What is the secret to make a good pound cake?
- Prep before you start. Carefully read through the entire recipe, and prepare any special ingredients, such as chopped fruits or toasted nuts, before starting to mix the batter. ...
- Use name-brand ingredients. ...
- Be accurate. ...
- Have ingredients at room temperature. ...
- Be patient. ...
- Don't overbeat. ...
- Prep your cake pan. ...
- Test for doneness. ...
How to make traditional and modern pound cakes?
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C or 350 F.
- In a large bowl, cream together the room temperature butter, sugar and salt until light in color.
- Add in one egg at a time and stir in between to make sure all the ingredients are well combined.
- Add the vanilla extract and keep stirring with a whisk. ...
- Add flour mixture and milk alternately.
How to make homemade pound cake?
How To Make Pound Cake. To make a perfect pound cake from scratch, have all the ingredients prepared and ready and the oven preheated. Beat butter, vanilla, and sugar with a stand mixer (or hand mixer) until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Finally mix in flour & salt. Bake until golden on top.
What is the best pan for a pound cake?
What is the best pound cake pan?
- The Best Bundt Pan: Nordic Ware Platinum Collection Bundt Pan, 10-15 cups.
- Best-Value Bundt Pan: Wilton Recipe Right Fluted Tube Pan.
- Runner-Up: Anolon Advanced Nonstick Bakeware 9.5" Fluted Mold Pan.
- Runner-Up: Cuisinart Chef's Classic 9 1/2-inch Fluted Cake Pan.
- Also Tested: Bakers Secret Basics Nonstick Fluted Tube Pan.
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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).
What is the best flour to use for a pound cake?
Cake FlourCake 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. If needed, use this homemade cake flour substitute.
What makes a pound cake more dense?
Why is my cake so dense and heavy? Chances are not enough air was incorporated into the butter and sugar. This could be because the creaming time wasn't long enough, or because the sugar, eggs or flour were incorporated too quickly.
How do I make sure pound cake 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.
What's the difference between pound cake and regular cake?
The cake itself is extremely dense, since it doesn't rise as much as the American-style butter cake. Because of its richness, pound cakes typically have light flavors and are served plain or topped with a basic glaze. They're normally baked in a loaf or Bundt pant.
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.
What makes a pound cake gooey in the middle?
Developing the flour's gluten too much means the cake will rise beautifully in the oven – then sink (a little, or a lot) as soon as you pull it out. And the sinking cake is what makes dense, moist, gluey streaks. Lesson learned: beat butter and sugar and eggs at medium speed. Once you add flour, mix gently.
What is a secret ingredient to moisten cakes?
Olive oil in the batter is the secret to a moist, tender cake with lots of character.
How many eggs make a pound?
How many eggs are in a pound? Eggs vary in weight since not all eggs are the same. Large eggs tend to weigh just short of 2 ounces each. It takes between 8 and 9 large eggs to equal one pound.
What makes a cake moist and fluffy?
Creaming Butter & Sugar. Whisking butter and sugar together is one essential tip to make the cake spongy, fluffy and moist. Whisk butter and sugar for long until the mixture becomes pale yellow and fluffy because of incorporation of air. The process is known as creaming.
What does sour cream do to cake?
Sour cream is one of the fattiest dairy products; the extra fat content (for example, adding sour cream to a cake instead of milk) will make the cake moister and richer, says Wilk. "Fat, in any form (butter, lard, cream, etc.) shortens gluten strands, which essentially leads to the most tender baked goods," she adds.
Why does my pound cake have a hard crust?
The number one reason that you can get a crunchy, detached layer on the top of cakes and brownies is that you whipped the eggs too much once they were in the batter, in essence making a "stealthy meringue." When you put the batter in the pan, the bubble matrix you created by whipping the eggs sort of magically rises to ...
Kentucky Blue Ribbon All-Butter Pound Cake
This is the recipe my Grandmother would make every year during the holidays. I found the recipe tucked in her Bible when she passed, and it was written in her Grandmother's handwriting. It's been in my family for at least 7 generations, and in 2012, I won a Blue Ribbon at the Kentucky State fair by following her exact instructions.
Jan's Dark Chocolate Swirl Pound Cake
Pretty marbled pound cake with rich, dark chocolate. Simple to make in no time at all! This is a great cake for making a day ahead or freezing.
Sour Cream Pound Cake
Much better than the standard pound cake, I got the recipe from a great-aunt, over 40 years ago.
Grandma Ruby's Buttermilk Pound Cake
This lemon butter pound cake is super-moist and dense. It's not for those watching calories! It's a great comfort food and goes especially well with vanilla ice cream.
