Pound Cake

Pound cake, or otherwise known as butter cake, is the perfect soft cake for every occasion. Although the recipe is quite simple, it can be a bit challenging to nail. It requires an abundance of patience to the point that I would consider it an ingredient for this recipe. But don't let that scare you from trying this recipe for yourself.

As the name suggests, this cake is made from a pound of each of the main ingredients. This recipe was passed down to me from my mother who must have gotten it from her mother and who knows how many generations this recipe must have traveled through before it was passed on to me.

This cake is the perfect "plain" cake to use for a crowd full of picky eaters (or indecisive customers). I use this cake as the base for most of my cake decorations because the sweet neutral taste appeals to literally everyone which is my main goal for any party cake.

Like I mentioned, this recipe may appear to be super easy and simple, but there are so many minor mistakes you can make that can cause the cake to come out as a flop. Not to worry, I will share my tips and secrets to creating the perfectly soft and moist pound cake. So lets start! Tip#1 is to make sure ALL the ingredients are at room temperature before you even start beating the batter. This includes the eggs and butter. I would recommend taking them out at least 3-4 hours (up until overnight) in advance. This leads to tip #2 which is to substitute half of the butter with margarine. Hopefully you know that there is a difference between butter and margarine, but the main distinction is that butter contains more saturated fat while margarine contains trans fat. In most recipes, it is normal to switch between margarine and butter (unless it specifically states to use only one or the other) but using half margarine and half butter in the recipe really helps makes the cake soft.

Start by adding 1/2 pound of room temperature margarine and 1/2 pound of room temperature butter in a bowl and using the paddle attachment of the mixer, beat on a medium speed. After a few minutes, stop the beater and use a spatula to scrape down the sides. Continue to beat the butter for about 15 minutes (YES I mean 15 minutes!). This is honestly my least favorite part of the recipe (remember I said this recipe takes a lot of patience). The longer the butter/margarine beats, the more better the batter will turn out. Here is a rule of thumb, beat it until you think the batter is fluffy and light, and then let it beat again for 5 more minutes (as seen to the right). Only then should you start slowly adding in the sugar in small amounts, scrapping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Once all the sugar is added into the batter, beat for 5 more minutes to make the batter should be soft and fluffy.

Tip #3 is to crack the 8 room temperature eggs in a separate bowl and gently whisk the eggs to prepare while the sugar and butter are beating. When the sugar and butter is well incorporated, add in all the whisked eggs. Beat the batter on a medium speed and scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure all the eggs, sugar and butter is well blended. While this is beating, slowly add in the vanilla extract as well. Reduce the speed to slow and start adding in the flour + baking powder, a few spoonfuls at a time. This is where the recipe takes a twist, as tip #4 is to make sure not to over beat the batter from this point (weird right?). Anyway, slowly spoon in the flour + baking powder (as seen to the left) and just beat enough to make sure it is all incorporated. Making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl again. After adding the flour, it is important not to over mix the batter because it can cause the cake to sink when baking. Once the batter is beaten just enough to combine all the ingredients, carefully pour the batter into a greased cake pan. You also have the option of lining the bottom of the pan with a parchment paper but that is personal preference. (I personally don't line my cakes with parchment paper because I use a spring-form pan)

Bake the cake in the oven at 325 ° F for about 45 minutes or until a tested inserted in the center comes out clean! This cake is one of those cakes that have to bake for a while at a lower heat so don't worry if the cake is not cooking right away. But note that tip #5 is to limit the number of times you open the oven, especially for this pound cake it is important NOT to open the oven until at least 30 minutes (this tip is also hard for me to follow because I am always scared that the cake is going to burn) but by opening and closing the oven, the cake has a higher chance of sinking (and nobody wants that). I hope I didn't scare you too much from making this cake! Enjoy this pound cake recipe and have fun trying this recipe! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns!

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MATERIALS:

• 1 pound (16 oz.) butter, softened or 1.2 pound (8 oz.) butter and 1/2 pound (8 oz.) margarine

• 1 pound (16 oz.) sugar

• 1 pound (16 oz.) flour

• 8 eggs, room temperature

• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to about 325° F

2. Using an electrical mixer, beat the butter on high speed in a large bowl for at least 15 to 20 minutes, until very creamy and soft

3. Add in the sugar and beat for an additional 5 minutes till soft

4. In a separate bowl, crack all the eggs and gently whisk, slowly pour into the mix and beat until completely combined, then add the vanilla extract

5. Slowly add the flour and baking powder, little by little, ensuring that the batter is mixed evenly

6. Pour the batter into a greased pan, fill only 2/3 of the pan to avoid overflowing

7. Bake for about 45 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes our clean.

#Intermediate #FamilyFavorite