The Best Pound Cake Recipes to Cure Any Craving

Classic pound cake is super easy to make thanks to its basic ingredients—butter, sugar, eggs—that most people already have in their kitchens. This cream cheese pound cake recipe uses cake flour for a lighter texture, but all-purpose flour can easily be swapped in. Or make it a gluten-free pound cake by trying another flour substitute.

Related: Gluten-Free Flour Mix

Like banana bread? Then you'll find this moist pound cake recipe flavored with bananas and bourbon really appealing. Chopped pecans add texture, and a swirl of cream cheese perfects the dense, crumbly cake.

Sweet potatoes aren't just for casseroles and mashes (although they sure are tasty in those as well). In this well-balanced sour cream pound cake, a mashed sweet potato infuses more color, earthiness, and vitamins into the chocolate-swirled batter. Drizzle the finished loaf with silky chocolate ganache and sprinkle with flaky sea salt for the ultimate just-sweet-enough dessert.

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Who says you have to stick with a classic vanilla pound cake recipe? Switch things up by blending finely chopped milk chocolate morsels into your next pound cake. To make it worthy of a spot on the list of our greatest chocolate hits, we call for slathering each slice with a generous spoonful of smooth milk chocolate ganache.

A dash of almond extract and drizzle of silky sour cream elevate your average old-fashioned pound cake recipe into a crowd-pleasing masterpiece. This ultra-appetizing almond pound cake becomes even more irresistible with our white chocolate glaze and a sprinkling of chopped almonds. Not only do they look showy, but these toppings also hint at—and accentuate—the flavors hiding inside.

Pucker up! Make this citrus pound cake for any occasion—especially come winter and spring when citrus is at its finest. Grapefruit, lime, and orange lend zest to the homemade pound cake recipe. Topped with candied orange slices and a citrus glaze, the dessert is as showstopping as it is delectable.

Related: 20 Sweet-Tart Citrus and Lemon Desserts to Brighten Up Your Week

For a warm-weather spin on your classic pound cake recipe, grill slices of frozen or prepared pound cake on a charcoal grill. The warm orange juice-drizzled slices of cake are even more luxurious when topped with cool, fluffy whipped cream, chopped pistachio nuts, and our espresso chocolate sauce. This can all be yours in less than 30 minutes!

You have our full permission to eat cake for breakfast. Zingy grapefruit zest, fresh grapefruit slices, and juice perk up the flavors for this far-better-than-store-bought-pastry treat. Make the easy pound cake recipe extra-sweet and kid-friendly by using any leftover pulp for a simple DIY syrup.

Give your traditional pound cake recipe a little French flair with this bananas foster-like topping. The 15-minute sauce coats the fruit in orange liqueur, nutmeg, and sugar. Spoon it over warm pound cake and serve à la mode to complete the dreamy dessert.

Related: How to Make the Best Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Head to the tropics for dessert tonight. Topped with a citrus-coconut glaze, lime zest, and toasted coconut flakes, this twist on vanilla pound cake is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. The unique cake gets tart flavor from fresh lime juice and a smooth, buttery texture from cream of coconut.

Test Kitchen Tip: To toast curls of fresh coconut, spread them in a single layer in a shallow baking pan and bake for 5 to 10 minutes at 350°F.

Substitute sour cream for some of the butter in your traditional pound cake recipe to make the crumb supremely moist. Once you’ve mastered the basic version, follow our simple upgrades for a lemon-poppy seed pound cake or blueberry pound cake. Just like your favorite muffin recipes but a bit sweeter.

With warm baking spices like ground cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, this cozy pound cake pairs perfectly with a warm mug of coffee or hot chocolate. Canned pumpkin keeps fall’s best pound cake recipe moist, while raisins, pecans, and cherries dot the dessert. A light brushing of orange juice and a sprinkle of coarse sugar finish the treat, which can be made ahead and stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Cheers to bubbly and how it makes almost everything better—including this dessert. Look to sparkling wine to add a pleasant amount of acidity and a super-light texture to this wedding-worthy vanilla pound cake recipe. Bake it in a pretty fluted tube pan for showy slices.

This photo-worthy, homemade lemon pound cake recipe gets its crave-able flavor courtesy of a sweet-tart glaze. All you need to make it—powdered sugar and Meyer lemons. De-lish!

Buy It: Nordic Ware Jubilee Bundt Pan ($38, Target)

Cherries jubilee—that retro, festive, brandy-spiked fruit dessert—meets pound cake in this bakery-quality creation. Not one, but two hits of white chocolate make the moist pound cake recipe extra enticing: first in the batter and second in the drizzle. Brandy-spiked cherry compote takes it over the top in the best way.

Related: 17 Vintage Recipes for the Perfect Throwback Party

Ideal for dessert or a brunch menu, this sour cream pound cake features an eye-catching marbled batter and a sweet-tart topping. Cranberries, raspberries, and pomegranate star in the glaze, and the cake gets its gorgeous swirl from raspberry jam. Garnish with a dusting of powdered sugar and everyone will be asking, “Where did you buy this?!”

Say hello to the coolest summer cake you'll ever make. (And in three easy steps!) Start with pound cake from cake mix, slice the baked cake in half, then sandwich with your favorite ice cream or sorbet.