This old fashioned 1-2-3-4 Cake is a classic bundt cake recipe, made with 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 3 cups of flour, and 4 eggs. The “secret” technique of whipping the egg whites first will make it lighter and fluffier than other recipes!
If you’ve spent any time flipping through vintage cookbooks, you’ve likely come across a 1-2-3-4 Cake recipe. This classic pound cake has appeared in community cookbooks, newspaper columns, and baking guides since at least the 1950s, and likely before.
When I shared this recipe on Facebook, readers chimed in with fond memories of mothers, aunts, and even school, proving just how widely loved and circulated it has been over the years. It’s a close second to the comments I get when I post recipes for wacky cake! Here are a few of the comments:
- “My mama made 1234 cake when I was a little girl. We had no mixer. She beat the batter by hand. She used grandma’s churned butter. The cake was 3 layers and covered in boiled chocolate icing.” – Jeanne
- “My aunt spoke of making a 1234 cake often when she was living in the children’s home where she was raised. All the girls had to learn how to cook and that was one of the regular recipes on their rotation.” -Malinda
- “My Mom’s Rumford cookbook has the recipe for the 1, 2, 3, 4 cake, lovingly referred to as Grandmother’s 1,2, 3, 4 Cake. She made it often and my sisters and I got to help. It was such an easy one to put together. Back then, we could lick the bowl and the beaters AND survived!” -Kathy
One of the recipes I found for 1-2-3-4 cake stood out. It called for whipping the egg whites and folding them into the batter to create a lighter and fluffier cake. It really did make a difference! We really enjoyed it, particularly my 6-year-old who gobbled it up with whipped cream and fresh berries.
Jump to:
How I Updated the Traditional Recipe
This 1-2-3-4 cake recipe is softer, lighter, and fluffier than most traditional versions.
Classic 1-2-3-4 cakes are typically made by creaming the butter and sugar, then mixing in whole eggs before adding the dry ingredients. For this version, I whipped the egg whites separately first.
The whipped egg whites are gently folded into the batter just before baking. The extra air creates a cake with a lighter texture and delicate crumb. It’s still squarely in the “pound cake” category, just a slightly less-dense version. The technique is similar in this classic old fashioned pound cake recipe too.
What You’ll Need
- Per the cake’s name, you’ll need 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 3 cups of flour, and 4 eggs for the recipe.
- If you’re using unsalted butter, just add ½ teaspoon of salt to the dry ingredients.
- I used almond extract, but vanilla extract, lemon extract, or a mix of any of those can be substituted.
How to Make 1-2-3-4 Cake
- Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and extract and stir to combine, then stir in the milk, then the flour and baking powder.
- Fold in the whipped egg whites.
- Transfer the mixture to a greased tube pan (angel food cake pan).
- Bake for about 90 minutes at 350°F.
Tips for Making the Cake
- Change the pan size: the batter also fits in three 9-inch round pans or a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan. Start checking the cake for doneness around 35 minutes for both of these. A toothpick should come out clean when the cake is baked through.
- I loved the cake with whipped cream and berries, but you can also frost it. This classic chocolate fudge frosting is an old Betty Crocker recipe and it is lovely.
- One person who submitted the recipe to a cookbook noted that it “Keeps well, and can be mailed.” The cake didn’t last long at my house but it’ll keep for at least one week at room temperature.
📖 Recipe
Old Fashioned 1-2-3-4 Cake
Ingredients
- 4 eggs separated
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon extract vanilla, lemon, or almond, or a mix of these
- To serve: powdered sugar berries, whipped cream
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below and we’ll send it straight to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes each week!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch tube pan (angel food cake pan).
- Whip the whites of 4 eggs until stiff peaks form (save the yolks for the next step).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together 1 cup salted butter and 2 cups sugar. Beat in the egg yolks, then stir in 1 cup milk and 1 teaspoon extract. Stir in 3 cups all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon baking powder.
- Gently fold in the whipped egg whites.
- Pour into the pan. Bake for 85–95 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a butter knife around the edges of the cake to ensure it will release from the pan.
- Turn the cake out onto a serving platter and let cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if you like, and serve with a bit of whipped cream and berries.
Why is the flour mentioned twice in the directions? 3 cups both times?
Part technology, part human error! I just fixed it. Thank you for catching that!