Strawberry Pound Cake Recipe

Southern Living Strawberry Pound Cake on a platter to serve — Photo:
Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood

Active Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 25 mins

Servings:

This bright and springy strawberry pound cake is a joy to make and eat—and a thing of beauty to behold, with a beautiful pink glaze that gets slightly crunchy when set. Fresh strawberries are a seasonal delight, and when they're at their freshest—small, juicy, and jam-packed with flavor—it's the right time to highlight them in wonderful recipes like this pound cake.

For extra strawberry flavor, there are berries in the batter, berries in the glaze, and berries in the garnish. We probably couldn't add more berries if we wanted to.

Learn how to make strawberry pound cake. The classic pound cake is great for breakfast, dessert, or a snack any time of day.

Ingredients for Strawberry Pound Cake

All ingredients for strawberry pound cake are widely available at any local grocery store. You'll need basic baking ingredients, plus the fresh berries, so you may have nearly everything you need:

Baking spray with flour: For coating the loaf pan. You can also coat with butter and sprinkle with flour. Just be sure to shake out the excess.
Unsalted butter: Adds richness and flavor to the batter. We prefer butter in pound cake because it is rich and lends great crumb to the final loaf.
Cream cheese: Makes the final pound cake richer and more cakey, but not dense.
Granulated sugar: For sweetness.
Eggs: Brings the pound cake batter together and helps give it loft.
All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour is the preferred flour for most pound cakes because it develops a great crumb that's cakey but still delicate and light.
Kosher salt: Balances all the sweetness.
Baking powder: A leavener that helps the cake rise during baking.
Fresh strawberries: Bring your best berries to this pound cake. They're used in the loaf, in the glaze, and as a garnish.
Grated lemon zest: Bright and floral zest elevates the flavor of the pound cake. You could also add some to the glaze for more flavor.
Powdered sugar: For the glaze. You can skip the glaze entirely if you want and top the loaf with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

How To Make Strawberry Pound Cake

Here's a brief outline of the process for making a strawberry pound cake. The full recipe is further below:

Step 1. Prepare the loaf pan with baking spray, and warm up the oven.
Step 2. Start the batter by creaming butter and cream cheese, then adding the sugar. Beat until fluffy, and add the eggs. Finish the batter with the dry ingredients that have been sifted together and some of the mashed strawberries and lemon zest.
Step 3. Add batter to prepared pan, and bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool the pound cake completely.
Step 4. Make glaze by combining mashed strawberries with powdered sugar. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
Step 5. Garnish the glazed cake with strawberries. Slice and serve.

Test Kitchen Tip

Mash some strawberries to use in the cake batter as well as in the icing for an irresistible double whammy of flavor and color.

Can You Make Strawberry Pound Cake Ahead of Time?

You can make strawberry pound cake ahead of time. If you're planning to serve the pound cake later, avoid adding the garnish and glaze until just before serving.

To keep the pound cake fresh and moist, cover it tightly for storage, or store in an air-tight container. You can also keep it in the fridge for extra freshness. Let it come to room temperature before serving.

How To Store Strawberry Pound Cake

Cover strawberry pound cake tightly before storing with storage wrap or in an airtight container. For the best results, refrigerate the loaf. The glaze may begin to weep if left at room temperature too long.

You can also hold the glaze until just before serving for a more freshly prepared look (the glaze will add moisture whenever you add it).

More Southern Pound Cakes

Pound cakes are welcome at all types of gatherings, and you can never have too many good recipes. These are some of our favorites:

Editorial contributions by Alesandra Dubin.

Ingredients

Baking spray with flour
1/2 cup (4 oz.) unsalted butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (about 6 3/8 oz.) all-purpose flour, sifted
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup mashed fresh strawberries (about 8 oz.), divided
1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Fresh strawberries, for garnish

Directions

Prepare pan and oven:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan with baking spray with flour. Line pan with parchment paper; coat parchment with baking spray with flour.

Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
Cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar:

Beat butter in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add cream cheese, and beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape sides of bowl as needed. Add sugar, and beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
Finish batter:

Stir together sifted flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl.

Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood

With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture alternately with 1/2 cup of the mashed strawberries, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in lemon zest. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
Bake pound cake:

Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 65 to 75 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour.

Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
Make strawberry glaze:

Whisk together powdered sugar and remaining 1/4 cup mashed strawberries until smooth.

Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood

Drizzle over cooled cake.

Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood

Garnish with fresh strawberries.

Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best pan for a pound cake?

This recipe calls for a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper coated in baking spray with flour. This size and type of pan allows for even baking and a golden crust.
What is the difference between pound cake and Bundt cake?

Pound cake and Bundt cakes are two different types of cakes, both in terms of ingredients and preparation. The main difference is that a pound cake is buttery and quite dense, and can be made in a loaf pan or a Bundt pan. Bundt cake is made exclusively in a Bundt pan and can contain a range of flavors and textures. These are typically moist, tender cakes.

Learn More: Pistachio Bundt Cake
What makes a pound cake different from a regular cake?

A pound cake is made with equal (or nearly equal) portions of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs. A typical pound cake includes one pound of each of these ingredients—an even ratio from which the name pound cake derives—and is often more dense and buttery than other types of cake and sponge.
How do you moisten a pound cake?

There are multiple methods for moistening a pound cake that tastes too dry. First, try brushing it with a simple syrup to add moisture. You can also add glaze (or additional glaze) to a dry cake. Lastly, try serving the cake with whipped cream or ice cream to help moisten it and add a creamy texture.
How long do you leave pound cake in the pan before removing?

Let the pound cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it. Then, let it cool completely on a wire rack (about one hour).