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

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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.

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.

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