Tulo

Sour Cream Pound Cake Recipe

A golden bundt-shaped sour cream pound cake sliced to show its dense, tight crumb, dusted with powdered sugar on a cake stand.
Photo by Rahime Gül on Pexels

Sour cream adds fat and acidity without thinning the batter, so the crumb stays dense and moist while the acid tenderizes the gluten in the flour. A long, slow creaming of butter and sugar builds the fine, even crumb pound cake is known for, and a moderate oven temperature lets the loaf rise gradually instead of doming and cracking.

Prep
20 min
Cook
1 hr 20 min
Total
1 hr 40 min
Servings
16

Ingredients

Servings16
  • 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 6 eggs large eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream, full-fat
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Nutrition per serving

Calories
727
Protein
5g
Carbs
131g
Fat
22g

Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.

Need different units or a different yield? Try our Conversion Calculator →

Instructions

  1. 1Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease a 10-inch (12-cup) bundt pan thoroughly, including the center tube, and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
  2. 2In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes, until pale, light, and fluffy, scraping down the bowl halfway through.
  3. 3Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the bowl as needed.
  4. 4Beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract until fully combined; the batter may look slightly curdled at this stage, that's normal.
  5. 5In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  6. 6Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three additions, mixing on low speed just until each addition disappears into the batter.
  7. 7Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula, tapping the pan once on the counter to release large air bubbles.
  8. 8Bake for 75 to 85 minutes, until the top is deep golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
  9. 9Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then invert onto the rack to cool completely, at least 2 hours, before slicing.
How to Soften Butter

Tips & variations

  • Bring the butter, eggs, and sour cream to true room temperature (about 68-70°F) before starting; cold ingredients won't emulsify properly and can cause the batter to separate permanently instead of smoothing out.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of lemon zest to the batter for a brighter, less one-note sweetness that cuts through the richness.
  • A simple glaze of powdered sugar and lemon juice, drizzled over the cooled cake, is a good substitute for frosting on a cake this dense.
  • Don't open the oven door in the first 45 minutes of baking; a temperature drop while the crumb is still setting can cause the cake to sink in the center.

Storage & reheating

Store the cooled cake wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 4 days, or refrigerated for up to 10 days. The dense, buttery crumb actually improves in flavor after a day. To freeze, wrap the whole cake or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature before serving.

Tips from the Tulo kitchen

  • Weighing the flour instead of scooping it with a measuring cup prevents the dense, dry texture that comes from accidentally packing in too much flour.
  • Running a thin knife around both the outer edge and the center tube before inverting the pan helps the cake release in one piece instead of tearing.

FAQ

Why did my sour cream pound cake sink in the middle?

This usually means the oven door was opened too early, the batter was underbaked, or too much leavener was used relative to the dense batter; stick to the listed baking powder and baking soda amounts and test with a skewer near the end of the bake time rather than pulling the cake early.

Can I use low-fat or light sour cream?

Full-fat sour cream is what keeps this cake moist and dense; low-fat versions have more water and less fat, which can make the crumb slightly drier and less rich.

Why is my pound cake dense and heavy instead of tender?

Some density is expected in pound cake, but if it's gummy or gluey, the butter and sugar likely weren't creamed long enough to build air pockets, or the flour was overmixed once added.

Can I bake this in a loaf pan instead of a bundt pan?

Yes, split the batter between two 9x5-inch loaf pans; they'll bake in roughly 55 to 65 minutes since the shallower shape cooks faster than a bundt pan's tube center.

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