Old Fashioned Pound Cake From Scratch

This is my grandmother’s pound cake recipe, and it is the kind of cake that earns a place on the holiday table before anyone asks what else is for dessert. Butter and a little shortening make the base, while vanilla, lemon, and rum extracts give the cake its familiar, layered flavor. Bake it in a well-prepared Bundt pan, let it cool, and serve it plain or finish it with the optional glaze.

The recipe is straightforward, but the order matters. Cream the butter, shortening, and sugar first. Add the eggs one at a time, then the milk and extracts, and work the flour in gradually. Below, I walk through each stage and the cooling time that helps the cake release from the pan.

If you’re planning several desserts for a gathering, my holiday baking tips can help you organize the rest of the baking alongside this cake.

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What Goes Into This Pound Cake

The cake uses softened unsalted butter, vegetable shortening, sugar, eggs, evaporated milk, all-purpose flour, and three extracts: vanilla, lemon, and rum. For the optional glaze, you’ll need powdered sugar, milk, salt, vanilla, and a little softened butter. The complete amounts are in the recipe card.

Set the whole eggs in a bowl of warm water while you measure the rest of the ingredients, as noted in the original recipe. Scoop and level the flour rather than packing it into the measuring cup.

Prepare the Bundt Pan and Cream the Butter

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour the Bundt pan, taking care to coat its details so the finished cake can release. Use an electric mixer to cream the softened butter and shortening with the sugar for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture looks light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl so the mixture is even before adding the eggs.

Add the Eggs, Milk, Extracts, and Flour

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Pour in the evaporated milk along with the vanilla, lemon, and rum extracts, and mix until combined. Add the flour gradually in increments, mixing after each addition until the batter is smooth and combined. Scrape the bowl as needed so no dry flour is left at the bottom.

Bake and Cool

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake at 325°F for approximately 90 minutes, checking near the end because ovens vary. Insert a knife or toothpick into the cake; the recipe calls for it to come out clean.

Set the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then carefully turn out the cake and leave it on the rack until completely cool, at least one hour, before glazing. That cooling period is part of the process, especially if you want the glaze to sit on the cake instead of running straight off.

Optional Vanilla Glaze

Mix the powdered sugar, milk, salt, vanilla, and softened butter on low speed until combined. If the glaze is too thick to pour, add milk ½ teaspoon at a time until it reaches the consistency you want. Spoon or pour it over the fully cooled cake and let it sit for at least 20 minutes before serving.

This pound cake works plain, too. The glaze is a finishing choice, so you can make it based on how you want to serve the cake.

For another pound cake with a different finish, try my buttermilk pound cake with caramel glaze. If you want a different holiday flavor, the sweet potato pound cake is another option from the recipe archive.

A Note About the Pan

I use the Nordic Ware Heritage Bundt Pan in gold for this cake. Grease and flour the pan carefully, including its detailed ridges, before adding the batter. I have not documented this recipe in another pan, so I am not giving alternative-pan baking times. If you add a product link, check that it leads to the correct Heritage pan.

Pin for Later

Old Fashioned Pound Cake

A rich, tender old fashioned pound cake from my grandmother's recipe, made with butter, shortening, and vanilla, lemon, and rum extracts. Bake it in a Bundt pan and serve it plain or with the optional vanilla glaze.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cooling Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Servings: 1 cake

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

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For the Cake

• 2 stick unsalted butter softened
• ½ stick Crisco vegetable shortening
• 3 cups sugar
• ¾ cup evaporated milk
• 5 large eggs brought to room temperature in warm water while measuring ingredients
• 3 cups all-purpose flour scooped and leveled
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 teaspoon rum extract

Optional Glaze

• 1½ cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons milk
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter softened

Equipment

• Nordic Ware Heritage Bundt Pan, One, Gold
• Hand or Stand Mixer
• Cooling rack

Method

 

For the Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan.
2. Cream the softened butter, vegetable shortening, and sugar with an electric mixer for about 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. Add the evaporated milk, vanilla extract, lemon extract, and rum extract. Mix until combined.
5. Gradually add the flour in increments, mixing after each addition until the batter is smooth and combined.
6. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared Bundt pan. Bake for approximately 90 minutes, checking near the end. Insert a knife or toothpick into the cake; it should come out clean.
7. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely on the rack for at least one hour.

Optional Glaze

1. Mix the powdered sugar, milk, salt, vanilla extract, and softened butter on low speed until combined. If needed, add milk ½ teaspoon at a time until the glaze can be poured or spooned.
2. Spoon or pour the glaze over the completely cooled cake. Let it set for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Notes

I make this in the Nordic Ware Heritage Bundt Pan. Grease and flour the pan carefully before adding the batter. The glaze is optional.

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