Elvis Presley's Favorite Pound Cake Recipe

Fresh butter, cream, vanilla, and eggs make this pound cake moist, rich, creamy, and fit for a King!

Table of Contents

• History of Elvis Presley's Favorite Whipping Cream Pound Cake
• Pound Cake Ingredients
• Steps For Making Elvis Presley's Favorite Poundcake
• Expert Tips for Perfect Pound Cake
• Elvis Presley's Favorite Pound Cake Recipe

History of Elvis Presley's Favorite Whipping Cream Pound Cake

According to Elvis historians Jane and Michael Stern in their book Elvis World, a friend and neighbor of Gladys and Vernon Presley from Tupelo, Janelle McComb, made this pound cake, and at Christmas always brought two to their home. It was Elvis' favorite, and he looked forward to receiving it each year.

After the Presley's moved to Memphis, Janelle would send Gladys newspaper clippings from the Tupelo paper to keep her informed about local events. At Christmastime, she continued to bring the family favorite poundcake to them every year. In addition to being a thoughtful friend, Janelle was also a talented writer. When Lisa Marie was born, Elvis commissioned her to write a poem for Lisa that she titled "The Precious Gift." Later, he commissioned another poem for his father. After Elvis passed away, Vernon asked Janelle to write the epitaph for his headstone at Graceland, as well as a dedication on the eternal flame.

Janelle continued her tradition of bringing two pound cakes to Elvis at Graceland each Christmas after Gladys passed away, a gesture she maintained every year until his death. She shared her original recipe publicly in 1987, on the 10th anniversary of Elvis' death.

Pound Cake Ingredients

Vintage recipes like this one have such basic ingredients, you may already have everything you need. I didn't even have to go to the store!

• Unsalted butter - gives you control over the flavor by adding your own salt.
• Sugar - granulated sugar adds the sweetness.
• Vanilla extract - gives a nice, mild flavor to the poundcake.
• Kosher salt - improves the flavor and texture of the cake.
• Cake flour, sifted twice - lighter than all purpose flour; sifting gets rid of lumps and adds air for a fluffier cake texture. Should not be substituted with self-rising flour as it will likely overflow.
• Large eggs - Adds moisture and bonds ingredients together.
• Heavy whipping cream - Adds a rich flavor while moisturizing and tenderizing the cake.

Steps For Making Elvis Presley's Favorite Poundcake

1. Bring butter and eggs to room temperature for 30-60 minutes.
2. Thoroughly grease and flour two 9" x 5" loaf pans OR one 10-inch tube pan (without a removable bottom) or 10-inch Bundt cake pan.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
4. In a large bowl, mix butter, sugar, vanilla and salt with an electric mixer (handheld mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment) on medium-high speed for five minutes, until fully combined and fluffy.
5. Thoroughly mix in whole eggs, one at a time.
6. Alternately add cake flour and whipping cream to batter, mixing after each addition. When all has been added, turn mixer to high and mix for 5 minutes until creamy and smooth. Cake batter will be thick.
7. Pour batter, dividing evenly between two greased and floured 9" x 5" loaf pans, or one 10" Bundt or tube pan. Place pan or pans on oven rack set in middle position.
8. Bake at 350 degrees F for between 60-75 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a wooden pick inserted into middle of cake comes out with only a couple of crumbs attached. Check at 45 minutes to see if it's getting too brown. If you want it to stop browning, gently set a piece of non-stick foil over the top of the cake and continue baking until inside is done. Baking time will vary depending on your oven and pan, so watch it carefully.
9. Set on rack to partially cool cake. Remove cakes from pans after 30 minutes by running a thin knife around the interior of the loaf pan along the outer edges of cake. Invert cake onto a plate and return to rack until fully cooled, for another 30-60 minutes.

It is characteristic of this cake to split down the middle during the baking process.

Expert Tips for Perfect Pound Cake

1. Be sure to use cake flour and not all purpose flour. Cake flour has a lower protein content, less gluten, and is ground finer than all purpose flour. It's great for lighter cakes like angel food and pound cake. You will not get the same results using all purpose flour.
2. Follow the directions to sift your flour twice. It ensures there are no clumps in the flour, and it incorporates air for a lighter, fluffier texture. Begin by measuring the flour, then sifting. I use my mom's old hand crank sifter.
3. Make sure you mix for the full amount of time indicated, even if it looks ready earlier. You're whipping air into the mixture for a light, fluffy texture.
4. Carefully test the cake with a wooden toothpick before removing it from the oven. It is not unusual for it to look done on the outside before it is ready on the inside.

Serving Suggestions

The flavor of this cake is quite sweet. My favorite way to offset the sweetness is to serve it with fresh berries and a dollop of unsweetened (or very lightly sweetened) stabilized fresh whipped cream. (Stabilized whipped cream is made with a little bit of cream cheese to make it firmer -- and it also cuts sweetness.) Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries all work perfectly for this purpose.

Variations

If you don't mind altering the recipe, here are a few things you can try:

• Add 1 teaspoon of lemon extract and 2 tablespoons of lemon zest to make this a lemon poundcake.
• Cut sugar by ¼ - ½ cup and add an equal part of sour cream for a less sweet pound cake.
• Substitute almond extract for vanilla extract for a change in flavor.
• Fold in ¾ cup of chopped pecans for a little nutty flavor and crunch, just before pouring into cake pans to bake.

These variations are nice to try, but they're not the way Elvis had them! He always got the original, sweet Southern recipe.

Pound Cake Storage

The cake keeps well if it remains unsliced in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in a refrigerator for up to 7 days. Slicing it and keeping it in the refrigerator can dry it out faster and ruin its beautiful texture, so it's best to eat it as soon as possible. When refrigerating the cake, bring it to room temperature before serving for the best flavor.

You can also store this cake in the freezer for up to 6 months. To do so, wrap cake tightly in plastic wrap, then wrap again in aluminum foil. It must be airtight to keep it from drying out. Thaw in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature for serving.

More decadent desserts to try!

Have a comment or a vintage recipe you'd like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Please rate, comment, or send me an email at [email protected].