Miss Berthas Pound Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 900g loaf tin with parchment paper (mine was 19cm x 9cm x 6cm). Put all of the ingredients except those for the icing into a large bowl and beat together, either using an electric hand whisk or a wooden spoon until smooth and combined. Pour the mix into the loaf tin and spread evenly with the back of spoon. Bake for 40 - 45 mins.
• Once out of the oven, leave to cool and make the icing. Combine the icing sugar and vanilla paste with three tbsp of water - you may need more but add it gradually to get a thick icing. Spread it over the top of the cake; it's fine if it drips down the edges. Allow to set and then slice.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans; dust with flour, tapping out excess. In a bowl, whisk together flour and salt. (If making the lighter version, add baking powder at same time as salt.)
• With an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to medium; beat in vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each and scraping down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture in 2 batches (alternating with sour cream if making the lighter version), beating until just incorporated.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Tap pans on counter; smooth tops with an offset spatula. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center of each cake comes out clean, about 70-75 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 30 minutes. Turn out cakes onto rack to cool completely.