This classic pound cake, made with butter, heavy cream, and sugar, is sure to please your sweet tooth as much as it did The King’s. Elvis’s favorite cake. He usually ate a whole loaf.
The Story behind the Cake
Back in 1997, Maida Heatter adapted a recipe she happened to see in an issue of TV Guide titled “Elvis Presley’s Favorite Pound Cake.” She goes on to say the story revealed Elvis loved a certain pound cake and consumed it with abandon. American food historians, Jane and Michael Stern, writing in Saveur magazine, relate how they often dined with Elvis fans who felt close to The King because he never lost his taste for down-home food. Elvis could afford caviar and Beef Wellington. But instead, he eagerly downed well-done burgers. And what to drink? Why, Pepsi of course. Not Champagne, no sir. Elvis favored classic southern sweets for dessert, and one favorite happened to be pound cake. Not just any pound cake but a particular one. The Sterns say pound cake for Elvis meant a cake baked by his childhood friend, Janelle McComb. And she gave the recipe to the Sterns in 1987, on the 10th anniversary of The King’s death. According to the Sterns, “Every year at Christmas, McComb would bake two loaves and bring them to Graceland. Elvis would eat one all by himself.” Elvis fans practice TCE (Taking Care of Elvis). And to serve McComb’s cake keeps his legend alive.
Tips for Elvis Presley's Pound Cake
This recipe makes two gorgeous golden brown cakes with moist, fine, and tender silky textures. The cakes often sport a crack or two running down their centers. This is one of the best pound cakes I’ve ever eaten. Be sure to use cake flour in this recipe. There is no substitute. Cake flour is low in gluten and gives cakes incredibly light, fine textures. Sift the flour first, then weigh or measure it. You can mix the batter up in just a few minutes with a hand-held or stand electric mixer. I think you will love this cake. Maida Heatter adapted the recipe she found in TV Guide and added 1/8 teaspoon mace, a classic southern spice often included in a pound cake. She also added 1 teaspoon of baking powder, absent from the original recipe. I made my own modification by reducing the amount of sugar from 3 cups to 2 cups. Plenty sweet enough. Happy Baking!