About Us

Pound cake, cookies, pies & more in Lisle, IL.

From the Founder; Bev Hudson

POUNDCAKE started many years ago, watching my mother and grandmother make this wonderful creation and learning their baking secrets. Vanilla, Chocolate Marble and Cherry Nut Torte pound cakes were their favorites, and kolackies were alternate delicacies for some holidays.

As a native Chicagoan (100% Polish) I have a great appreciation for ethnic neighborhoods and recipes; preserving some of the past and offering new variations on old favorites. You might say “POUNDCAKE with Attitude”. I currently reside in the far Western Suburbs, formerly of Naperville, and am excited to be a part of the downtown Lisle ongoing development.

My journey to start POUNDCAKE evolved during a career in healthcare; from a degree in Occupational Therapy (U of IL) and an MBA in Marketing from Benedictine University in Lisle, and years of Biotechnology/ Clinical Trial work sandwiched in between. (Sales and Marketing) As family and the network of friends grew; I always baked and baked with special people who often asked “So when are you going to sell pound cake or cheesecake or……?”

Bev with Lemon Pound Cake

With two married adult children I am an Army mom and the mother of a breast cancer survivor; who both love to cook, bake, barbeque, and have amazing spouses. If not baking I may be cycling at the Morton Arboretum (or other places) and love the outdoors.

POUNDCAKE is about honoring those I have baked with; Nana Loretta, Grandma Mary, Papa Hal; and going forward with new creations, in new space, and with a new company.

Meet the Intern; Dave Schrock

As Chief Executive Intern, I have been with POUNDCAKE since its inception. When Bev started the business, POUNDCAKE began as a tent at Farmer’s Markets. When we saw many repeat customers and inventory leave the table in a flurry, we knew it was time to create a brick and mortar store.

My own career has been as a General Contractor. I started BASEMENT SPACES over 25 years ago and have been a celebrity of sorts in the Basement Finishing field. I wrote and self-published a book and DVD. CBS and CNN/FNN both conducted on camera interviews of me which aired on local and national TV. My thoughts and written words on basement finishing have been quoted many times in respected publications such as Money Magazine and the Chicago Tribune. And I have finished over 300 basements as the “proof of the pudding.”

Building a home for POUNDCAKE as the general contractor has been very rewarding. I hope you make it into the store or order online and see for yourself Bev’s wonderful creations.

I love my Tesla, (drive electric!) cycling, and Lemon Blueberry Pound cake…

Director of Social Media; Jack Hudson

When not in the kitchen making my Bark Bites, I really enjoy napping on my cot, walks outside, and car rides. My favorite foods are Mashers or Mac and Cheese mixed in with my Kibble – though Vanilla PoundCake has to be the bestest. Ask Mom to tell you the story of how once I ate 3 loaves of Vanilla cooling on the counter. I just can’t contain myself around the stuff. It’s barkalicious.

I have lots of social experiences. I spend a lot of time at Doggy Daycare playing with the other dogs. We all get along great and its a lot of fun as they all love me. When I come home, I almost always head straight to bed for a long nap. That’s a dog’s life – you know.

As for my other social skills, when we go on car rides I like to bark at other dogs and humans in adjacent cars through my open windows in the back seat, or when I see other critters such as squirrels running across the road. My Montana sized bark is a media form of its own and commands attention. Everyone notices. Even Mom’s pesky cats go running when I bark.

The most important part of my job is being the best buddy. My humans love my companionship and that’s what we dogs do best. You can’t go wrong with a dog. Just try teaching a cat to come when you call. Ever wonder why they made the phrase: ”like herding cats?” I thought so. See, I’z right and that’s why I be the Director of Social Media.

A Brief History of Pound Cake

This simple yet elegant cake gets its name from the amount of each ingredient: a pound each of flour, eggs, butter and sugar which would yield a cake large enough to feed several families. This is what was counted on back in the 18th century, when the recipe first appeared in print. Baking ingredients were hard to come by, so sharing goods was certainly appealing.

Although this recipe has English origins, it has become an unequivocal American classic. As methods and ingredients changed over time to suit changing tastes, a smaller less dense cake evolved. While this basic cake no longer has a pound per ingredient, the name stuck. When baking powder was introduced in the mid-19th century people no longer had to rely on eggs alone as their leavening (rising) agent. Baking powder use meant fewer eggs needed per recipe.

Another new kitchen ingredient was shortening—a mixture of lard and butter. The combination of baking powder and shortening diminished the need for one pound each of eggs and butter. These convenience products brought about a new class of cakes called “Composition” cakes; great for bakers on a budget and also requiring less preparation time. This brought cake baking to middle class America for the very first time. Through the years as the availability of flavored additives were popularized, pound cakes expanded their flavor profiles and textures to what we have today.

– Courtesy of “Ultimate Pound Cakes” by Phyllis Hoffman Depiano Copyright 2017.

Bakery Information

For more information about the bakery or to view our menu, please visit our Bakery page.

To view all of our pound cake offerings, please visit our online store.

If you have any questions, contact us by calling 630-234-9700 or send us a message using the form on our Contact page.