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A buttery, tender small pound cake with a golden top, made from scratch in a small baking dish. One egg and a few pantry staples, scaled for one or two servings.
Featured Comment
“This is the best pound cake recipe ever! I’ve made it multiple times and it is perfect each time. It will be my go-to from here on out.”
– Jane
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
- Total Time: 50-55 minutes
- Equipment: 5×5-inch baking dish or 4×6-inch baking dish
- Cook Method: Oven
- Servings: 1-2
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: Rich butter flavor with a hint of lemon and vanilla, a tight even crumb, and a golden crust that gets slightly crisp at the edges.
This mini pound cake recipe delivers the same buttery flavor and texture as a full-size pound cake, just scaled down to one or two servings.
A Buttery Small Pound Cake Recipe
A pound cake is one of the oldest recipes in American baking. The original called for a pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour, which made a cake big enough to feed a crowd. I wanted that same buttery, tender cake without baking for ten people.
This small pound cake recipe is made with a quarter cup of butter, one egg, and a small baking dish. Traditional pound cake relies on creaming the butter and sugar long enough to build air into the batter, and that technique works the same way at this scale. I tested the ratio of butter to flour until the crumb came out tight and even with a golden crust on top, the way a real pound cake should look when you pull it from the oven.
What I love about this recipe is how well it keeps its texture. The lemon juice brightens the butter flavor without making it taste like a lemon cake, and the crumb stays moist for days. I slice it into four pieces and eat it plain with coffee, or with a little whipped cream and fruit after dinner.
Readers have made this cake over and over. It has over a hundred reviews for a reason.
If you like this small batch pound cake, try my mini lemon cake, single serve yellow cake, or mini angel food cake.
Watch How To Make a Mini Pound Cake
Table of Contents
- Quick Look
- A Buttery Small Pound Cake Recipe
- Watch How To Make a Mini Pound Cake
- Mini Pound Cake Ingredients
- Recipe Variations
- How To Make A Mini Pound Cake
- Tips For Making The Best Small Pound Cake
- Troubleshooting
- Serving Suggestions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Mini Cake Recipes To Try
- Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
- Mini Pound Cake Recipe
Mini Pound Cake Ingredients
Here is everything you need to make a pound cake for two and why each ingredient matters. If you have any ingredients leftover, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Butter: Use softened salted butter at room temperature. It should hold its shape but leave a dent when you press it. When creamed with sugar, softened butter traps air pockets that give the cake its lift. If the butter is too cold it won’t aerate, and if it’s melted the crumb will be flat and greasy.
Granulated Sugar: Sugar does more than sweeten. When creamed with butter, it cuts into the fat and creates tiny air pockets that expand in the oven. This is the foundation of pound cake texture. Use standard white granulated sugar.
Egg: One large egg binds the batter and adds moisture. Bring it to room temperature before adding so it blends into the creamed butter without curdling.
Lemon Juice: Brightens the butter flavor without making the cake taste like lemon.
Vanilla Extract: Rounds out the flavor and works with the butter and lemon to give the cake depth.
All-Purpose Flour: Gives the cake structure. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it with a knife. Scooping from the bag packs in too much and makes the cake dry.
Baking Powder: Traditional pound cake uses no leavener and relies entirely on creamed butter for lift. At full size, that works because there’s enough batter to build and hold a strong rise on its own. This small pound cake has less batter to work with, so a small amount of baking powder gives it the extra lift it needs. Test freshness by adding 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 cup hot water. If it bubbles, it’s good.
Salt: Even with salted butter, a small amount of added salt rounds out the sweetness and helps the butter and vanilla flavors come through more clearly.
Milk: Loosens the batter and adds just enough moisture to keep the crumb from drying out. Whole milk gives the richest flavor, but 2%, low-fat, or almond milk all work.
Recipe Variations
This half pound cake recipe works well as a base for different flavors. Here are a few tested variations to try.
Citrus: Add 1 teaspoon of lemon, lime, or orange zest to the batter. The zest adds a bright citrus flavor that pairs well with the butter.
Almond: Replace the vanilla extract with 1/8 teaspoon of almond extract. A little goes a long way. You can also use 1/8 teaspoon of each for a vanilla-almond combination.
Chocolate Chip: Stir in 2 tablespoons of mini chocolate chips. Mini chips distribute evenly through this small amount of batter, while standard-size chips tend to sink to the bottom.
Simple Glaze: Stir together 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1 to 2 teaspoons of milk or lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
How To Make A Mini Pound Cake
This single serve pound cake takes about 10 minutes to mix and 40 to 45 minutes to bake at 350°F. See the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Prepare the dish. Lightly butter a 5×5-inch baking dish or a 4×6-inch baking dish. Place it on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips.
- Cream the butter and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer for 1 minute until the mixture is pale and fluffy. This step builds the air pockets that give the cake its rise.
- Add the egg, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and fully blended.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Combine wet and dry. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Add the milk. Mix until the batter is smooth and pourable.
- Pour the batter into the prepared dish and spread it evenly.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes in the dish, then invert onto a plate and slice.
Tips For Making The Best Small Pound Cake
Use real butter, not margarine. Margarine has a higher water content and lower fat than butter, which changes how the batter creams and how the cake bakes. The crumb won’t hold together the same way.
Bring all ingredients to room temperature. A cold egg or cold milk can cause the creamed butter to seize up and break the emulsion. Set everything out 30 minutes before you start.
Don’t overmix once the flour is added. Overmixing develops gluten, which makes the cake tough instead of tender. Mix until the flour just disappears, then stop.
Grease the dish thoroughly. This cake will stick if the dish isn’t well greased. Use softened butter and coat every corner.
Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet. I do this with every small baking dish recipe. It steadies the dish going in and out of the oven and saves you a cleanup if anything spills.
