Pound
cakes were the cakes made by our mothers, our grandmothers, and our
great-grandmothers. The name 'pound' was given to this cake because the original
recipes contained one pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour.
Today, we may have altered these proportions, but it is still a
wonderfully rich and buttery cake with a lovely golden brown crust. As in the past, it is important to
have the butter and eggs at room temperature so the maximum amount of air can be beaten into the batter. There is a
tendency for the batter to curdle when adding the eggs but having the eggs at room
temperature and adding each egg separately will help to prevent this. But
don't
worry if there is curdling as once the flour is added the batter will smooth
out.
Whether you enjoy
a slice of this cake plain with just a dusting of powdered sugar or with
whipped cream or ice cream, it is truly a king
among cakes. You might also like to try toasting a slice or, an even better
idea, is to make grilled pound cake. Jane Rodmell in her book
'Best Summer Weekends' tells us to beat an egg with two tablespoons each of milk
and Grand Marnier and then dip each slice of cake into this mixture, as you
would French Toast. Then place the slices of cake on the grill,
browning each side. Serve for dessert along with fresh berries and whipped
cream. Absolutely delicious.
Preheat oven to
350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter or spray
with a pan spray, a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan. Line the bottom of
the pan with parchment paper and butter or spray the paper.
In a large bowl,
sift together twice, the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl
of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until creamy and smooth. Gradually
add the sugar, beating continuously on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (this
will take about 5 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. After
about five minutes the batter should be light in color and fluffy in texture.
Then add the eggs,
one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of
the bowl as needed. You will notice that the batter will look curdled. Don't
worry as the batter will come together again after you add the flour mixture. Add the vanilla and lemon
zest, if using, and beat
until incorporated.
Add the
flour mixture and mix just until incorporated. Pour the batter into the
prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake for about 50
to 60 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted
in the center comes out clean.
Remove the
cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Remove
the cake from the pan and cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature
Will keep
several days well wrapped or it can be frozen for a month.
Makes one 9 x 5 x
3 inch loaf.
Source:
Yard, Sherry. 'The
Secrets of Baking'. Houghton Mifflin Company. New York: 2003.
Note: To make your own superfine
sugar - place 1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar in the bowl of
your food
processor. Process until very fine, about 30 seconds.
s
Top
25 Recipes of 2008*
*Top 25
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December 31, 2008.
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