1-2-3-4 Pound Cake (Our Most Requested Recipe)

This is it, our famous 1-2-3-4 Pound Cake, the most often-requested recipe in Swans Down history. Not to be confused with our 1-2-3-4 Layer Cake recipe on the back of the Swans Down Cake Flour box, this is pure, buttery pound cake in every bite. Sift confectioner’s sugar on the top or serve it your own way; one Swans Down fan slices it horizontally in half and adds in a layer of whipped cream and sliced bananas.

Ingredients
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (or margarine)
  • 3 cups Swans Down® Cake Flour
  • 2 cups white granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup milk (whole or low fat)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Directions

Makes 2 loaves or 1 round (tube pan) cake.PREHEAT oven to 325º.

BUTTER and lightly flour two 9-inch loaf pans (or you can use one 10-inch tube pan).

SIFT Swans Down Cake Flour, then lightly spoon into measuring cup for 3 cups.

CREAM butter and gradually add sugar, creaming until light and fluffy.

SIFT the sifted cake flour with baking powder and salt. Add eggs one at a time to creamed mixture, blending after each addition.

ADD flour mixture alternately with milk and extracts, blending after each addition until smooth. (Do not over mix as this will yield a dry cake.)

POUR into prepared pan(s).

BAKE at 325º for approx. 1 hour and 15-25 minutes. (If using loaf pans, test at 1 hour and 15 minutes and see if the cake tester comes out clean. For tube pan, you might need the full 25 minutes.)

COOL in pan(s) 15 minutes on wire rack. Remove from pan(s) and finish cooling on rack.

More Recipes

View Comments

  • I made this cake twice this past weekend. They both turned out amazing. However, the directions says to bake them for 1hr 15mins. That was a little too long and the cake browned more than I wanted it to. Second cake I baked for 1 hour and it was perfect

    • Hi Jude, thank you for your comment. All ovens bake a little differently and you have made a great point. Make sure to keep an eye on your cakes in the oven and adjust accordingly.
      Happy Baking!

    • Hi Courtney! Thank you for your comment. Our chef loves that idea and had that thought herself! If you give this a try please let us know - we'll be testing in house as well. Happy baking!

  • A very dear friend of my mine used to make a pound cake from the back of the box that was a hit at our church. The directions said to put it in a cold oven. She showed me the directions once. I would have copied it but I thought I would be able to find it here. No such luck so far. Can you help me with it please?

    • Hi Pennym She's likely referring to the Whipping Cream Pound Cake recipe. Initially the recipe was written to back from a cold start but has recently been updated. The recipe is definitely a Swans Down favorite! Happy baking!

    • Hi Jackie, Thanks for the suggestion. We'll pass it along to the IT Department. Happy baking!

  • I made the 1 2 3 4 cake today, followed the directions and baked for 85 minutes as recommended for a bundt pan. The top is very hard but the inside is delicious. What made the outside so hard?

    • One reason for that is if the flour is overmixed into the creamed sugar and butter. Once you’ve added the flour, reduce the speed on your mixer to low and mix until just combined. Also the sugar content in this recipe can form a crispy top crust as well. Let us know if this helps!

  • Hi,
    My mother in law always made this Swans Down layer cake which I loved. She told me that it was on the back of the Swans Down cake flour box years ago. When I first married she taught me how to make this wonderful vanilla flavored soft crumb layer cake. In moving several yrs ago somehow that recipe was lost. I know it isn’t the 1,2,3,4 cake because I also make that. The cake in question is a tender crumb that calls for two 9 inch round pans and we always made it for various occasions.
    Please help! it was my family’s most requested Birthday cake.
    Thank you
    Barbara

    • HI Brenda, Thanks for sharing your story. It was possibly the Happy Day Cake, now referred to as the Celebration Cake. It's a long time favorite of Swans Down bakers. If this isn't the recipe reach out to our Consumer Affairs department. They can help you with additional possibilities. service@reilyproducts.com Happy baking!

  • I made this cake and sifted the flour with the baking soda and salt do I onlyuse the 3c of sifted flour or do I use it all

    • Hi Carmen, You should sift just the flour first and measure out 3 cups of the sifted flour. Then sift the already-sifted flour again with the baking powder and salt. Happy baking

  • I made the 1-2-3-4 pound cake for the first time and it came out perfect. I replaced the almond extract with 1 tsp of lemon extract. The cake was moist. After it cooled, I ate 2 slices with a cup of tea. Thank you!

  • I've tried making the whipping cream pound cake recipe on the Swans box twice. Both attempts ended badly. I think the recipe is missing an ingredient or two like baking powder or baking soda. Which can I add for better results?

    • Hi Debbie, We're sorry to hear that you are not have great results with the Whipping Cream Pound Cake. It's certainly a Swans Down favorite. We've forwarded your information on to our Consumer Affairs Department. Someone will be reaching out to help. Happy baking!

Leave a Comment