Use an oven thermometer. Most home ovens run 10 to 25 degrees off. A cake that bakes too hot will brown on the outside before the center is done, and one that bakes too cool can overflow the dish before the structure sets.
Troubleshooting
If your mini pound cake isn’t turning out quite right, here is how to fix common issues like a sunken center, a heavy crumb, or a dry texture.
Why did my pound cake sink in the middle?
The cake was underbaked. A pound cake needs the full 40 to 45 minutes to set its structure. If the center is still wet when it comes out, it will collapse as it cools. Always check with a toothpick before pulling it from the oven. This can also happen if the oven door was opened too early, which drops the temperature and stops the rise before the crumb has set.
Why is my pound cake heavy and flat?
The butter and sugar were not creamed long enough. Creaming is what builds air into the batter, and that air is the primary source of lift in a pound cake. Beat the butter and sugar for about 1 minute until the mixture is noticeably pale and fluffy.
Why is my pound cake dry?
The cake was overbaked or the flour was over-measured. Even 5 extra minutes in the oven can dry out a small cake. Pull it as soon as a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the flour was scooped directly from the bag instead of spooned and leveled, there may be too much flour in the batter, which also dries out the crumb.
Why did my pound cake crack on top?
That’s normal. A crack along the top of a pound cake happens when the outer crust sets before the interior finishes rising. Steam pressure from inside pushes through the surface. In full-size pound cakes, this split is considered a sign of a good rise. In a small baking dish, the crack may be smaller or not appear at all, but either way it does not mean anything went wrong.
Serving Suggestions
This pound cake for one is good on its own, but here are a few ways to finish it.
- Homemade Whipped Cream: A spoonful on a warm slice is the simplest way to dress it up.
- Single Serving Vanilla Ice Cream: Classic pairing. The cold ice cream against the warm cake is hard to beat.
- Small Batch Caramel: Drizzle over sliced pound cake for a butterscotch finish.
- Single Serving Caramelized Plums: Warm fruit over pound cake works as a simple dessert or a weekend brunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Four. This recipe bakes in a 5×5-inch dish and slices into four pieces, enough for one or two people.
Yes. Divide the batter between two 10-ounce ramekins and start checking for doneness around 30 minutes. The tops should be golden and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
Yes. Fill each well about 3/4 full and reduce the bake time to 18 to 20 minutes. The tops should spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick should come out clean.
Yes. Double all ingredients and use two 5×5-inch baking dishes or one 8.5-inch round dish or 7×7-inch square dish.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Yes. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
The name comes from the original recipe, which used one pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. This mini version uses roughly a quarter of those amounts, scaled for one or two servings.
More Mini Cake Recipes To Try
If you enjoyed this Mini Pound Cake, here are a few other small cake recipes to try:
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this mini pound cake or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Mini Pound Cake
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
- 5-inch baking dish or a 4×6-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- ¼ cup salted butter – softened to room temperature, plus 1 tablespoon more for greasing the pan.
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Lightly butter a 5×5-inch or 4×6-inch baking dish. Place it on a rimmed baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer for about 1 minute until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
- Add the egg, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and fully blended.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Stir in the milk until the batter is smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared dish and spread it evenly.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the dish for 10 minutes. Invert onto a plate and slice into four pieces.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
can I make these as muffins? Can I use buttermilk? What changes would I have to make in temp and baking time?
I haven’t tested this pound cake in muffin tins or with buttermilk, so I can’t say for sure how the texture will turn out. Since muffin cups are smaller, they will bake faster, so I’d keep the oven temperature the same and begin checking around 18 to 20 minutes.
For the buttermilk, it may work, but this recipe wasn’t developed with it. Since the cake already includes lemon juice and does not use baking soda, buttermilk could change the texture and possibly make the cake a little more dense. For best results, I’d recommend making the recipe as written the first time.
I’ve been wanting to try your recipes for a long time and this was a perfect opportunity for me! All I had was a little 6 inch round pan and it was perfect, everyone (ok, 3 people) commented about how rich and buttery it was and it was just the right size. Thank you so much. I will be trying more of your recipes. 🙂
So glad this was your first recipe to try and that it was a hit with everyone! Thanks for the kind words, and I hope you enjoy exploring more of the recipes!
Beyond delicious! I did not have vanilla extract so I used almond. Still just as yummy! I used the almond extract in my homemade whipped cream. Paired with the lemon and strawberries on top. Perfect dessert!
That sounds wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Can I substitute 1/2 t. of almond extract for the lemon juice?
You can add almond extract but I would caution against using a full ½ teaspoon, as almond extract is very potent and could easily overpower a mini pound cake. Instead, I’d suggest simply leaving out the lemon juice and adding just ⅛ teaspoon of almond extract alongside the vanilla already in the recipe. That should give you a lovely subtle almond flavor without it being too much.
It’s in the oven, emitting a beautiful aroma.
That’s the best smell! Just wait until you take that first bite, it tastes just as wonderful as it smells.
So good! I just enjoyed my second piece after baking it yesterday. This is delicious, dense and easy to make. Adding this to my favorites list!
Thank you! I’m so happy you enjoyed the pound cake.
I just made this. Delicious! Next time I will use the correct size container. This one came out a litter flatter. It is so good,
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
I made this & enjoyed it alot. Have ever made this in a mini muffin pan? I love the portion control that they offer. Any suggestions? Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pound cake! You can bake it in a mini muffin pan. I’d suggest filling each well about 3/4 full. They’ll need less time in the oven, though I haven’t tested this recipe as cupcakes specifically. I’d start checking around 18–20 minutes. If they’ve risen nicely, the tops spring back when lightly pressed, and a toothpick comes out clean, they should be ready.
Thanks, I have some liners, so I going to use those too.