Whipping Cream Pound Cake

Pound cake is made from butter, eggs, flour, and sugar, and is baked in a loaf pan. Pound cake got its name from having a pound of each of these ingredients, but apparently Elvis Presley’s favorite recipe didn’t. Either way, this is the best pound we have ever made.

Total 1 hour 45 minutes
Serves 20 slices (2 loaves)
Desserts
American

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whipping cream pound cake with a slice out of it more

Whipping Cream Pound Cake Recipe

This pound cake reminds me of the Sara Lee pound cakes I ate when I was a kid. Dense but moist, sweet and a perfect crumb. My favorite way to eat it was slathered in creamy, spreadable butter or with a smear of lemon curd of homemade jam. I’ve made this countless times since I discovered it over a decade ago.

Tips for Making Homemade Pound Cake

The trick to this batter is beating it the full length of time specified. So when it says 5 minutes, set a timer for 5 minutes.
Be sure to sift the flours as indicated in the recipe. Sift them 3 times as directed.
Butter should be softened to room temperature. This means take the butter out of the fridge 20 minutes before you will need it. You should be able to make a small indent in the butter, but your finger should not go “into” the butter.
We use 8×4 sized loaf pans. If you want to make these in 9×5 loaf pans, reduce the baking time by ten minutes.

sliced of pound cake stacked on a plate

Pound cake ingredients

I use unsalted butter whenever I bake. If you use salted butter you likely won’t notice a difference, but if you’re tastebuds are sensitive you may taste a hint of salt.
This recipe uses sifted cake flour, which means you will sift before measuring it out.
Other standard ingredients include table salt (which you might want to cut back if you use salted butter), granulated sugar, and large eggs.
Use pure vanilla extract, imitation has a completely different flavor and will alter the results of this pound cake.
The reason this pound cake is so good is because of the heavy cream. Instead of a pound of butter, cream makes up for using less butter.

labeled ingredients for pound cake recipe

Helpful baking tools

Loaf pans (8×4)
Wire cooling rack
Stand mixer
Sifter

How to make Elvis Presley Whipping Cream Pound Cake

Start by positioning your oven rack in the middle position. If your oven is gas, but do not preheat your oven. If your oven is electric, preheat your oven to 325F.

This recipe was developed and tested in a conventional GAS oven. Gas ovens operate on a pilot light and usually heat from the bottom. If you are using a toaster oven or electric oven, we suggest preheating your oven to 325F. Electric ovens usually have a heating element at the top of the oven that will get very hot when turned on because it’s bringing the oven up to temp. This can cause the top of your pound cake to burn.

Generously butter two 8×4 loaf pans and dust them with flour, knocking out any excess flour.

illustrated steps for making pound cake batter

Sift together the sifted flour and salt into a bowl. Repeat sifting into another bowl (flour will have been sifted 3 times total).
Beat together the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. This will take about 5 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or 6 to 8 minutes with a handheld mixer.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Afterward beat in vanilla.

illustrated steps for mixing pound cake

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half of flour, then all of the heavy cream, then the remaining flour, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down side of bowl, then beat at medium-high speed 5 minutes. Batter will become satiny and creamy.

illustrated steps for spooning batter into loaf pans

Spoon batter into loaf pans and rap the pans against the counter once or twice to eliminate air bubbles.
Place pans on a baking sheet and place in the cold gas oven and turn the oven temperature to 350°F. OR place in preheated electric oven (325F).
Bake until golden brown and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out with a few crumbs sticking to it, about 75-85 minutes.
Cool pound cakes in pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack to cool completely.

overhead view of sliced pound cake on cutting board

Other cake recipes you will enjoy

This post originally appeared here on Aug 24, 2009. Important tips for baking success were added on September 22, 2025.

Recipe

Elvis Presley's Whipping Cream Pound Cake

This pound cake reminds me of the Sara Lee pound cakes I ate when I was a kid. Dense but moist, sweet and a perfect crumb

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted buttersoftened, plus additional for buttering pan
3 cups sifted cake flournot self-rising; sift before measuring plus additional for dusting
¾ teaspoon salt
3 cups sugar600g
7 large eggsat room temperature 30 minutes
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Put oven rack in middle position, but do not preheat oven. THIS IS ONLY FOR GAS OVENS. If you have an electric oven, preheat to 325F.
Generously butter two 8x4 loaf pans and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour. (Be sure to read NOTES if using 9x5 loaf pans)
Sift together sifted flour and salt into a bowl. Repeat sifting into another bowl (flour will have been sifted 3 times total, once by itself and twice with the salt).
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or 6 to 8 minutes with a handheld mixer.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla.
Reduce speed to low and add half of flour, then all of cream, then remaining flour, mixing well after each addition.
Scrape down side of bowl, then beat at medium-high speed 5 minutes. Batter will become creamier and satiny.
Spoon batter into pan and rap pan against work surface once or twice to eliminate air bubbles.
Place pan in (cold) gas oven and turn oven temperature to 350°F. OR place in preheated electric oven (325F). Bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 75-85 minutes.
Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack to cool completely.

Notes

This recipe was developed and tested in a conventional GAS oven. Gas ovens operate on a pilot light and usually heat from the bottom.
If you are using a toaster oven or electric oven, we suggest preheating your oven to 325F.
Electric ovens usually have a heating element at the top of the oven that will get very hot when turned on because it's bringing the oven up to temp. This can cause the top of your pound cake to burn.
The trick to this batter is beating it the full length of time specified. So when it says 5 minutes, set a timer for 5 minutes.
Be sure to sift the flours as indicated in the recipe. Sift them 3 times as directed.
Butter should be softened to room temperature. This means take the butter out of the fridge 20 minutes before you will need it. You should be able to make a small indent in the butter, but your finger should not go "into" the butter.
We use 8x4 sized loaf pans.
If you want to make these in 9x5 loaf pans, reduce the baking time by ten minutes.