Pound cake might be the worst-named food in the world. True, it's a good description of the contents (a pound of flour, a pound of butter, etc.) but when I'm considering a cake indulgence, I think that it's pretty lame to remind me of the consequences to my waistline before even taking a bite. It's a miracle that, despite its terrible branding, pound cake has stood the test of time.
That's because pound cake is one of the best dessert delivery systems out there. When I look at pound cake, I see a blank canvas that's begging to be painted with macerated fruits, drizzled with chocolaty syrups, piled with dollops of whipped cream. It has the perfect texture for soaking up juices and sauces, and unlike some other cakes, it doesn't go to mush.
To make a great pound cake, one that has a moist, even crumb and a surprising amount of flavor from such few ingredients, stick with the classic 1:1:1:1 pound ratio of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour, and add flavor to enhance it. My favorite flavoring are the seeds scraped from a real vanilla bean, but extracts, zest, or spices may also be added.
to learn step by step tips for pound cake success, then go ahead a make a few—one to enjoy now, and one to freeze for a rainy day.
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A blank canvas
Pond cake is a wonderful vehicle for macerated fruits, luscious sauces, and clouds of whipped cream. Click through the slideshow to learn how to make a pound cake that's moist and flavorful.
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Bring eggs to room temperature
Pound cake has just a few ingredients, which must be treated with care to get great results. There is a very high egg content, and when you add this many eggs to a cake batter, it can be very difficult to get them to emulsify with the butter and sugar. To make this process easier, bring the eggs to room temperature quickly by placing them in warm water and allowing them to sit.
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Preparing a loaf pan: greasing
Before you begin mixing, prepare your pans. If you are using loaf pans, grease the bottom and sides of the pan with a little butter, which will help hold the parchment in place.
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Preparing a loaf pan: parchment
Then, cut a piece of parchment so it fits perfectly into the length of the loaf pan. Press the parchment into the pan, leaving about an inch of overhang on the sides. Crease the parchment at the edges of the pan, so the overhang does not fall into the cake.
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Preparing a bundt pan: greasing
If you choose to bake your pound cake in a bundt pan, first grease it very liberally with softened butter.
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Preparing a bundt pan: sugaring
An optional coating of sugar on top of the butter will cause the finished cake to have a crisp exterior. To do this, sprinkle a few teaspoons of granulated sugar into the greased bundt pan, then rotate it all around to coat, and flip the bundt pan over to tap out the excess sugar.
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Creaming the butter and sugar
To begin making the batter, the butter and sugar is creamed together for 7 to 8 minutes or longer. Begin with butter that is soft but cool and not melting. Add the sugar and beat it on high speed.
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Creaming the butter and sugar: scraping
Stop periodically to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and the paddle. This will help prevent uneven spots.
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Creaming the butter and sugar: warming
This step isn't always necessary, but if you are working in a cold kitchen, you may need to warm the bowl a bit to get the butter to the proper light, fluffy consistency. You can warm the bowl by waving a torch rapidly around it for a few seconds, or by wrapping the bowl in a towel soaked with hot water.
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Adding the eggs
Once the butter has reached an even, light, fluffy consistency, place all of the eggs and flavoring (extract or vanilla bean) in a container with a pouring spout. Pour the eggs into the batter one at a time, mixing thoroughly on medium-high speed between each one. Be sure to stop and scrape down the sides often. All of this attention will help the batter emulsify properly, which will enhance the lightness of the cake's crumb.
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The curdled look
Even batter that's handled with the upmost care will often begin to look curdled, because of the high ratio of water (from the eggs) to fat. If yours has this look, scrape the sides, bottom and beater, then beat the mixture on high speed for an additional minute or two to get it to come together.
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Fixing a curdled looking emulsion
If the mixture still has that curdled look, add a little of the flour mixture and beat well on high speed. Add flour bit by bit, until the mixture comes together in a smooth, even batter.
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Add the dry ingredients
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on the lowest speed to bring the batter together.
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Mix on low until just incorporated
Continue mixing on low until the batter comes together, then stop, scrape down the bottom, sides, and beater, and resume mixing on the lowest speed.
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Avoid over-mixing
Once the batter is beginning to look evenly blended, remove the bowl from the mixer and finish mixing by hand using a big rubber spatula. This will help you avoid over-mixing, which causes the cake to be tough.
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Pour into the pans
Divide the batter into prepared loaf pans. Spread it evenly, allowing it to dome slightly in the center.
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Bake and test for doneness
Bake the cakes in a preheated 325°F oven on the center rack for approximately 1 hour, rotating halfway through. To test the cakes, insert a toothpick or cake tester into the center. It should come out clean.
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Cooling
Allow the baked cakes to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then carefully remove them from the pan (for loaves, pull the cakes up gently using the parchment overhang, for bundts, invert the cooking rack on top of the bundt pan, then flip the cake onto it. Remove the parchment from the loaves, and allow the cakes to cool completely before serving.
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