Mrs. Adams’ Delicious Pound Cake

After my mom passed away, I inherited her recipe box, which was also my grandmother’s. Inside the box was “the” cake recipe I remember from my childhood, only when we had company! I had to google it, and ended up here! This recipes has been around for ages, and for good reason. I wonder where it originated? The handwritten copy of it I have is at least from the early 60’s. No matter, it’s a delicious cake and brings back memories. Thanks for sharing it.

I haven’t made this cake yet, but I can already say your mother is wrong about one thing. There’s a third type of person–one that loves cakes and pies equally–and that’s me!

I love the simplicity of this recipe. Cooking Light has a great brown sugar pound cake for another option that’s not too sweet but absolutely delish…almost caramelly. It’s on myrecipes.com.

I followed the recipe exactly just today; even purchased a new bundt pan.

It is soo good. Cut slices very thin because I didn’t have topping. Tomorrow out for strawberries.

Caution: I checked cake at 1-hr and only left it in for about 10 min. more, if that, only because it looked a little pale on top. Perfect and DELISH! Slid right out of the pan. I imagine this recipe has probably only 1/2 of calories/saturated fat as butter.
Thank you Mrs. Adams.

I was wondering why this recipe doesn’t need baking powder/soda? I tried this a while ago without cake flour (I used all purpose with cornstarch) and the cake turned out hard and heavy… But the taste was amazing~ Was it because I didn’t sift the flour so it’s light? I shouldn’t use self raising flour next time, should I? Haha. I’m sorry, it’s just I can’t purchase cake flour… Thank you for sharing. :)

Pound cake is traditionally made with a pound of flour, a pound of eggs, and a pound of butter. That’s why it’s called pound cake. The eggs are the leavening, which is why you don’t need baking powder or baking soda. Cake flour has less gluten in it than all purpose flour (in contrast with bread flour which has more gluten), which is why the crumb is light when you use cake flour. Cake flour is ideal for making cakes. ~Elise

Does it have to be in a bundt cake pan? I don’t have one… Could I just use a normal round cake pan instead?

Pound cakes are typically made in a loaf pan or in a bundt cake pan, not a round cake pan. If you make it in a round cake pan, you will likely need to reduce the cooking time (I don’t know how much, you’ll have to guestimate). ~Elise

My Aunt prepared this for my grandaughter this summer. It is so perfect. She (my Auntie) is now 93. She had a few disaters in the past. One just has to patient..She sifts her Swansdown flour..Always uses butter…and always have to be careful not to overcook. I believe she alternates the flour and egg..making sure the egg is last. My 10 yr old grandaughter called me for the ingredients. Thank goodness you were here. The recipe is in my Auntie’s head and not written down anywhere!

MasPinaSarap,

This recipe is pretty much the classic pound cake (“ye pound” of butter, flour, eggs and sugar). If yours was rubbery, I suspect you didn’t mix it properly. You really do need to cream the butter and sugar together for at least two minutes, and add the rest of the ingredients slowly.

I followed this recipe to a T expecting the best pound cake I’ve ever had – it was a disaster. Like many a poster above the result of two loaf pans instead of a tube pan ended up in the garbage. The very top was baked a nice crumbly cake – the rest was almost gelatinous and rubber-like as if the flour had congealed. I baked it twice as long and then flipped them over and baked again, and then sliced and baked the flat slices and still would not turn into “cake”. If I made this in a tube pan would it actually turn out right, I’m now more apprehensive to remake it.

This recipe is the same as the one I’ve been using for 25 years.

This is a really EASY cake to make. It’s perfect for beginners. Just follow the recipe and you’ll look like a culinary queen (or king).

Although the recipe I received from my home econ friend, Roz called for margarine, I use butter and it works perfectly.

In the beginning, I used regular flour sifted 3 times. Now I use cake flour. Both work equally well but the cake flour saves time.

Tips from 3 generations: Let the eggs and butter sit out until they reach room temperature. The batter will be silky and the texture perfect.

Experiment with different flavors. I love almond or lemon or orange (so far). Enjoy!

I was looking for a simple recipe that i could make for Thanksgiving dinner and let me tell you that this cake is very simple and so good.
It is not very sweet and that’s what i think made everyone like it so. I was thinking about making it again and this time using butter, but I think that I will stick with the Imperial margarine and maybe add some lemon yest to it.

I’ve been making this pound cake for 40 plus years and if you subsitute butter for the Imperial it is a completely different taste to the cake and it is not as moist and smooth and the crumb texture is different.
Like all recipes if you change an ingredient you change the original taste.

I made this cake a few days ago and added baking powder and also put it in a loaf pan. I had to keep it in the oven longer than I should have because the insides wouldn’t get done but the outside was burning. I don’t recommend putting it in a loaf pan.

By the way, I used butter instead of the margerine and after you cut off the burnt edges it was yummy.

Today I bought a bundt pan and am going to try the recipe again. My problem is that the cake does not mention baking powder. I wonder should I use baking powder in it? has anyone made this cake without baking powder? What do you think, should I use the baking powder or not? I bought cake flour but it’s not self rising.

Thanks!

Hi Elise,

Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made it tonight and it is delish. Moist, soft and buttery. And so easy. Please thank Mrs. Adams and your mom too.