Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour for pound cake?
You can't make pound cake without eggs. Cake Flour: Cake flour is lighter than all-purpose flour and produces the best pound cake in my opinion. Since it's so light, the attention remains on the butter. All-purpose flour is simply too heavy for this pound cake recipe; the cake will be heavy as a brick.
Can you make cake with all-purpose flour?
All-purpose flour is, well, an all-around good flour to use for baking breads, cakes, muffins, and for mixing up a batch of pancake batter. All-purpose has protein content of 10-13% and it will perform very well, time after time. But if you want to make really soft cake layers, reach for cake flour.
What makes pound cake more moist?
Adding buttermilk, sour cream, or cream cheese gives more moisture and flavor to the cake. The acid in buttermilk and sour cream produces a very fine crumb because it tenderizes the gluten in the flour. Sour cream and cream cheese add so much richness that cakes made with them are super moist and almost springy.
Is cake flour the same as all-purpose flour?
Cake flour is a low protein flour that's milled into a fine consistency. It contains about 7-9% protein, while all-purpose flour, a harder flour, has anywhere between 10-12%.
How do I substitute all-purpose flour for cake flour?
Because of this discrepancy, you'll want to use a bit more cake flour to make an accurate substitution for all-purpose flour. Add an extra 2 tablespoons per cup of cake flour to equal the quantity in 1 cup of all-purpose flour.
What happens if I use plain flour instead of self-raising?
If a recipe calls for self-raising flour it is doing so because it is relying on the raising agents in that flour to make the baked good 'rise'. If you use plain flour instead and don't add any raising agents you will most likely end up with a very flat, dense bake!
What is the secret to a good pound cake?
"Pound cake should be light, with a finely textured, moist, and even crumb," says Claire Saffitz, BA's associate food editor and baker extraordinaire. She has created, tested, and made dozens of pound cakes, plus she's well-versed in the science of baking (yep, it's a science).
Does pound cake need baking powder?
A simple classic pound cake does not utilize any chemical leavening (baking powder or baking soda). This cake relies solely on the air that is mixed into the batter during the creaming process for its rise. This process is known as physical leavening.
Why does my pound cake fall?
Extra sugar or leavening causes a cake to fall; extra flour makes it dry.
Which flour is best for cakes?
Plain flour or self raising flour?DishFlour requiredCakesSelf-raising flour (or plain flour with baking powder)CrumpetsStrong flour AKA breadmaking flourPancakesPlain flourPastryPlain flour7 more rows
What is the difference in baking flour and all-purpose flour?
King Arthur Flour says its all-purpose flour is versatile, strong enough for bread and gentle enough for scones and cakes. Baking flour has less protein and can be good for light, soft baked goods.
What is all-purpose flour used for?
All-purpose flour is suitable for most purposes such as baking, cooking, coating meats, vegetables and as a thickening agent for sauces and gravies. A mixture of hard wheat which contains more gluten and soft wheat are ground together to make all-purpose flour.
Classic Pound Cake with Only 4 Ingredients!
Pound Cake is one of those old fashioned cake recipes that will always have place on my dessert table. I have created all sorts of variations on pound cake like my Million Dollar Pound Cake which includes (among other things) buttermilk to tenderize the crumb, and of course my Kentucky Butter Cake which is a MUST make!
This Moist & Easy Pound Cake Can Be Made into So Many Epic Desserts
BUT don’t be misled…there is magic in the basics too. This pound cake recipe is the building block for a pretty epic strawberry shortcake. Macerated strawberries and whipped cream add extra moisture and sweetness that pairs beautifully with the dense crumb of traditional pound cake.
Why is it Called Pound Cake?
Nope, it’s not because you will gain a pound by eating a slice…and no, not because it weighs a pound. In fact, it weighs about 4 pounds because you use these 4 simple ingredients that weigh a pound each:
Variation Ideas
The sky is really the limit with the recipe. Let’s start basic with what you can add IN to the cake before baking:
How to Store Pound Cake? Can I Freeze It?
You can store your pound cake in an airtight container for up to three days. You can also wrap your pound cake with saran wrap and foil, then freeze it for up to six months. Let frozen pound cake thaw on the counter before unwrapping for best results.
Classic Pound Cake
This Classic Pound Cake recipe uses only 4 simple ingredients that all weigh in at 1 pound each to create a traditional butter cake that is perfect topped with strawberries and whipped cream!
Cake Flour
Cake flour is manufactured specifically for baking cakes. It is milled more than other flours to create extra-fine particles, which yield baked goods with a finer, smoother texture. Its protein content is comparatively low, creating a more tender, less chewy consistency.
