Homemade Pound Cake Recipe: Buttery, Rich, and Delicious
The Perfect Pound Cake
Pound cake is a go-to comfort food in the wide world of baked goods: it’s familiar, made up mostly of pantry staples and has such an old-fashioned taste to fall back on. The name pound cake comes from the original recipe that called for a “pound each of flour, butter, sugar and eggs. This simple combination of components combine to make a rich but tender dessert, comfortable on both the weeknight table and at festive occasions.
That can be why this pound cake recipe is regarded as by most so exclusive — it has the buttery richness, yet not dry at all. This recipe, unlike many modern versions that contain a smorgasbord of other ingredients as well, is just a humble version with few extra-Capitol Hill tips to make it more strict. These basic elements—butter, eggs in a fair number, sugar granulated instead of confectioners’, all-purpose flour —combine to make a cake far moister and more tender than any other.
A key piece of advice in this recipe is the careful creaming together of butter and sugar. This step is mandatory as it aids air incorporation in the batter, which allows a light and fluffy cake. It also helps overmixing (which creates a dense, tough dough), and allows the batter to bake evenly. A further measure is the gentle hand-mixing of flour into batter to maintain some aeration from creaming.
Where this pound cake recipe is different from the rest, and perhaps even revolutionary for some of you who are familiar with it, is that while others may preach type and quality of tools (i.e., a meat thermometer) play a role in the results — no sifter/scaler required to make Captain Kirk’s Perfect Pancakes! With these basics in check, it builds upon it to turn a simple set of ingredients into a stunning and addictively tasty showstopper dessert. Served plain, dusted with powdered sugar or topped by fresh berries and whipped cream this pound cake is a showstopper on any table.
Ingredients and Preparation
The foundation of any good homemade pound cake is nothing but the best ingredients RELISH LIVE. This is the list that you will need to pull out for these sweet, buttery magnificent things.
Butter: 2 sticks (1 cup) of unsalted butter, at room temperature. Butter at room temperature- helps in creating a creamy consistency when beaten with sugar.
2 cups of granulated utopian sugar
Boiled eggs: 4 large, room temperature Eggs at room temperature mix better with the batter and it evenly.
All-purpose flour: 2 ½ cups. My preference is King Arthur or Gold Medal…. both are very consistent.
Milk: 1/3 cup Baking powder: 1 tsp, to make the cake slightly rise.
Salt: 1 tsp (for taste).
Whole Milk: ½ cup, at room temperature to help keep the batter smooth.
Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon (for fragrance and cross flavor) Use the pure vanilla extract if you have it for optimal results.
For this delicious pound cake, follow these instructions:
Step 1: Preheat Your Oven and Prepare the Pan Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
2. Cream Together Butter and Sugar: Beat the butter in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, on medium speed until light. Beat in sugar bit by bit, until the mixture is pale and fluffy. This is critical to give a tender crumb.
3. Beat Eggs: Beat in 1 egg at a time. Add the next egg only after each one is well blended so as not to alter cake mixture consistency.
4. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a different bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Thus guaranteeing better dispersement of the leaveners and finer crumbs.
5. Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to these wet ingredients, alternating with milk in three parts, beginning and ending with dry. Mix until just combined, be careful not to overmix or you will end up with a dense cake.
6. Stir in the Vanilla: Carefully stir in the vanilla extract(substrate).
7. BAKE: Spead the batter evenly in a prepared loaf pan Place in preheated oven and bake for 60-70 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Cool the Cake: Leave cake in pan about 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool completely. This is freeze it so that well, KEEP ITS FORM AND HUMIDITY.
Baking and Cooling the Cake
Perfecting a homemade pound cake can take some practice with details right down to the temperature of the oven and bake time. The first step is to preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) and make sure that heat remains consistent throughout baking. That way, the crumb can remain nice and moist inside while also developing a great golden brown crust on the outside.
Put the cake batter in a bundt or loaf pan, whatever you’ve decided on to bake your caramel apple bread. Place the cake on level B-centre of a pre-heated oven which will insure even baking by allowing heat reflection from side and top. Pound Cake: 60 – 75 minutes But one thing to note: ovens vary, so make sure your bread is cooked through.
Insert a toothpick or cake tester into the center of the cake to test. If it comes out clean, then your cakes are baked perfectly! If it comes out clean … with a few dry crumbs attached, then your cake is done! If there is wet batter on the toothpick, bake a little longer and check again in another couple of minutes. Listen, if you see the top of it getting too brown but liquidy in the middle… tent with foil so that can cook through.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 50-55min. Take it out of the oven and let it cool for 15 to 20 min still inside of the pan. It makes their cake little bit firm to get handled and packed. Let the cake cool in its pan on a rack to room temperature. This is important in order to allow the cake to set better (and not be as soggy). Air circulates under & up through bottom of the cake via wire rack.
Allow the cake to completely cool before slicing so that it holds its shape and you are left with a consistent texture in each bite. Fail to do this and your cake might be a bit crumbly, not holding together as well. Stick to these steps and you’ll make a buttery, rich pound cake that’s baked perfectly too.
Suggested Uses & Variations
Pound cake is a warm dessert that you can enjoy in many tasty ways. Serve slices of pound cake with sliced strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries for a pretty presentation. And its buttery richness, when mixed with tangy fruit juices and berries — the tartness of them contrasting nicely with that sweet-tart flavor-storm erupting at long last in your mouth from under a cap of whipped cream on top! Adding a spoon of fresh whipped cream or honey over the top truly heightens it and leaves you with alot of mmm…s in each fork.
If there are any leftovers make sure that pound cake is well wrapped in plastic and completely cool to keep them fresh. Allow the cake to cool completely – wrap it in plastic film and store at room temperature, or place inside an airtight container. The pound cake still tastes good under such circumstances for a maximum of five days. The cake can be frozen for even longer storage, but make sure it’s very tightly wrapped to prevent freezer burn. The cake should be at room temperature when you’re ready to eat it again.
Classic Pound Cake recipes differ and there seem to be countless variations of this timeless recipe. Adding lemon zest or orange zest to the batter also offers a citrus pop, but this mostly complements and enhances. Or, you can fold in chocolate chips or nuts (finely chopped) to provide texture and depth of flavor. A drizzle of powdered sugar, milk and vanilla can top it if you want a little extra sweetness or fancy pants factor.
The traditional pound cake recipe can suit others too including those with dietary preferences or restrictions. If you want to make it gluten-free, simply swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten free blend instead. If you want a low-sugar version, look at sugar substitutes ok for baking and that does not affect the cake texture. Plus, playing with any vegan alternatives to butter and eggs may transform this classic favorite into a dessert suitable for an entirely plant based diet.
A customizable play on the pound cake, this recipe invites bakers to flex their creative muscle. Add your own interpretations and variations to inspire others, which will turn this timeless sweet into a custom piece of art.
