Easy pound cake that's super-soft and moist from sour cream, with a little crust, and flavored with maple and orange zest. It's great for dessert or for a breakfast treat with a cup of ginger-lemon-honey tea.
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Sour cream cakes of any kind are a reliable crowd-pleaser. They are moist and have just a little tang to them that sharpens all the flavors. This one adds some grated orange zest, although you can use any citrus you like, including lemons.
By the way, just as sour cream makes a pound cake moist, so does yogurt in this pear yogurt cake and farmhouse strawberry yogurt cake. And I find sour cream and Greek yogurt pretty interchangeable, so if I want to swap out ½ cup of sour cream for yogurt, I still only need ½ cup.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
For the all of the ingredients, measurements and directions, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- All-purpose flour - I prefer King Arthur flour for its consistency.
- Baking soda
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Orange zest
- Sour cream - either cultured or full fat is best in this recipe.
- Vanilla extract
- Maple extract
- Eggs
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🔪 Recommended Equipment
- 10-inch bundt pan (or tube pan)
- Standing mixer
- Cooling rack
📝 Instructions Overview
Detailed instructions for making this sour cream pound cake are in the recipe card below, but here's a quick overview!
Step 1
Whisk. Whisk together the flour and baking soda. Set aside
Step 2
Make the cake batter. Cream the butter and sugar until the butter is lighter in color. Add the zest, sour cream and extracts. Mix well.
Add the eggs one at a time, alternating with portions of the dry ingredients. Pour into a bundt pan.
Step 3
Bake. Bake until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Cool briefly before flipping the cake out over a cooling rack.
💡Ideas for Possible Variations
Substitute lemon zest for orange zest.
Eliminate the maple extract.
🤷♀️ Maple Sour Cream Pound Cake FAQ
Can I make this ahead and freeze it?
Yes. Double wrap it in plastic wrap, and then wrap in foil. If you have a sealed container or zipped baggie large enough for it, place the wrapped cake in it, and seal it.
Maple Sour Cream Pound Cake
Equipment
- 10-inch bundt pan (or tube pan)
Ingredients
- 3 cups (13.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ pound unsalted butter 2 sticks
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
- 1 cup organic cultured sour cream or full-fat sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- 6 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325˚F. Prepare a 10-inch bundt or tube pan by spraying very generously with non-stick cooking spray. (Or use 4 paper mini-loaf bakeware measuring 2.5” wide X 7” long X 1.8” high like I did which don't need any prepping at all.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the baking soda and flour and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together. If your butter is cold, run the mixer at the second speed for a few minutes to warm it up. Then mix on high for 7 minutes. The butter - sugar mixture should turn lighter in color when ready.Add the orange zest and mix for another 2 minutes.
- Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, and maple extract, and mix until completely incorporated.
- Add the eggs one at a time, alternating with adding portions of the dry ingredients. Do not add an egg until the previous egg and dry ingredients are mixed into the batter.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, place on a baking sheet (just in case any runs over), and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes. When done, the top of the cake should feel springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean.(If you use the smaller paper loaf pans, for example for gifts, bake for 1 hour 10 minutes.)
- Cool for 5 minutes on a cooling rack, and then slip a sharp knife around the outer and inner edges of the pan. Turn the pan upside down to release the cake.
April @ Angels Homestead
I love the texture of pound cake, especially when it's moist. Nothing worse then a dry pound cake. Yours looks like it turned out perfect. Happy reveal day! 🙂
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much April! the sour cream made it soooo moist. It was just delicious.
JJ - 84thand3rd
A good pound cake recipe is always a good thing to have on hand - love your flavour additions too! Great SRC pick!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
There are so many ways to use pound cake - which I probably should have added to the post. Sometimes I toast it for breakfast with some fruit and yogurt. But it's also great cut into pieces for a trifle. I'm getting hungry 🙂
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen Notes
There's something about sour cream in a pound cake that makes it ridiculously melt-in-your-mouth good. Love, love, love this recipe with tangerine (favorite citrus) and maple Susan!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
You're so right, Paula! I want to try sour cream biscuits with the rest of my sour cream... the diet may have to wait just a little longer.
apuginthekitchen
I really like the flavors in your cake, it looks wonderfully moist and delicious. Pound cake is difficult for me to get right for some reason, it's a texture thing. Adding the sour cream is a great idea, I have been thinking about pound cake lately and wondered about cream cheese also.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
It's totally a texture thing - I agree. I have to say the sour cream addition really turned out a moist pound cake.