Coconut Sour Cream Pound Cake
My mother-in-law always makes this pound cake for holidays. That makes this cake very special, but it really could be made any time of the year! Even people who don't like the texture of coconut love this cake because the only coconut in it is the flavoring.
Cinnamon and Amaretto Pound Cake
This is a great cake to serve at a brunch, alongside a nice hot cup of coffee!
GA Peach Pound Cake
This Georgia peach pound cake can also be made with other fruits such as apple or cherry.
WHAT IS POUND CAKE?
Pound cake is a simple butter cake that cooks have been making and sharing for generations. It’s old-fashioned and so, so good.
HOW TO MAKE POUND CAKE
When you’re making something as simple as pound cake, it really becomes all about the technique.
DOES POUND CAKE RISE?
You may notice this recipe has no baking powder or baking soda. This might seem strange for a cake recipe, but I promise it’s not a mistake! Traditionally, pound cake is made without any chemical leavening.
WHAT KIND OF PAN CAN POUND CAKE BE BAKED IN?
This pound cake recipe can be baked in a 10-cup bundt pan or tube pan. You can also bake it in two 9-inch diameter cake pans. Or, you can halve it and bake it in a 5-cup loaf pan.
CAN POUND CAKE BE GLUTEN-FREE, DAIRY-FREE, OR VEGAN?
You can make a gluten-free version of this traditional pound cake recipe, just by subbing the cake flour for a gluten-free flour blend. Make sure the product you’re using can substitute 1:1 for regular flour. Here are a few good options:
WHAT TO SERVE WITH POUND CAKE
One of my favorite things about pound cake is how versatile it can be.
HOW TO STORE POUND CAKE
This pound cake will keep at room temperature for around 4 or 5 days. Just keep it tightly wrapped so it doesn’t become dry or stale.
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!
A Brief History of Pound Cake
Word has it that the pound cake originated in Northern Europe in the early 1700s. Baked in a loaf pan, the original recipe called for a pound each of flour, butter, eggs and sugar which resulted in an incredibly moist, dense cake. However, over the years, the basic recipe has been adapted more ways than one can count.
Directions
Using a kitchen scale, weigh out each ingredient into individual bowls and set aside. For the eggs, weigh them while they are still in their shells and leave them uncracked until you are ready to add them to the batter. If you don’t own a kitchen scale, there are lots of affordable options on Amazon or at your local kitchen supply store.
The Results
While this recipe gets a 10 out of 10 in both appearance and texture, we felt that the flavor was definitely lacking something. Our detailed thoughts are broken down below:
What Is Pound Cake?
Traditionally, pound cake is called that because the recipe takes a pound each of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. This recipe hasn’t strayed far from the classic, I’ve just added vanilla and a pinch of salt.
Ingredients & Variations
BATTER While this recipe doesn’t measure in pounds, it does keep the traditional pound cake ingredients of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs.
How To Make Pound Cake
To make a perfect pound cake from scratch, have all the ingredients prepared and ready and the oven preheated.
To Glaze a Pound Cake
Cool completely. Pour warm glaze on top and sprinkle with chopped nuts or coconut if desired.
Classic Pound Cake Recipe
A homemade pound cake is an easy dessert that uses just a few pantry staples!
How to Make Classic Pound Cake
Cream sugar, butter, margarine and Crisco; add eggs one at a time, fulling incorporating between each one.
Notes About Old Fashioned Pound Cake recipe
This old fashioned pound cake is unique because it uses three types of fat – butter, margarine and Crisco.
Bundt Cake Recipes
Do you have a Bundt pan? Cakes baked in Bundt pans make a beautiful presentation. Here’s some of our favorites:
Grandma's Traditional Pound Cake
Grandma's Traditional Pound Cake is a special recipe that uses butter, margarine and Crisco for a perfectly moist and dense texture. Amateurs and professional bakers alike will fall for this easy recipe. Serve it up for dessert or breakfast, it will be a favorite for all.
Pound Cake Tips
Measure carefully, especially the flour. How do you measure flour? To correctly measure flour, first, sift the flour. Then using a spoon or scoop lightly scoop flour out of its container into a measuring cup. Continue filling the cup until it is overflowing, then using the back of a butter knife level the flour.
How to serve
This Old Fashioned Blue Ribbon Pound Cake makes a tall and impressive cake. It’s ideal for potlucks and parties. Serve it with in-season berries, whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Recipe from Paula @CallMePMc.com All images and content are copyright protected.
Nutrition
Tried this recipe? Please take a moment to comment letting me know how you liked it & consider giving it a 5 star rating. I love hearing from you!