Classic Southern Pound Cake Food

CLASSIC POUND CAKE

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.

CLASSIC SOUTHERN POUND CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300ºF with oven rack in center of oven. Grease and flour a 10-inch (14-cup) Bundt pan.
• Beat sugar, butter, and cream cheese with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment on medium-high speed until very fluffy and pale in color, 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs,1 at a time, beating on low speed just until yellow disappears after each addition. Add egg yolks, half-and-half, and vanilla, and beat on low speed just until blended.
• Stir together flour and salt in medium bowl; gradually add to butter mixture in 3 batches, beating on low speed just until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Remove bowl from stand, and scrape batter from paddle. Using a spatula, stir batter once by hand, scraping sides and bottom to incorporate any unmixed batter. Spoon batter into prepared pan, and gently tap pan on counter to release any large air bubbles.
• Bake in preheated oven until cake is golden and a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove cake from pan, and cool completely on wire rack before slicing and serving, about 2 hours.

CLASSIC POUND CAKE

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.

ORIGINAL POUND CAKE FROM 1700'S ENGLAND

Steps:

• Preheat oven 325 degrees.
• In mixing bowl cream butter and sugar.
• Add 1 egg at a time, beating after each.
• Gradually add sifted flour, 1/2 cup at a time, til all blended.
• Add lemon juice and lemon rind, blend inches.
• Pour into a buttered and floured tube pan.
• Bake 1hr 15mins to 1hr 30mins; Til toothpick in center comes out clean.

CLASSIC POUND CAKE

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.

SOUTHERN POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with butter.
• Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and stir on medium speed until creamed and fully combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, until completely combined. Add the vanilla extract and sour cream and stir until combined.
• Combine the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl with a whisk. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in the stand mixer until just combined. Pour this mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
• For the mixed berry compote: Meanwhile, add the blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, granulated sugar, butter and vanilla extract to a medium saucepan and turn the heat on to medium-high. Cook until thickened and syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm or let cool to room temperature until ready to serve.
• Remove the pound cake from the loaf pan. Cut slices just under 1 inch thick and shingle the slices on a large platter. Top with the compote and whipped cream and dust with powdered sugar. Garnish with the mint and serve.