All-Purpose and Self-Rising Flours
All-purpose flour is not milled as much as cake flour and contains an average amount of protein -- more protein than cake flour. It is a better choice if you prefer a denser pound cake. Self-rising flour is essentially the same as all-purpose flour in terms of texture and protein content.
Why is Pound Cake Called a Pound Cake?
Have you ever wondered where Pound Cake gets it’s name? I’m going to give you some fun trivia. You never know when this information might come in handy ;0)
Pound Cake Variations
These days, pound cakes have been modified from the original recipe proportions, often in favor of a lighter more buttery cake. However, they still incorporate all of the same simple ingredients (plus a few extras here and there).
Adding an easy vanilla glaze to the pound cake
After baking our pound cake, we drizzled it with a Simple Vanilla Glaze.
Can Pound Cake be Frozen?
Yes! Not only is a slice of buttery pound cake amazing fresh from the oven, these cakes can be wrapped and frozen for weeks or even months at a time! Perfect for those days when unexpected guests pop in, or when you just need a little something sweet to go with your coffee or tea (or a giant slice for breakfast..I won’t tell!)
Other Favorite Pound Cake Recipes!
We happen to love pound cakes around here and have a few delicious pound cake recipes in our Recipes section that you just have to try!
Other Classic Cake Recipes to Try!
In addition to pound cake, there are several more classic cake recipes that belong on your “must-bake” list! Don’t miss these amazing traditional cake recipes that are considered old fashioned favorites for good reason.
My Cake School Cake Recipes, Cake Tutorials, and More
We have an ever-growing collection of favorite cake and frosting recipes in our Recipes Section! We’d love for you to scroll through.
what is pound cake?
Traditionally, Pound Cake is a plain, dense cake made using only four ingredients: a pound of butter, a pound of sugar, a pound of eggs and a pound of flour.
RECIPE TESTING
WOW. What a week. After recipe testing Pound Cake after Pound Cake, I finally found the perfect one. I tried all kinds of methods and ingredients, all with varying results. But there was one that stood out from the pack. She’s a beauty.
Ingredients
Butter: it’s very important to use softened butter (very soft) for this recipe. Do not use cold butter. You want the butter to be soft so it will easily combine with the sugar. This step is crucial in creating a light and tender cake (rather than being dense and dry). More on this below.
The key to a soft Pound Cake
Through the recipe testing process, I learnt that the key to creating a soft and tender Pound Cake that’s not dry, is creaming the butter and sugar correctly.
What does creaming the butter and sugar mean?
Like many Butter Cakes or Vanilla Cakes, this recipe begins by creaming together the butter and sugar. This means using an electric mixer to beat the two ingredients together. However, many people will stop when the two ingredients are simply combined.
Why is it so important for your butter to be soft?
Creaming the butter and sugar shouldn’t take long. However if your butter is too cold, it will take significantly longer to combine and turn pale and fluffy. You run the risk of over mixing and beating too much air into your mixture.
How to make Pound Cake
Begin by creaming together your butter, sugar and vanilla using an electric mixer. If you watch closely, you’ll see that in just a minute or two, not only will the two ingredients combine but they will change in colour and texture. Your butter mixture will become pale and creamy – almost a little fluffy.
Use High Quality Ingredients
To be completely honest with you, I am typically not the kind of baker that believes that using name brand ingredients is going to make a huge difference over a generic brand. But when you have a recipe with as few ingredients as pound cake, each one is significantly more important.
Check for Proper Oven Temperature
It is extremely common for an oven to not be calibrated properly. Many ovens heat too low or too high compared to what the temperature is set at. This can vary greatly from oven to oven, therefore I highly recommend making the very small investment in buying an oven thermometer to test your own oven temperature.
Prep Before Starting- Mise en Place
Mise en place, or the concept of “everything in its place,” is key to most any baking recipe. It is especially important with pound cake because you must pay special attention to the temperature of your ingredients.
Make Sure Your Ingredients are at the Proper Temperature
A simple classic pound cake does not utilize any chemical leavening (baking powder or baking soda). This cake relies solely on the air that is mixed into the batter during the creaming process for its rise. This process is known as physical leavening.
Use the Proper Creaming Technique
Creaming the butter and sugar together properly is absolutely a key skill in perfecting the pound cake. The technique is not difficult at all, it just requires some patience.
Add the Eggs Very Slowly – Creating an Emulsion
Now that your have forced air into the butter and sugar, it is time to add the eggs. The way in which the eggs are added is equally important.
Do Not Over-Mix Your Batter
I know, I know. The instruction of “do not over-mix” is in so many recipes, but what does it truly mean? This instruction is especially important when you are working with delicate baked goods, as well as baked goods that are being leavened with air. Pound cake falls into both of these categories.