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We’ve dug into our family recipe archive once again to share with you this delicious pound cake recipe; Nana’s Pound Cake. This recipe has been with the family for over forty years. We’re not really sure how old it is, or where it originally came from. Nana said her Aunt Josephine taught her how to bake it some forty years ago, and she’s has been baking it ever since. When you taste it, you’ll understand why. This recipe is too good not to pass on, and so we’re archiving it here for our own family reference, but sharing it with you, dear foodie friends, as well.
Rachel and I joked that it’s called a pound cake because you’ll gain a pound from eating it – the ingredients certainly aren’t “light”. But that isn’t where pound cake gets its name.
A traditional pound cake is made with a pound each of four ingredients; butter, flour, eggs, and sugar. The pound cake can still be considered a pound cake so long as it keeps a 1:1:1:1 ratio (just to get all Alton Brown food science on you here).
This recipe, while incorporating all of the ingredients of a pound cake, doesn’t strictly adhere to that ratio. So if you want to call the pound cake police on us go ahead. But give this cake a taste and you’ll quickly turn yourself in; it’s a darn tasty pound cake.
This month, at 92 years old (and in better health than many “old people” 20 years her younger), Nana is passing the torch on this recipe to my Mom. Indeed, Nana literally gave my Mom the stand mixer she had been using to mix this recipe together for the past who-knows-how-many years. The cake in the photographs was the first official Pound Cake that Mom made with Nana’s mixer.
Nana’s pound cake is a deliciously dense and moist cake. Enjoy a thick slice just by itself, or with a big scoop of whipped cream or frozen strawberries on top. Nana said she loved making this cake because it keeps so well – she’d make it in advance for guests, and found it tastes even better after it sits. We wouldn’t know – it never lasts long enough to tell.
From our table to yours, enjoy.
Recipe: Nana’s Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb butter (room temperature)
- 2 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 3/8 tsp salt
- 6 eggs (room temperature)
- 3/4 cup milk
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 3 cup flour
Directions
- Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl
- In another bowl combine wet ingredients and mix well.
- Add the wet ingrdients to the dry and beat for 20 minutes.
- Pour into greased and floured tube pan. Bake for 1 hour and 20 min at 325 degrees.
Note: Allow the ingredients to come to room temperature before mixing and baking for best results.
Cooking time: 1 hour(s) 20 minute(s)
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Welcome to The Keenan Cookbook! We're your hosts Chris & Rachel. 
oh this would be SO good with strawberries!!!
Especially the frozen strawberries with that sugary syrup – so bad and yet so good ^_~
The pound cake looks perfect!
Thanks Maria! It’s always a hit at family functions. We like it because you can make it well in advance – it gets better with time.
I’ve never made pound cake! All I can think about is covering a slice with strawberries and sauce omg heaven!! Thanks for sharing such a special family recipe
Rachel, strawberries and sauce are our preferred topping too. Sooo good
Found out from Mom today that Nana’s Aunt Josephine was my great grandmothers (the one who baked the cheese pie) sister – a true, off the boat Italian. Short tempered (must have been the Sicilian side) and one not to mess with when she was cooking – but always delicious food. I love finding these things out about recipes (mine or others).
Two questions…If I don’t have a tube pan, can I bake it in a bread pan? And the recipe say to beat for 20 minutes. That sounds like a long time, is that really how long you mix it or was that a typo? I have never made pound cake but I want to give this a try…it sounds so yummy. Thanks.
Hi Malia! I have an official request in with Nana for her answer on this, but here is mine (with some help from Google)
1 – Pan – Ok to use a loaf pan. You will need to adjust the bake time though. If you are using a 9×5 inch loaf pan, your bake time may be around 70-75 minutes; while a smaller loaf pan may need 90 minutes. You’ll know the cake is done when you can stick a knife in the center and pull it out clean. So please keep an eye on it the first time.
2 – Mixing – You want to mix at least long enough so that all ingredients are very well combined. Why did we put 20 minutes? Just the way Nana has always done it
If anyone else has feedback, please share. Our family has only ever made the recipe this way.
Malia, Nana got back to me with feedback on your question. She said you need to mix for 20 minutes so that it rises properly. She does not recommend using a loaf pan. I’d say if you have neither a stand mixer or a tube pan to still try it out, but just make sure you check while cooking so you don’t overbake. Let me know how it comes out, hope you try it!
Chris, I tried Nana’s pound cake! It was so yummy! I wanted to make it just like Nana, so I bought a tube pan just so I could try this cake. I will be making it a lot more! Thanks for sharing your recipes!
So glad to hear it came out great Malia! I’ll have to let Nana know you made it and loved it
Looks great! Someone actually just messaged me asking for a pound cake recipe, but seeing as how I do not have one, I can direct them this way.
Thank you very much!
Yum! I love a good pound cake. I have a copy of my own grandmother’s recipe, but have yet to attempt it…perhaps for the upcoming holiday!
Thanks Rachel! I think you should definitely try your Grandma’s recipe. Family recipes are always the best, especially during holidays
This looks fabulous! I think I’ll have to make this for Christian. I love your recipes AND the stories. And Rachel does a great job with the photos too.
Thank you Coleen
We are over due for a dinner date – if you guys come on over we’ll cook you some pizza (I can make a vegan one too:) )
You must have read my mind because just the other day I was having a serious pound cake craving and was searching for a recipe to make. Thank you soooo much for posting this, I can’t wait to try it. I could sit in a corner and eat that whole cake! haha
Hi Chris and Rachel, Your Nana’s Pound Cake recipe has been selected by Knapkins to be featured in a Recipe Guessing Game. Please share the following link with your friends and fans. Congrats again!!
To play, go here: http://knapkins.com/guess_games/511?source=blog
My whole family is strangely bonkers crazy for pound cake, so I will definitely be trying this one over Thanksgiving break. Thanks for sharing Nana’s recipe
hanks Ashley! Hope you give it a try, you will love it!
Congrats on the Nana turning 92! My grandma just turned 90 last year.
I’m a sucker for Sarah Lee’s pound cake, maybe I should make some of my own for a change. I made my own ice cream cake a few years ago and used pound cake in it. It was delicious
Thanks Madeline! Glad to hear your Grandmother is doing well in her 90′s too
That home made ice cream cake sounds great. You can’t beat ice cream on a tasty slice of pound cake
I have made several pound cakes over the years looking for one that meets my hubbys standards from hi Nana… I would like to try this one but you don’t state whether to preheat the oven or not. Some of the recipes I have used in the past call for cold oven.
Thanks!
Hi Sandra, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you- Nana confirmed that you preheat the oven!