Pound cake is pretty much what it sounds like…You measure out a pound of all the ingredients, mix them together, and lo and behold you have a delicious, rich cake. It lasts a pretty long time on the counter, too. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, I’m not sure this is the right cake for you. I did take note of the volume, but I’m not sure how accurate those are. My advice? Get a kitchen scale! You can get a good one for 20 dollars. The smell alone is worth it.
Now, you don’t really have to put a pound of each ingredient, the traditional pound cake is really just a 1:1:1:1 ratio of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. I only wanted to make one loaf of cake, so I did 8 ounces of each ingredient and added vanilla and some pink Himalayan sea salt to boost the flavor a bit. I used Alton Brown’s preparation tips to make this. I definitely trust his methods, and he gave me the idea of adding vanilla and salt (I add it to everything, but when it came to pound cake, I just didn’t think that they fit – in fact, they do).
It was really fun to measure out the ingredients. I even measured the eggs till I had exactly 8 ounces. And then I measured the batter as I scooped it into the pan…I ended up with 1 lb, 15.1 ounces. Close enough to 2 pounds, and I figured I needed to keep SOME batter on the bowl so I could lick it.
This is in no way a healthy recipe, but it’s definitely amazing. And don’t you dare try to make it with margarine. The flavor comes from the butter. Pound cake was never meant to be pareve (although if you want to try it out with coconut oil, let me know how it goes, that might be an interesting twist).
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces butter, softened (2 sticks)
- 8 ounces sugar
- 8 ounces all purpose flour (Alton says to use cake flour, but I had none – mix about 2 tablespoons of corn starch if you want)
- 8 ounces eggs, I used 4 extra large eggs + 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Pinch of salt
Instructions:
1. Grease a loaf pan with butter and sprinkle with flour
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
3. Beat together butter and sugar for 5 minutes on medium speed, until light and fluffy
4. Put the mixer on low and add eggs, one at a time. Wait till the egg is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
5. Add the flour in three installments. When it’s all incorporated, scrape down the bowl, them mix on medium for 30 seconds.
6. Transfer the batter to the loaf pan and bake for one hour.
7. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
And how do you eat pound cake? Try it with some whipped cream and fresh fruit, or toast it and spread with jam. What are your favorite ways to enjoy pound (or half-pound) cake?
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