National Pound Cake Day

Pound cakes are rich, dense cakes with quite a history behind them. People have been making them for at least 270+ years—if not longer. It’s a dessert that no one needs a holiday to enjoy, but for those looking for a holiday that celebrates this food, they’ve found it. National Pound Cake Day is a holiday celebrated on March 4th every year and is designed to help everyone discover and enjoy this sweet treat.

The History of Pound Cake

Even though we were unable to uncover the history of National Pound Cake Day, we were capable of tracking down the history of the pound cake—at least, sort of. Pound cake is believed to date back to the early 1700s and may have originated in northern Europe. The first printed recipe for it was published in 1796 in the first U.S. cookbook known as American Cookery. Over the years, the recipe for pound cake has been changed and improvised upon. One variation of this cake was called Indian Pound Cake. Instead of using the all-purpose flour that’s used in traditional pound cake, it uses cornmeal.

Although some people may have suggested that pound cakes originated during the Middle Ages, sweet dough and other delicacies were still in their infancy during the 15th century. The more popular option for people was mince pies made from beef or mutton. So no, there were no pound cakes made before the early 18th century.

Dishes You Can Make With Pound Cake

As you celebrate this holiday, you’re probably looking for other ways to enjoy this dessert other than just cutting yourself a slice. That’s why we’ve listed some of the ways that pound cake can be used to make different culinary creations. Although not everyone will want to prepare their pound cake in one of the following ways, this list should provide some much-needed inspiration for those who are a little more adventurous.

How to Observe National Pound Cake Day

As anyone reading this can probably guess, the best way to observe National Pound Cake Day is to enjoy one of these cakes. It can be a cake that you purchase in the store or one that you make from scratch. It doesn’t matter. You can also just enjoy it by the slice, or use it in one of the many recipes that use pound cakes as a base. No matter how you enjoy it, however, just be sure to use the hashtag #NationalPoundCakeDay to let everyone know that you’re enjoying this sweet, sweet holiday.

When is it?
This year (2024)
March 4 Monday
Next year (2025)
March 4 Tuesday
Last year (2023)
March 4 Saturday
Topic
Food & Drinks