Elvis Presley’s Favorite Whipping Cream Pound Cake
This legendary recipe comes from an anonymous, dear friend of Elvis Presley who resided in Tupelo, Mississippi. She baked this exact cake for him every Christmas and for special occasions. Fearing a deluge of requests from rock and roll fans at her home, she kept her identity a secret when she allowed the recipe to be published in a local newspaper over 20 years ago. Today, it remains an incredibly popular dessert, boasting a dense, tender crumb thanks to the addition of rich whipping cream (heavy cream).
The Cold Oven Technique
One of the most unique aspects of this traditional pound cake is the baking method. Instead of preheating, you place the prepared batter directly into a COLD oven and then turn the heat to 350ºF. This gradual heating process allows the heavy, butter-rich batter to rise slowly and evenly. Reviewers note that to prevent over-browning during this prolonged bake, you can safely tent a piece of aluminum foil over the cake in the cold oven before setting the temperature.
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Elvis Presley’s Favorite Whipping Cream Pound Cake
12
servings15
minutes1
hour10
minutes380
kcalIngredients
3 cups sugar
1/2 lb butter, softened
7 eggs, room temperature
3 cups cake flour, sifted twice
1 cup whipping cream (heavy cream)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
- Prep the Pan: Butter and flour a 10-inch tube or bundt pan. Do not preheat your oven!
- Cream: Thoroughly cream together the sugar and softened butter.
- Incorporate Eggs: Add the room temperature eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add Dry and Wet: Mix in half the sifted cake flour, then the whipping cream, then the other half of the flour.
- Flavor: Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Set the pan in a COLD oven and turn the heat to 350ºF.
- Test for Doneness: Bake for 1 hour to 70 minutes, until a sharp knife inserted in the cake turns out clean.
- Cool: Cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool thoroughly on a wire rack.
Notes
- Flour Substitution: If you do not have cake flour, a reviewer successfully substituted it by using regular flour, removing 2 tablespoons per cup, and adding 2 tablespoons of cornstarch per cup. Another reviewer successfully substituted 1 cup of the flour with almond flour.
- Storage: Wrapped well, this cake will keep for several days.
- Flavor Variations: The original author suggests adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of orange or lemon extract for a citrus variation. Reviewers also noted great results by using 1 teaspoon of vanilla alongside 1 teaspoon of almond extract, or adding the zest of 2 Myer’s lemons and the juice of 1 lemon to the batter.
- Pan Alternatives: Reviewers have successfully baked this batter in three aluminum bread pans, or halved the recipe to bake in a single loaf pan (note: baking times will vary).
- Ingredient Tips: Because the butter flavor is so prevalent, reviewers highly recommend using a very high-quality butter. Reviewers have also successfully used pasteurized egg whites (using 3 tablespoons to replace 1 whole egg).
