Why Is Pound Cake Called A Pound Cake
Have you ever wondered where Pound Cake gets its name? Im going to give you some fun trivia. You never know when this information might come in handy 0)
Pound cake first originated in 18th century Europe. The original classic recipe was a delicious, easy cake recipe that called for a pound of each ingredient: a pound of flour, a pound of butter, a pound of eggs, and a pound of sugar.
Easy Homemade Pound Cake
I cant get enough of this easy homemade pound cake recipe!
One of the best things about pound cake is it is so easy to remember the classic ingredients. Traditionally pound cake was made with a pound of butter, a pound of flour, a pound of eggs, and a pound of sugar. Pretty awesome right? I have strayed a little bit from the classic recipe, but dont be alarmed it really does make one amazing cake. Vanilla extract and milk help to make this recipe that much better! This recipe is super easy to make, if I can do it, you can do it. Lets get baking!
I Love This Easy Pound Cake As Is
This Easy Homemade Pound Cake is rich and buttery, with hint of vanilla. The flavor develops if you let it sit overnight, and I tend to like it best the second and third day.
There’s no need to add anything on top of it. But if you are so inclined, here are a few toppings you can serve with pound cake:
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The History Of Pound Cake
I dont think Ive ever met a Southerner whos never had pound cake. Pound Cakes is about as Southern as Fried Chicken, but it didnt originate from the South. Its believed that pound cake originated from Northern Europe in the early 1700s and consisted of a pound of butter, sugar, flour, and eggs. There was no leaving, liquid, or extract in the original pound cake recipe. Resulting in a heavy, dense cake that was sweet and somewhat dry in texture.
As pound cake made its way throughout the world the classic pound cake got several makeovers. I like to believe the South is responsible for upgrading it to the dense yet moist, velvety soft classic pound cake that we know and love today.
Interested in learning more about the history of Southern foods? Check on my All About Southern Cooking hub!
southern pound cake
Easy Pound Cake Recipe
If you have 30 minutes, then you can get your pound cake ready. This easy pound cake recipe requires only 6 ingredients that you likely have right now in your kitchen. So why sit here and keep reading this? Go to the kitchen and make moist pound cake now!
In case you didnt know, March 4th is national pound cake day. Plan early Megan
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Bartering Like The Old Days
Since I do not have ducks and wanted to bake this recipe the way I used to when it was written a few decades back, I searched for local duck eggs. The first dozen I bought, we had camera issues and had to start over again. I reached out to the people on Facebook Marketplace in my area and asked if they would like to barter 1 bar of a homemade dish, cleaning and hand soap for a dozen duck eggs and they agreed! I had to admit, it has been a while since we bartered for anything. Bartering is a good thing and it seems its a win-win all around.
How Long Should You Bake A Pound Cake
Pound cakes take a long time to bake this one will take 60-70 minutes.
You know your pound cake is done when a toothpick or long skewer comes out clean.
Let the cake cool for about 10-15 minutes and then turn the cake out onto your serving plate. It will come out easier when its still warm!
Turn the cake out of the pan when its still warm for easy removal!
PRO TIP
Once cooled, all it needs is a dusting of powdered sugar. Serve it plain or with berries for a delicious dessert!
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Our Best Pound Cake Recipe
Why do I think Cream Cheese Pound Cake is the best?
Its because of what the cream cheese does to the flavor and texture of the pound cake
Pound Cakes are meant to be heavy cakes. Its said the original pound cake recipe was made with one pound each of flour, sugar, eggs, and butter.
However, pound cakes can be a little too dense and heavy, in my opinion. Thats where the cream cheese comes in.
Adding cream cheese to the cake batter lightens and lifts the batter while baking, because cream cheese tends to puff as it bakes. This makes the pound cake slightly softer and airier than traditional pound cake.
It also adds a very mild twang to the otherwise pure rich vanilla-butter flavor. The little bit of tanginess balances the flavors, so the pound cake does not taste too sweet.
Perfect Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe
When I think about need-to-know holiday recipes, a good classic pound cake is always at the top of my list.
A pound cake is the perfect simple dessert. Its rich and buttery, with a delicate vanilla flavor and tight moist crumb.
Its a hearty no-fuss cake you dont have to decorate or worry about transporting to events.
Our Cream Cheese Pound Cake is a marvelous platform for creativity. Although it tastes amazing on its own, you can mix add-ins into the batter before baking, or dress it up with toppings and sauces!
