Old Fashioned Mini Pound Cake Recipe
My Mini Pound Cake recipe has a hint of vanilla and lemon and bakes up soft and buttery. Forget store-bought cakes and give this homemade classic a try. This moist pound cake is so good all by itself or served with a little fruit topping and ice cream.
If you enjoy this mini cake then you might like to try my popular mini courgette cake and these other small quick bread recipes: small batch Libby’s pumpkin muffins & The BEST small batch cinnamon streusel muffins and a great old-fashioned apple cake recipe.
Click the recipe link at the top of the page to go straight to the printable recipe card which includes ingredient amounts with a detailed ingredient list, instructions, and recipe notes. You can also scroll through the post for helpful tips and step-by-step instructions. The recipe card is located at the bottom of the post.
Main Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
Butter: Salted butter at room temperature works best, You should be able to press the butter and see an imprint. If you use unsalted butter, you need to add a little salt.
Sugar: Use white granulated sugar. Make sure that when you cream the butter and sugar, the mix is light and fluffy before adding the next ingredients.
Egg: The extra egg yolks help make the cake moist.
Vanilla extract: This really ups the flavor of the pound cake. Vanilla paste or fresh vanilla bean can be used with wonderful results.
Flour: Use regular all-purpose flour, or you can use cake flour, but don’t use self-rising flour.
Step by Step Recipe Directions
(Note: please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the complete written instructions.)
Step One: Preheat the oven to 350° F . Coat a mini loaf pan with cooking spray.
Step Two: Add the butter and sugar to a small food processor. And pulse until smooth. Use a mini spatula to scrape the sides down.
Step Three: Add the egg, and vanilla, and mix until combined.
Step Four: Add the flour to the food processor and pulse until combined.
Step Five: Add the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Place the loaf pan on a small baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes or until the top is golden.
Step Six: Allow cooling for 10 minutes before removing the cake from the pan.
Recipe Notes and Cooking Tips
- The most important tip for baking pound cake is to make sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature before you begin mixing. Room temperature ingredients mix together more easily and produce a more consistent cake. Take them out of the fridge early to give them time to come to room temperature. In a pinch, you can microwave cold butter for 20-second intervals until it’s soft, but not melted.
- Always cream the sugar mixture until very light and fluffy for a smooth velvety texture.
- Reduce the speed of your mixer to a medium to low setting when adding flour mixtures and liquids to the batter.
- Don’t over mix the batter once the eggs have been added.
- Never use margarine, you need the fat content of real butter for best results.
- Rotate the pan once during baking for even baking.
- You can also add a simple glaze by mixing in powdered sugar and a little milk. Add in vanilla for vanilla pound cake or lemon for flavoring.
Helpful Tools
- If you need to bake several mini pound cake loaves for gifts, these little paper pans are perfect.
- A small 12-ounce baking dish can also be used, or a mini loaf pan.
- For mini loaves to share, you can use an individual Bundt pan.
Serving Suggestions
- Pound cake is great on its own or topped with fresh fruit and whipped creme. Also, using pound cake will take your strawberry shortcake to the next level!
- Smear a little cream cheese or ice cream and drizzle with chocolate sauce.
How to Store Leftovers
Homemade pound cake is best stored in an airtight container at room temperature and will stay fresh for 2-3 days. Although you can refrigerate a pound cake it will affect the texture of the cake.
Frequently Asked Question
The original pound cake recipe used one pound of flour, one pound of butter, one pound of eggs, and one pound of sugar. The thought was that this 1:1:1:1 conversion was a recipe that anyone could follow.
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Mini Pound Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter salted, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla paste
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F . Coat a mini loaf pan with cooking spray. or parchment paper
- Add the butter and sugar into a small food processor. And pulse until smooth. Use a mini spatula to scrape the sides down.
- Add the eggs, and vanilla, and mix until combined.
- Add the flour to the food processor and pulse until combined.
- Add the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Place the loaf pan on a small baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes or until the top is golden.
- Allow cooling for 10 minutes before removing the cake from the pan.
Notes
- The most important tip for baking pound cake is to make sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature before you begin mixing. Room temperature ingredients mix together more easily and produce a more consistent cake. Take them out of the fridge early to give them time to come to room temperature. In a pinch, you can microwave cold butter for 20-second intervals until it’s soft, but not melted.
- Always cream the sugar mixture until very light and fluffy for a smooth velvety texture.
- Reduce the speed of your mixer to a medium to low setting when adding flour mixtures and liquids to the batter.
- Don’t over mix the batter once the eggs have been added.
- Never use margarine, you need the fat content of real butter for best results.
- Rotate the pan once during baking for even baking.
- You can also add a simple glaze by mixing in powdered sugar and a little milk. Add in vanilla for vanilla pound cake or lemon for flavoring.
- Pound cake is great on its own, or topped with fresh fruit and whipped creme. Also using pound cake will take your strawberry shortcake to next level!
- Smear a little cream cheese or ice cream and drizzle with a chocolate sauce.
so delicious. will definitely make again. if I
want to make a regular size do I just
double the ingredients
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I have not doubled the recipe myself but yes, you can double everything including the eggs so it would be 2 eggs plus 2 yolks.