George Washington Pound Cake Food

WASHINGTON CAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan, 9-inch springform pan, 9-inch (9-cup) tube or Bundt pan, or four 5- by 3-inch (2-cup) loaf pans, line the bottom and sides with parchment paper, and grease again.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt.
• In a large bowl, beat the butter on low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium, gradually add the sugar, and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
• Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Total time for beating in the eggs is about 4 minutes.
• Add the cream, brandy, and vanilla.
• In 3 additions, fold in the flour mixture.
• Stir in the raisins and currants.
• Pour into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1¼ hours for a large loaf pan or springform pan; 1 hour and 5 minutes for a tube pan; or 40 minutes for the small loaf pans.
• Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove the cake to a wire rack and let cool completely, at least 1½ hours. Wrap tightly in plastic, then foil. Store at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Use a serrated knife to cut the cake into slices.

GEORGE WASHINGTON POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Thoroughly grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt or tube pan, then shake out excess flour. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes in a stand mixer or more with a handheld mixer. Scrape down sides of the bowl once or twice. Add eggs one at a time, beating well about 30 seconds after each egg. In between additions of egg, scrape down sides of bowl to ensure thorough mixing of ingredients.
• Fold in cake flour. Add vanilla and salt. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or just until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool the cake in the pan for about 10 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen them as needed. Then turn the cake out on a rack to cool completely.

WASHINGTON APPLE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Beat first 6 ingredients and 1/2 cup sour cream in large bowl with mixer until blended. Stir in apples.
• Pour into greased and floured 10-inch tube pan or 12-cup fluted tube pan.
• Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 5 min. or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 15 min. Loosen cake from sides of pan with knife. Invert cake onto wire rack; gently remove pan. Cool cake completely.
• Whisk sugar, 1 tsp. water and remaining sour cream until blended; drizzle over cake. Let stand until glaze is firm.

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY CHERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Thoroughly grease a 9-inch Bundt® pan with shortening, then dust with flour. Shake off any excess flour from the pan.
• In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until thoroughly combined. Gently mix in the cherry pie filling, chocolate chips and nuts, and scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with moist crumbs, about 1 hour. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then invert pan and remove cake. Allow cake to finish cooling on a rack; sprinkle lightly with confectioners' sugar.

GEORGE WASHINGTON CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 (9 inch) round pans. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In the top of a double boiler, heat chocolate, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm.
• In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in melted chocolate. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the water and buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated. Finely chop cherries and fold in. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Fill and frost with chocolate cherry frosting.
• For the frosting: In the top of a double boiler, heat chocolate, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, combine butter, confectioners' sugar, melted chocolate and almond extract. Cream with an electric mixer. Add reserved cherry juice by the tablespoon until frosting reaches desired consistency.