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Why Does My Pound Cake Crack On Top
This is normal! Pound cakes will almost always crack on the top. As you will see from the photos, there is always a distinct crack down the middle of the baked cake. When the cake is in the oven, the outside of the cake cooks first, and this makes the batter rise up in the middle. It’s a characteristic of a good pound cake.
Some people don’t like seeing the crack, so if that’s you, feel free to cover the crack with a drizzle of frosting, or in you wanted to bake using a bundt pan instead of a loaf pan, when the cake is turned out, the cracks will be underneath the bundt cake.
Classic Pound Cake With Only 4 Ingredients
Pound Cake is one of those old fashioned cake recipes that will always have place on my dessert table. I have created all sorts of variations on pound cake like my Million Dollar Pound Cake which includes buttermilk to tenderize the crumb, and of course my Kentucky Butter Cake which is a MUST make!
But today were talking about traditional CLASSIC old-fashioned Pound Cake. This is a cake recipe that has been around for ages, and I wanted to share my tips and tricks on how to bake a homemade pound cake from scratchbecause I feel like we all need to know the classics! Once you know the basic recipes, you can build and adapt them to suit your tastes and creativity, which is when the real magic happens!
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How To Make A Pound Cake From Scratch
Happy Monday Yall!
A pound cake from scratch, is one of the most traditional and classic cakes that anyone can make. Nearly, everyone has had pound cake at one point in their life. The pound cake, get its name because the cake requires a pound of each of its ingredients. For instance, youre supposed to use a pound of eggs, salt, butter, and sugar. Of course, you can feel free to add other ingredients such as vanilla or lemon extract for an extra pop of flavor.
I absolutely love baking a pound cake from scratch, theyre amazing to enjoy throughout the year, In my last post, I made one of my favorite desserts a Sweet Potato Pie, the recipe can be found here In this post, I have decided to make a pound cake from scratch, and I decided to take it old school and use a.BUNDT pan! This recipe is not only simple and easy, but it is delicious as well. So keep reading for this great recipe and the beautiful finished pound cake.
How Do You Know When A Pound Cake Is Done
In step 6. of the instructions, you need to use a skewer or metal cake tester. Insert the tester into the thickest part of the cake.
I usually stick the tester in the very center and push down about halfway, take the tester out and if it comes out clean, the cake is done.
If the tester comes out with wet batter stuck to it, then you know the middle of the cake isn’t cooked, so leave the cake for a bit longer, at 5-minute intervals until the cake tester comes out clean.
Below is a photo of using a cake tester so you can see what it looks like.
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How To Make Pound Cake From Scratch
This classic pound cake recipe is easy and straightforward. The batter requires some sifting and mixing, then its onto the oven!
Prepare Equipment: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Generously grease and flour a 10-cup bundt pan. Allow the butter, eggs and milk to come to room temperature.
Combine Wet Ingredients: Cream together the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy .
Add Eggs & Vanilla: Once thoroughly mixed, slowly add in the eggs, one at a time, making sure each one is well combined before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla extract with the last egg.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift the flour and then measure out 3 cups, then mix in the baking powder and salt.
Add Dry Mixture & Milk to Wet Mixture: Once the dry ingredients are mixed, add half of them to the wet mixture followed by half of the milk. Mix just until combined, then add the remaining ingredients. Continue beating until everything is well combined.
Bake: Evenly fill the pan. Bake the cake at 325°F for 55-60 minutes, inserting a toothpick into the center to check for doneness. When the toothpick comes out clean, remove the pan from the oven.
Let Cool: Once your cake is out of the oven, allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes before removing it from the pan. After 30 minutes, gently run a knife along the edges of the pan to help remove the cake cleanly.
The Last Pound Cake Ingredient
Time to add in the last ingredient to this easy homemade pound cake recipe. But we are not going to use the mixer. Instead, fold in the vanilla extract to the batter. This way we can keep all of the air that we have developed into the batter. At this point, you will be able to tell how light and fluffy the batter is.
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How To Make Old
Only made with the six ingredients found in every pound cake and nothing else, the benefit of this recipe is that it’s very simple and you probably already have everything you need to make it at home. The texture is more dense and dry than the others and more prone to crumbleand that’s a fantastic thing if served the right way. We recommend cutting a slice of this cake, toasting it in a pan with some butter, and topping it with ice cream. Recipe here.
Pound Cake Vs Bundt Cake
There is always confusion about pound cakes and bundt cakes and how they relate to each other. Believe me, I was often wrong at first when using the terms too.
A Pound Cake is dense and heavy its not a light and fluffy cake . Its tender but thick!
