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    Home » Recipes

    Great Aunt Rose's Old Fashioned Sour Cream Pound Cake Recipe

    Published: Jun 29, 2016 · Modified: Apr 1, 2023 · Amy Casey · 4 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.
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    slice of pound cake

    Great Aunt Rose's Old Fashioned Sour Cream Pound Cake is a beloved family recipe. This hand-me-down recipe produces a deliciously moist cake that's slightly crunchy on the edges and dense, rich and decadent on the inside.

    a slice of sour cream pound cake and a whole cake.

    the history of this family favorite old fashioned sour cream pound cake recipe

    This is absolutely the best pound cake ever! While my sisters, brother, and I were growing up, my Mom always had a homemade cake or plate of cookies sitting on our kitchen counter.

    Even after my parents were empty nesters, you could always count on a sweet treat when you unexpectedly dropped by for a visit. One of the favorite desserts my Mom made was my Great Aunt Rose's Old Fashioned Sour Cream Pound Cake.

    It's a super dense pound cake. It's rich, moist, tender and decadent all at the same time. You'd think it'd taste like a yellow cake. But the flavor and texture is infinitely magnified.

    My Mom passed away about 30 years ago. She was a great mom. I miss her everyday. Fortunately I have some of her old cookbooks. She jotted down recipes on the blank pages. And scribbled suggestions and tips on the recipes she made.

    old Joy of Cooking cookbook with hand written old fashioned sour cream pound cake recipe.

    I vividly remember my Great Aunt Rose's Sour Cream Pound Cake mainly because of the way my Mom had wrote the recipe. The cake recipe calls for the typical cake ingredients of flour, sugar and vanilla.

    But it also includes Imperial margarine instead of butter. And my Mom indicates that you can use 5, 6 or 8 eggs. 5, 6 or 8 eggs? What the heck does that mean? I never did get the chance to ask my Mom why there was a range of eggs listed for the recipe. It'll remain a mystery.

    I'm excited to share this hand-me-down recipe with you. Let's get baking!

    tube cake pan and Imperial margarine in a mixing bowl.

    the ingredients

    • Imperial margarine
    • sugar
    • eggs
    • vanilla extract
    • all purpose flour
    • baking soda
    • kosher salt
    • sour cream

    Scroll to the recipe for the full quantities of the ingredients.

    substitutions and additions

    • Use Imperial margarine and not butter. I thought butter made everything better.  That's not true with this ultra dense and moist sour cream pound cake. I tried making this recipe with butter. It never came out right.
    • All purpose flour provides the right texture for the pound cake. In a pinch, whole wheat white flour can be used.
    • Plain whole fat yogurt can be used in place of the sour cream.
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    the recipe details

    Preheat the oven and grease a straight sided tube pan. I use the margarine wrappers to do this.

    Next, cream the margarine and sugar. Then add the eggs one at a time and beat well. Mix in the vanilla extract.

    Combine the dry ingredients of all purpose flour, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low, add the sour cream alternately with the dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated. Overmixing the batter will result in a tough and rubbery cake.

    Pour batter into prepared pan and bake. Remove the cake from the oven when done. Let cool slightly and unmold.

    Be sure to cool completely before covering.

    a big piece of cake.

    suggestions and recipe tips

    • Cream the margarine and sugar until light and creamy. A stand mixer makes blending the ingredients a breeze.
    • Crack the eggs in a separate bowl. If any shell breaks off, it will be easy to scoop it out.
    • Use a long wooden skewer to check if the cake is ready. When poked into the thickest part of the cake, the skewer should come out clean. If the top of the cake is browning too quickly, gently lay a piece of foil over the top of the pan.
    • Don't be in a hurry to unmold the cake. Let the cake sit on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes. Then run a thin sharp knife around the edge of the pan. Place the cooling rack on top of the cake. Put one hand on the cooling rack and slide with the other hand under pan. Flip over the cooling rack and pan. Tap on the bottom of the pan to help loosen the cake. Then remove the pan from your cake carefully.

    old fashioned sour cream pound cake: FAQs

    what makes a pound cake different from other cakes?

    Traditionally, pound cakes were made with a pound each of butter, sugar, flour and eggs. It's a dense cake that is usually served plain or with a simple glaze.

    what does sour cream do to a cake?

    Sour cream makes a cake moist and adds a slight tanginess.

    can a pound cake be made in advance?

    Definitely! Store the pound cake lightly covered and at room temperature. I love this pretty footed cake stand for displaying all my baked goods.

    can a pound cake be frozen?

