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Love the famous Sara Lee pound cake? Then you’ll love this easy copycat recipe!
America’s Favorite Pound Cake
Sara Lee pound cake has got to be America’s favorite cake!
But did you know that you can duplicate this delicacy (well almost) at home and that it’s easy too?
Dig Out That Box Of Cake Flour
Do you have a box of cake flour lurking in the back of your fridge? Well, dig it out because you’ll need it for this recipe!
You must use regular bleached cake flour, like Swan’s Down or Softasilk. Don’t use self-rising cake flour–you won’t get the right results.
You can substitute regular all-purpose flour for the cake flour, but it’s quite labor intensive to do this. If you want to do that, the substitution is for each cup of cake flour, you need 7/8 cup of all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons of corn starch. Where this may seem like it’s easy, you are going to have to sift this mixture at least 5 times. It will produce adequate results, but the wheat in cake flour is different wheat than what’s in all purpose, so bear this in mind.
Now I’m cheap, but I’m also lazy in my old age so I strongly recommend treating yourself to a box of the real thing.
Superfine Sugar Is Easy
Where substituting all-purpose flour for cake flour takes some work, making superfine sugar (castor sugar) is easy so there’s no need to buy it.
Take the amount of sugar called for in the recipe and pop it in your food processor or Ninja. Pulse it a few times and voila–superfine sugar!
Lemon Is Optional
I usually add a tablespoon or two of grated lemon zest to this cake because it adds a subtle tanginess, but that ingredient is purely optional.
Orange zest is nice too if you have it.
The Recipe
Copycat Sara Lee Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla
- 1 ½ cups sifted cake flour see NOTES
- ¾ cup superfine sugar see NOTES
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 13 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1-2 tbsp grated lemon or orange zest optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Spray or grease a 8 x 4-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper (optional) and grease the paper too.
- In a medium bowl lightly whisk the milk, eggs and vanilla.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients and mix with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds to blend. Add the butter and half the egg mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to medium speed (high speed if using a hand mixer) and beat for 1 minute to aerate and develop the cake’s structure.
- Gradually add the remaining egg mixture in 2 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients. Scrape down the sides.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.. The batter will be almost a ½-inch from the top of a 4-cup loaf pan. (If pan is smaller, use excess batter for cupcakes.)
- Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes and place a wire rack. Reinvert so that the top is up and cool completely before wrapping airtight.
Notes
Nutrition
*Adapted from “The Cake Bible,” by Rose Levy Beranbaum
Jean SERRES says
Butter measurement: 3/4 cup = 12 Tbsps. so add another 1 Tbsp. and you have it, easier….
rita lamb-mercer says
there is also another way to get the sara lee flavor: my brother accidentally did it in the early 1970s by using powdered eggs and powdered milk with the swansdown 1234 cake receipe and it has since been a family favorite!
Judith Hanneman says
Thanks Rita! I know readers will find this very helpful!!