A bundt cake is simple one made in a bundt pan, which is where I think the confusion stems from.
Pound cakes are often baked in bundt pans often called a bundt cake, but not all bundt cakes are pound cakes.
For example, my Lemon Butter Cake is a bundt cake but it is NOT a pound cake, and you can tell by the crumb and taste.
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To Avoid Dense Pound Cake Cream Together The Butter And Sugar Until It’s Light And Fluffy
The first step in this recipe is to cream together the butter and the sugar, and this is important. The purpose of this step is add air to the batter, which will give you a lighter cake.
Traditional homemade pound cake recipes rely on this step to give all the lift in a cake. But here it is again: this recipe is for easy pound cake . So creaming the butter and sugar correctly is important, but you have the baking powder to give you an extra hand.
I like to use my stand mixer for this step, but you can also use a hand mixer.
This is what you need to remember when making this easy homemade pound cake:1. Cream butter and sugar together on medium speed2. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl partway through the process3. Cream until light and fluffy
Just follow those three steps and you’re well on your way to making a delicious easy pound cake.
You can skip the next few paragraphs if you aren’t interested in why that method above will give you the perfect moist pound cake. But if you are, let’s be geeky together.
Instructions To Make Sunshine Pound Cake
- Beat the butter on medium-less high for 5 minutes, scraping occasionally
- Add the sugar and mix on medium for 3 minutes
- Add either the vanilla extract or lemon juice
- Add one egg at a time, mix well after each addition
- Add the buttermilk, mix well
- Add the flour on the lowest speed or hand stir until mixed well-dont overbeat the batter at this point
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Best Pound Cake Recipe
I remember buying pound cake from the bakery for every little gathering. But when I realized there were more ingredients in those than there needed to be, usually artificial ones, I got wise and started making homemade pound cake myself. Now I feel great about serving this treat knowing its made with simple ingredients and a whole lot of love.
Always Stop And Scrape Down The Sides Of The Bowl When Creaming Butter And Sugar For This Easy Pound Cake Loaf
Second, always stop and scrape down the side of the bowl while you are creaming the butter and sugar together. The same reasoning applies — you want your butter to cream evenly to give you the best pound cake.
Here’s a great article that that describes in details what is happening when you cream butter and sugar together. It’s specific to cookies, but the same principles apply when making this easy pound cake.
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What Causes Gummy Streaks In Pound Cake
So youve made a pound cake, removed it from the pan and its freakin GORGEOUS!! So golden and smelling delicious! When you slice and plate it you realize there are gummy streaks! What the heck!!!
Yeah, that sucks!! If youve made several pound cakes in your day then chances are youve run into these streaks a few times. It can happen to the best of bakers so give yourself some grace, there are better things to stress over.
Ok, what is it? Those gluey streaks arent streaks of undone cake. Your cake is more than likely done and will taste just fine. Some people actually prefer the taste of the streaks . Those gluey pound cake streaks happen when your over-cream the butter and sugar. The cake rises in the oven and then it quickly collapses a bit while cooling which causes those gummy streaks. To prevent this, use a low speed with creaming and do so just until combined and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Traditional Pound Cake Ingredients
Like many of my recipes, this Easy Pound Cake recipe is made of staple ingredients, with just a few minutes hands on time. Traditional Pound Cake is made with butter, sugar, eggs, flour, milk and vanilla. Six staple ingredients, one great cake youll make again and again!
Traditionally Pound Cake was made with a pound of butter, sugar, eggs and flour. This pound cake is made in a loaf pan, requiring less of each ingredient with the same great flavor!
This recipe has been adapted from the Million Dollar Pound Cake recipe which makes significantly more and uses almond extract.
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Old Fashioned Blue Ribbon Pound Cake
Old Fashioned Blue Ribbon Pound Cake. Tall, buttery, moist, dense. This pound cake is classic and very close to an original pound cake recipe.
Old-fashioned desserts seem to be making a resurgence. My Pound Cake series has been very popular as well as other old-fashioned desserts that Ive shared. My Old-fashioned Butter Roll, Old-fashioned Sugar Pie, and Old-fashioned Rice Pudding are some of the most popular recipes on
No Need For Milk In This Pound Cake
Many recipes for pound cake add milk, sour cream, or some other form of dairy to help keep the cake moist, but in my tests, I found it wasnt necessary.
I made a version with plain yogurt, another with milk added to the basic batter, and a third without any dairy. The loaf made without either dairy was tender and moist, and also had a better crust and a higher rise than those made with it.
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