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Pound cake is a classic treat, and this loaf pan sour cream pound cake is especially mouthwatering. It’s flavored with a hint of vanilla while sour cream keeps it moist and adds a tangy taste. This old-fashioned cake is a really easy recipe with basic pantry ingredients. The loaf is soft, moist, and really tasty, and then on top, you have a sweet glaze (that is optional), which you can also flavor or color if you wish. A slice of this tasty cake is so good paired with fruit and whipped cream or coffee and tea.
Savor the rich vanilla flavor in this sour cream pound cake, which is super-easy to make and could well become one of your favorite treats.
You might also like to make butterscotch-glazed cinnamon roll cake, lemon-glazed almond scones, monster cookies, or coffee cake muffins.
Why You’ll Love It
Full of flavor: Vanilla paste and vanilla extract give this sour cream pound cake a wonderful flavor while the sour cream helps keep it moist and add a tang to the overall taste.
Not difficult to make: Don’t worry if you don’t bake much – this sour cream pound cake is just as easy to make as classic pound cake, which means basically just combining the ingredients and baking it in the oven!
A versatile treat: Enjoy it with brunch, for a sweet snack or even for dessert. There are many ways to enjoy this perfect pound cake.
Sour Cream Pound Cake Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
All-purpose flour: Use bleached or unbleached. You could even use half cake flour and have all-purpose.
Baking soda: For a light texture in the finished loaf.
Vanilla paste or vanilla extract: Tweak the amount of each depending on how bold or subtle you prefer the vanilla flavor.
Powdered sugar: For the glaze (regular white sugar would be too grainy).
Salted butter: Bring it to room temperature for easier mixing. If you only have unsalted butter, add a little extra salt to the recipe.
Sour cream: Adds a tangy taste and helps keep the loaf moist.
Granulated sugar: To sweeten the pound cake recipe.
Eggs: To bind the batter.
How to Make Loaf Pan Sour Cream Pound Cake
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Preheat the oven and prepare a loaf pan: Preheat the oven. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
Make the batter: Combine flour with the baking soda and salt in one large bowl and cream the butter, sugar and vanilla in another bowl until fluffy, using a hand mixer or electric mixer on a medium speed. Add eggs to the creamed mixture and then the sour cream. Mix in half the flour mixture and then the remainder.
Bake the cake: Spoon all the batter into the prepared pan and bake until done.
Add the glaze: Let the cake cool on a wire rack while preparing the glaze. Whisk the powdered sugar with as much milk as you need to get your preferred consistency, and then pour or spread it over the cooled cake. Serve immediately or keep for later.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free option: If you want a gluten-free version, use gluten-free flour. Baking soda is naturally free from gluten, as are the other ingredients.
Make it zesty: Add some zest to either the cake batter or to the glaze.
Add-ins: Add chocolate chips or chopped nuts (maybe pistachios!) to the creamed mixture.
Change up the glaze: Flavor it with a few drops of any extract you want. Almond extract is good.
Serving Suggestions
For brunch: Serve other brunch favorites such as sausage breakfast burritos or loaded bagel breakfast bake.
As a sweet snack: Treat yourself to a slice of sour cream pound cake loaf as a snack, perhaps with an Italian cream soda or pumpkin spice latte.
For dessert: Enjoy a slice after one of these quick and easy skillet dinners.
How to Store Sour Cream Pound Cake Loaf
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature and eat within 3 days.
Freeze: You can freeze it unglazed for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container.
Thaw: Defrost it in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Top Tips
Check it’s done: When a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean, the sour cream pound cake is fully cooked.
Vibrant vanilla: Use 2 teaspoons of vanilla paste and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract for a bold vanilla flavor or use 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract for a more subtle result.
Optional frosting: The frosting can be omitted if you don’t want to glaze the cake. Or you can use a different frosting or glaze. If you aren’t glazing it, you could serve it with whipped cream instead.
Glazed Sour Cream Loaf Cake FAQs
Traditionally, the pound cake recipe was made using a pound each of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs. This original recipe dates back to the 1700s in Northern Europe.
Sure! Try making it in a bundt pan or square baking dish instead of a loaf pan.
Go ahead and unleash your baking creativity! Anything from orange slices and fresh berries to chocolate curls would look pretty on top of the glaze.
Sour Cream Pound Cake Loaf Recipe
Sour Cream Pound Cake
Equipment
- Loaf Pan 9 x 5-Inch
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1½ Cups all purpose flour
- ½ Teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ Teaspoon salt
- ¾ Cup salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 Cup granulated sugar
- 2 Teaspoons vanilla paste, or vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- ½ Cup sour cream
For the Glaze:
- 1 Cup powdered sugar
- 3 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Add parchment paper lengthwise and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In another mixing bowl, cream the butter using a hand mixer.
- Add the sugar and vanilla paste, mixing until all ingredients are combined.
- Add the eggs, mixing well in between each one.
- Add the sour cream and mix well using a hand mixer.
- Add half the flour mixture. Mix until the dry mixture is combined.
- Add the rest of the flour mixture. Mix well.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- If the top of the bread is browning too fast, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.
- Once the bread is cooked, let it cool down for 5 or 6 minutes in the pan.
- Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of the milk for the glaze.
- Add more milk if it’s too thick (you choose how thick you want it).
- Pour or spread the glaze over the cooled loaf, then slice and serve.
Notes
Vibrant vanilla: Use 2 teaspoons of vanilla paste and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract for a bold vanilla flavor or use 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract for a more subtle result.
Optional frosting: The frosting can be omitted if you don’t want to glaze the cake. Or you can use a different frosting or glaze. If you aren’t glazing it, you could serve it with whipped cream instead.
Nutrition
You will love how easy this sour cream pound cake recipe is to prepare, and you’ll definitely enjoy the results. Expect a delicious and delicate cake with a tender crumb and vanilla flavor. The sour cream keeps the cake moist and it’s finished off with a simple glaze. Cakes like this are perfect as a sweet treat or as part of a brunch spread.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
The pound cake was so soft and delicious! My family enjoyed it when I served it last weekend. I see baking this more often now.
I tried the sour cream pound cake, and my family raved about its moistness and flavor!
The sour cream pound cake was so moist and flavorful! Paired wonderfully with coffee.
I didn’t add the glaze but ate with fresh strawberries from my garden and a bit of whipped cream. YUM!