Holiday Pound Cake Food

HOLIDAY FRUIT-FILLED POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Heat brandy in a 1-quart saucepan over low heat until warm, then remove from heat and stir in dried fruit. Cover and let stand 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle. Invert bottom of springform pan and lock on side. Generously butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
• Finely grind 3/4 cup almonds with 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor, then whisk together with flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
• Beat butter and remaining 3/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition (batter will appear curdled), then add vanilla, zest, and fruit with brandy and beat until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes.
• At low speed, mix in flour mixture until incorporated. Spoon batter into pan, smoothing it, and top with remaining 1/3 cup almonds.
• Bake until a long wooden pick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. Run a thin metal spatula around side of cake, then cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt marmalade with liqueur in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring, then strain glaze through a sieve into a small bowl, discarding solids.
• Loosen side of cake with thin metal spatula again, then remove side of pan and loosen bottom of cake. Transfer cake from pan to rack and brush glaze over top of cake.
• Cool cake completely, about 3 hours.

HOLIDAY POUND CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Sift flour together with baking powder and salt; stir into creamed mixture. Fold in cherries and 1/2 cup nuts. Sprinkle remaining nuts into a greased 10-in. fluted tube pan. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 325° for about 70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 5 minutes on wire rack before removing from pan. Cool thoroughly. Make a glaze with confectioners' sugar and milk; drizzle over cake. Garnish top with cherries and pecans if desired.

PLAIN POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• Cream the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. With the mixer on medium speed, beat in the eggs, 1 at a time.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.
• When the cakes are done, let them cool for 10 minutes. Take them out of the pans, place them on a baking rack and allow them to cool completely. Wrap well, and store in the refrigerator.

HOLIDAY POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Cream shortening and add the sugar slowly, beating in well.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add vanilla and add the sifted dry ingredients, mixing well.
• Stir in citron and nuts.
• Bake in 2 regular sized greased loaf pans at 325* for 1 hour.

HOLIDAY POUND CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY TOPPING

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening, cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Combine the dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. , Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with strawberry topping and fresh strawberries if desired.

FRUIT POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Cream shortening and sugar together.
• Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.
• Add flour, salt, mace. Mix again.
• Add vanilla and beat. Add remaining ingredients and mix very well.
• Bake in a greased loaf pan for 60 -80 minutes with the oven temp set at 350*.
• **NOTE: To make a basic pound cake, the use above recipe, OMITTING the fruit and follow directions for baking/preparing.**.