This 6-ingredient Pound Cake recipe boasts a fine, tender crumb. This easy butter pound cake is bursting with vanilla and buttery goodness in every luscious bite.
Place chilled butter pieces in bowl of stand mixer; let stand at room temp for 20-30 minutes to just slightly soften the butter. Butter should not get warmer than 60 degrees (if butter is too warm, cake will be too flat and dense.)
In a separate bowl, use a fork to beat room-temp eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla. Set aside at room temp.
Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and preheat to 325F. Grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan. Set aside.
Using the paddle of stand mixer, beat butter and salt at medium-high speed until it's shiny, smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and very gradually pour in sugar, about 1 min. Once all sugar is added, increase speed to medium high and beat until mixture is light and fully, 5-8 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.
Reduce speed to medium and gradually add egg mixture in a slow steady stream, about 1 min. Scrape down bowl and beat at medium high until light and fluffy, 3-4 min. Remove bowl from mixer and scrape down.
Sift cake flour over the butter-egg mixture in 3 separate additions. Fold gently with rubber spatula until combined after each addition. Be sure to scrape bottom of bowl to ensure all batter is combined.
Use rubber spatula to transfer batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake cake until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. Start checking at 1 hour; do not over-bake. Let cool on wire rack for 15 minutes, invert onto rack and let cake cool completely before serving. Dust with powdered sugar on top, if desired. Keeps well in airtight container at room temp for a couple of days.
Notes
Baked cake freezes well for a couple of weeks. Seal airtight prior to freezing.