much flour (extra flour in a recipe can dry out the cake).
2. Don’t Overmix the batter. Mix just enough to combine the flour into the batter. Overmixing activates the gluten, making the cake tough.
3. Check your oven temperature. Baking at higher than recommended heat will cause the cake to dry out.
4. Don’t overbake the cake. Start checking the cake for doneness a few minutes before the recipe suggests. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs
Yes, you can, but be aware that not all the changes will be good.
1. Substituting margarine or shortening for the butter can affect flavor and texture. Stick with butter for best results.
2. Granulated sugar is standard for this recipe, but brown sugar can add moisture and a deeper flavor.
3. Using cake flour can result in a lighter, softer cake, but all-purpose flour is traditionally used for its structure.
4. Whole milk is generally used, but heavy cream for its richness, or buttermilk can be used for a slightly tangy flavor.
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Million Dollar Pound Cake
Equipment
- Tube Pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 pound salted butter room temperature
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 4 cups all-purpose flour sifted, then spooned into a measuring cup and leveled with a knife.
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar sifted
- 2 tablespoon salted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 – 3 tablespoon milk as needed
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease and flour a tube cake pan (or 12 cup bundt pan)
- Add the butter and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl between each addition.
- Slowly add the flour and milk alternately beginning and ending with flour. Mixing just enough to combine between each addition.
- Add the vanllla and almond extracts, mixing until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Place the pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes or until a wooden skewer (or cake tester) inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Place the cake in the pan on a wire rack and allow to cool for 20-30 minutes.
- Invert the cake onto a serving platter.
Glaze
- Add the ingredients for the glaze into a mixing bowl. Add enough milk to get the desired consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze onto the cooled cake and allow the glaze to set and harden.
Francine McGinty says
This sounds Fabulous. Do you also have a good wedding cake recipe. I love the intense almond flavor of wedding cake.
Chef Dennis Littley says
I do not have a wedding cake recipe. Sorry.
Jenny says
This cake really deserves its name. It was indeed a delicious cake. Thank so much for sharing your recipe.
Moop Brown says
Pound cake is such a nostalgic dessert for me and this recipe turned out really tasty, moist, and buttery. Thank you for sharing.
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
Such an awesome Sunday cake! We absolutely loved this! The crumb was simply divine!
Kathryn says
We can’t get enough of this cake!! It’s perfectly moist, buttery and perfect when you want a sweet treat. Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Carrie Robinson says
This pound cake was absolutely amazing! 🙂 I wish I had another slice of this with my coffee right now. Great recipe!
Loreto and Nicoletta says
Chef Dennis, you have done a stupendous job on this cake and totally understand why it has its name. So rich, moist and full luxurious flavors! We love this kind of cake and would love it in the morning with our cappuccino!
Nice work! 👍 ❤️
Enriqueta E Lemoine says
I agree with you 99%, Chef. My whole family loved your cake. Moist, with the perfect crumb… My only disagreement is it should be renamed the multi-million dollar pound cake. Thanks for this magnificent recipe!
silvia says
Absolutely delicious, rich and decadent. I appreciate the easy instructions as it was my first time making it. I used a little bit of lemon juice instead of vanilla for the glaze and it was a hit!
Gloria says
I love a good pound cake recipe. Simple ingredients, delicious results. Perfect for dessert and breakfast too.
Susan says
Pound cake seems like an appropriate name for a recipe that calls for a POUND of butter. . I’m sure it’s moist and delicious but I can’t justify that calorie bomb. Next!
Chef Dennis Littley says
That’s how the pound cake got its name. The original recipe was essentially a cake that was made from a pound of flour, a pound of sugar, a pound of butter, and a pound of eggs