Pound Cake

A simple cake that’s sure to please the crowd.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Bake Time: About an Hour

Cool Time: 20 minutes

 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of sugar

1 cup of butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

5 large eggs

3 cups of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

pinch of salt

1 cup of milk

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Adjust the oven rack to a lower position, the goal is to have the tops of the loaves to be in the middle of the oven. Grease two loaf pans 9 x 5 x 3  and lightly flour.

Add sugar, butter, extract and eggs to a large bowl. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds. It’s important to put all these ingredients in at once and not incorporate one at a time. Some little chunks of butter is the goal. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Beat on high for 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.

In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt. With the mixer on low, slowing add the flour mixture and milk, alternating between the ingredients. You never want the batter to be too stiff or too wet. Spread evenly into the 2 loaf pans.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for about an hour. I generally give the first toothpick test around 55 minutes into bake time. When the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. Take the loaves out of the oven and let cool for 20 minutes before removing the loaves from the pans. Slice and enjoy!

This is where you can have some fun. Add ice cream or sherbet on the side. Top with fresh berries for a fresher taste. Add a glaze or icing. This is a very flexible cake.

Other Notes:

You can substitute the vanilla extract for any flavor you may like. One of my favorites is lemon, but almond is also wonderful especially when paired with fresh fruit.

 

 

Snow days change as we get older, they’re not quite the same as when we were children, but change is good and tastes great too! Since my children were little girls, I always took the opportunity to bake when the flakes started flying. Our house is old and drafty, so the heated oven brings warmth to the first floor, it also brings a heavenly aroma that fills the house with yummy sweet smells. What could be better than a soft cookie or a warm slice of Pound cake when coming in from a hard day of playing in the snow.