    Yes! Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it at room temperature and enjoy!

    a slice of old fashioned pound cake cut in 9 squares.
    It's a family thing to cut a slice of pound cake in 9 squares.

    more cake recipes to try

    Double Berry Upside Down Cake

    Easy Sheet Pan Scone Cake

    The BEST Texas Sheet Cake

    Fresh Strawberry Crumb Cake

    just one more thing

    Did you make this delicious old fashioned sour cream pound cake? I’d love hearing from you if you did! Be sure to leave a comment. Or give this recipe a rating. I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I’ll add the photos to my Insta stories. I love seeing all your creations.

    Also check out my Facebook and Pinterest pages for lots of fabulous foodie stories, videos, cooking tips, and recipes. Sign up for my newsletter and never miss one of my new recipes.

    pound cake with a slice cut out.
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    pound cake with a slice cut out on a glass stand

    Great Aunt Rose's Old Fashioned Sour Cream Pound Cake Recipe


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    • Author: amycaseycooks
    • Total Time: 90 minutes
    • Yield: 20 1x
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    Description

    A beloved family recipe that produces a sour cream pound cake that is slightly crunchy on the outside and dense, rich and moist on the inside.


    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 1 pound Imperial margarine
    • 3 cups sugar
    • 6 large eggs
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 3 cups all purpose flour
    • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 cup sour cream

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a a 10-inch straight sided tube pan with the margarine wrappers.
    2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the margarine and sugar. Beat the margarine and sugar on medium low speed for 3 to 4 minutes.
    3. Add the eggs to the margarine and sugar mixture one at a time and beat until incorporated after each addition.
    4. Add in the vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
    5. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
    6. With the mixer on low, add the sour cream alternately with the dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated.
    7. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 60 minutes and check to see if done. A long wooden skewer should come out clean when inserted into the cake. If the cake is not done, continue baking for up to 15 minutes and cover lightly with foil if the top is browning too much.
    8. Remove the cake from the oven when done. Let cook on a baking rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife between the cake and the edge of the pan and unmold the cake. Tap the sides of the pan to help loosen the cake.
    9. Place on a cake stand and cool completely before covering.

    Notes

    • Use Imperial margarine and not butter. I always thought butter made everything better.  That is not true with this ultra dense and moist sour cream pound cake.  I tried making this with butter, and it never came out right.
    • Cream the margarine and sugar until light and creamy. I use a stand mixer for this recipe. Cream the margarine and sugar well for about 3 to 4 minutes on medium speed.
    • Crack the eggs in a separate bowl and add them 1 at a time to the batter. Nobody likes a cake with egg shells in it. Crack all the eggs in a separate bowl. That way if any shell gets in, you can scoop it out.
    •  Combine the dry ingredients and add alternately with the sour cream to ensure that the sour cream is thoroughly incorporated into the batter.
    • Use a long wooden skewer to check if the cake is ready. When poked into the thickest part of the cake, the skewer should come out clean. If the top of the cake is browning too quickly, gently lay a piece of foil over the top of the pan.
    • Don't be in a hurry to unmold the cake. Let the cake sit on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes. Then run a thin sharp knife around all the edges of the pan. Place the cooling rack on top of the cake. Put one hand on the cooling rack and slide with the other hand under pan. Flip over the cooling rack and pan. Tap on the bottom of the pan to help loosen the cake. Then remove the pan from your cake carefully.
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 75 minutes
    • Category: Dessert
    • Method: Oven
    • Cuisine: American

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 (2-inch wide) piece
    • Calories: 363
    • Sugar: 30.2 g
    • Sodium: 261 mg
    • Fat: 20 g
    • Saturated Fat: 6.5 g
    • Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
    • Trans Fat: 0 g
    • Carbohydrates: 45 g
    • Fiber: 0.5 g
    • Protein: 4.2 g
    • Cholesterol: 61 mg

    Keywords: sour cream pound cake, pound cake recipe

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    1. Mary fabis

      November 28, 2020 at 4:33 pm

      I will try .

      Reply
      • Amy Casey

        December 02, 2020 at 6:32 pm

        Let me know how the pound cake turns out for you Mary. This one is an all time family favorite.

        Reply
    2. Cassandra

      February 20, 2022 at 4:33 pm

      Thank you ~ I baked your great aunt Rose’s sour cream pound cake recipe today. I was looking for a new recipe for Blarney Stones for St Patrick's day. This cake is beyond delicious. Probably the easiest and best Pound cake I have eaten in 60 years. Thank you ~ I am sure this is going to be a giant hit.

      Reply
      • Amy Casey

        February 20, 2022 at 10:36 pm

        Cassandra ~ I am so glad you enjoyed my recipe. I never heard of Blarney Stones and had to look up a recipe. They sound delicious! I will be baking up a batch this St. Patrick's Day 🙂

        Reply

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