Traci
Oh my goodness. This looks incredible. I am a sucker for anything citrusy and I've never tried this flavor combination. Going to have to! Your recipe look delicious, happy SRC day!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
This time of year, I add citrus to just about everything 🙂
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel
This sounds so yummy! And I love the tangerine zest to give it that extra little something 🙂
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Jess! You can substitute orange zest, but it's not the same. Tangerine is more potent and sweeter I think.
lizthechef
I love this "You never know when you might need a cake" - LOL.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I just like to be prepared for any cake thing that might come up LOL....
SallyBR
Tangerine pound cake, with maple! What a great match for a cake...
I bet it turned out moist and flavorful...
Happy Reveal Day!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Sally! The sour cream addition was fantastic for a moist cake. Loved!!
Lynn
I would love to use this pound cake for strawberry shortcake:) Great SRC pick~ Happy Reveal Day~ Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Strawberry shortcake would be perfect!!! Great idea Lynn!
bakingaddict
I love the flavour combination here, it sounds absolutely delicious! I had your lovely blog this month and really enjoyed making your no bake healthy fudge. Happy SRC reveal day.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so so happy you liked it!! My step-daughter introduced us to it and it was instant love.
Amanda E
This looks fantastic - think my husband would destroy in one sitting 🙂 Perfect SRC pick!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Amanda! I hid two of the loaf-etts. Otherwise we'd have to hide the scales 🙂
nicole @ I am a Honey Bee
great pick!
very inventive to add the maple and tangerine. sounds great! I'll have to try that one day!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I loved going through your blog over the last couple of months. Many congratulations to you and your husband on the birth of Autumn Olivia. I'm so happy for you. She's just adorable. And she's such a lucky little girl to have you (and your fabulous food) for a mom.
dena @ohyoucook
A cake for breakfast. Well, it's breakfast time somewhere LOL! Great SRC choice!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
My feelings exactly! Thanks Dena!
Norma Chang
Glad you added tangerine zest, one finds lots of recipes calling for orange, lemon or lime zest but not tangerine, am going to keep this in mind for the future.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Norma. The tangerines are so great right now I'm just adding them to everything 🙂
Asiya @ Chocolate and Chillies
Pound cake is one of my favourites and the addition of maple and tangerine sounds wonderful! Great SRC pick!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
It's one of my favorites too. There were other recipes I want to cook on Nicole's blog, but I have a hard time passing up pound cake 🙂
Melissa
I have to say, I've never had anything with the maple-tangerine flavor combo, but this sounds delicious! Great pick this month 🙂
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm not sure I have either to be honest. But once the tangerine was in, it just hit me that maple would work nicely too. I had some extract, and popped a little in. So fun 🙂
Tara
I was assigned I am a Honey Bee last time and loved looking through the posts anticipating the birth of her daughter. Can't believe she is already 2 months old! Great pick! I love the addition of tangerine. I am always looking for new recipes to use them. Pinned!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Tara! It was so fun reading through Nicole's posts leading up the the birth and then to see the adorable pictures.
kirstin
Yum! Sounds really good. I make a PB pound cake that my girls love. This one sounds like a good option.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
The sour cream was such a nice addition for a little tang and added moisture. It is such a soft cake. Just loved it.
laurasmess
Pound cake is always a winner in my opinion, delicious and simple... I love warming it for breakfast or using thick slices as the base of a trifle. Yours looks perfectly delicious Susan. Great recipe for this week's round up! x
Emily @ Life on Food
What an interesting set of flavors. I love maple. This sounds pretty great to me and looks super moist. Great pick for SRC!
cheri
What a great combination, love this!
mjskit
I've always been a sucker for a good pound cake, especially the one's with the soft and moist interior and the crusty exterior. Looks like I'll be making this one soon. Looks delicious Susan! Good choice.
Karen
Fabulous choice. Definitely going to try this! Sounds amazing.
Amy @ Fearless Homemaker
I loooove pound cake and this one looks SO good. Excellent choice for the SRC!
Lindsay (life and kitchen)
Yum! That looks delicious! I can't wait to explore more recipes on your blog 🙂
Laura Dembowski
This cake looks wonderful with that rich crumb! Tangerine and maple are a great combo too!
Danielle @ TheCharmItSpot
I love baking with citrus zest! This sounds delicious and easy to make. Thanks for the recipe!