Classic Pound Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Generously grease a large (10-inch) Bundt pan with butter and set aside.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar and vegetable shortening until light and fluffy. In a large liquid measuring cup, combine the milk, vanilla, eggs and almond extract if using. Stir to combine. Add the flour mixture and milk mixture to the butter mixture, alternating between the dry and wet ingredients in three parts, starting and ending with the dry. Fill the prepared pan with the batter.
• Bake for 15 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake until the cake is warm golden brown and pulls away from the sides of the pan, or a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, an additional 45 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a rack to cool completely, at least 20 minutes.

Steps:

• Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour the pan of your choice.
• Sift the flour and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. Whisk the whole eggs, yolks, milk, and the vanilla together in a 4-cup measuring cup or bowl, and set aside. In a heavy duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at a medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually pour in the sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, to cream and lighten the butter. (This should take about 3 minutes.) Once all the sugar is added, turn the machine off and scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle with a rubber spatula. Continue to beat the butter mixture until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the lemon zest and beat for 30 seconds more.
• Turn the machine off and scrape the sides of the bowl again to assure even incorporation of the ingredients. Turn the mixer to its lowest setting. Gradually pour in the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, and beat the batter for 30 seconds. Gradually add the egg mixture. (It should take about a minute to pour all of it into the batter.) Remove the bowl from the mixer, scrape any batter off the paddle, and finish stirring the egg mixture into the batter with a rubber spatula. Take care not to over mix the batter, but make sure that you scrape the bottom of the bowl to evenly incorporate all of the ingredients.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth over the top with a spatula. Put the cake in the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, and the top springs back when lightly pressed, about 1 hour and 30 minutes, for the tube or Bundt pans; and 50 minutes to 1 hour for loaf pans.
• Cool the cake, in the pan, on a rack, for 10 to 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a flat plate or cardboard. Re-invert the cake and set it right side up on the rack to cool completely. If not serving the same day, wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature, for 4 to 5 days or freeze for 1 month.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease a 10-inch Bundt pan or 2 8 x 5-inch (20 x 12 cm) loaf pans with nonstick spray.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
• In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, and salt. Beat with an electric hand mixer on medium speed for about 6 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat again for 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• With the mixer running on low speed, add the buttermilk and vanilla. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat for 30 seconds.
• Add ⅓ of the flour mixture and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Add ½ of the sour cream and beat until incorporated. Continue alternating additions of flour and sour cream, scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition. Beat on medium speed after all of the flour is incorporated for about 1 minute, until the batter is well combined.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared Bundt pan or divide between the loaf pans and bake for about 60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted to the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan(s) for 15-20 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and unmold from the pan(s). Let cool completely.
• Slice and serve.
• Enjoy!
• RECIPE BY: Morgan Baker

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom of a 9 by 5 by 3 loaf pan with waxed paper; grease paper well, also sides of pan. Sift flour, salt and nutmeg together and set aside. Cream butter until light, then add sugar slowly, creaming until fluffy. Beat egg yolks until thick and light, then add to butter mixture, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend flour in gradually, then mix in vanilla and beat just until smooth. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and fold gently into batter. Spoon into pan and bake 65-70 minutes until cake pulls slightly from sides of pan. Cool upright in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes; carefully turn out, peel off waxed paper, turn cake right-side-up, then cool thoroughly before slicing.

Steps:

• Set oven rack to center position and preheat to 325 degrees f.
• Grease a standard 9x5x3 metal loaf pan with crisco or softened butter-- dust with flour.
• Sift flour and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
• Place butter in your mixing bowl and beat until smooth, creamy and light colored-- 30 seconds on a stand mixer, 60 seconds by hand.
• Gradually add sugar and beat until butter is very white and fluffy.
• About 3 minutes on your stand mixer, 5 mins by hand.
• It's critical that everything is at room temperature at this point, feel the outside of the mixing bowl-- if it's too cool then allow it to sit until it reaches room temperature.
• Add the whole eggs, one at a time and beat for 20 seconds after each addition.
• The mixture should be dull and smooth at this point.
• If it appears grainy and/or curdled then the temperature is probably too cold for the eggs to combine properly with the butter.
• Allow it to warm then rebeat for a few seconds.
• This is critical for this cake as there is no chemical levener and having the eggs and butter properly mixed is the only thing that will give this cake structure and allow it to rise.
• DO NOT OVERBEAT, It will make the cake tough.
• Add vanilla extract and beat for a few more seconds.
• Sift the flour in three equal parts into the butter/sugar/egg mixture, folding gently into the after each addition until all the flour has been incorporated and the batter is well mixed.
• Be sure to scrape up from the bottom of the bowl frequently.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 70 minutes, rotating 180 degrees halfway thru the baking process.
• In 70 minutes test the cake with a wooden toothpick.
• If it's not done continue to bake and check every 5 minutes.
• Cool on rack for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 5-by-9-inch loaf pans. Combine all-purpose flour and salt in a bowl.
• Cream butter and sugar with a mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy, for 8 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to medium, and add vanilla extract.
• Lightly beat eggs, and add to mixer bowl in 4 additions, mixing thoroughly after each and scraping down sides. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture in 4 additions, mixing until just incorporated. Divide batter between pans. Tap on counter to distribute; smooth tops.
• Bake until a tester inserted into center of each cake comes out clean, about 65 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire rack.