Every Christmas, a treasured taste of Tupelo reportedly made its way to Graceland. Janelle McComb, a longtime friend of Elvis Presley’s family, brought him her buttery pound cake. Food writers Jane and Michael Stern later received the recipe directly from McComb, preserving a dessert connected not simply to Elvis’s appetite, but to friendship, family, and the rituals of coming home.

Unlike many recipes loosely described as Elvis favorites, this cake has a documented baker and a traceable published recipe. Its signature is an unusual cold-oven start, followed by slow baking into a golden crust and tender, rich crumb. This carefully edited version retains the defining ingredients and method.

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Recipe Information

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes, plus cooling
Servings: 16 (two loaves, 8 slices each)
Difficulty: Intermediate (3 of 5)
Cost: Moderate ($$$ of $$$$$)
Region/Ethnic Origin: Southern United States

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pans
• 3 cups cake flour, sifted, plus more for the pans
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 7 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. Do not preheat the oven. Generously butter and lightly flour two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans. Position an oven rack near the center of the cold oven.
2. Sift the cake flour with the salt into a bowl. Set aside.
3. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar until noticeably pale and fluffy, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla extract.
5. With the mixer on low speed, add half the flour mixture, then the heavy cream, then the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until incorporated, scraping the bowl to eliminate dry pockets.
6. Beat the batter on medium speed for 5 full minutes, until smooth and satiny, following the characteristic extended beating used in the historical preparation.
7. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Place the pans on the center rack of the still-cold oven.
8. Set the oven to 350°F and bake for approximately 60 to 80 minutes from the cold start, checking toward the end. The cakes are done when a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the tops brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil.
9. Cool in the pans for 20 to 30 minutes. Loosen the edges carefully, turn the loaves onto wire racks, and let cool completely before slicing.

Kitchen Notes

Use regular cake flour, not self-rising cake flour: this traditional formula relies on eggs and mixing rather than added baking powder. The oven must be cold when the filled pans go in. Because ovens heat at different rates, begin checking doneness before the longest suggested baking time. Wrap cooled loaves tightly; the flavor and texture are excellent the following day.

A Little Presley Family History

The story’s quiet Easter egg is the number two. Accounts say Janelle McComb brought two cakes to Graceland at Christmas—one Elvis might keep for himself and another to share. McComb’s place in the family’s history went far beyond baking: she was also asked to write words associated with the Presley family memorial. A simple pound cake became a lasting reminder of their Tupelo roots.

Historical Recipe Disclaimer: This collection celebrates foods documented as favorites of Elvis Presley through historical accounts, interviews, family recollections, and published materials. Unless specifically identified as an authenticated historical recipe, the preparations presented here are carefully researched interpretations rather than exact reproductions of dishes served at Graceland. Carter Family Recipes is an independent culinary publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Elvis Presley Enterprises, Graceland, or the Presley estate.