Leslies Famous Almond Pound Cake Food

ALMOND POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease and flour a 10 to 12-cup bundt pan. Set aside.
• Use a mixer to cream the butter and sugar together for about 5 minutes.
• In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
• Add the eggs to the butter mixture, one at a time, and mix well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.
• Add the dry ingredients and the milk to the mixture, alternately. Start with 1/3 of the dry, then half the milk, another 1/3 of the dry, the other 1/2 of the milk, then the remaining dry. Mix well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.
• Add the vanilla and almond extracts. For lots of almond flavor, add 3 teaspoons. For less, only add 2. Mix to combine.
• Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Bake times may vary. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then place a plate or platter over the pan and invert to turn the cake out onto the plate. Allow to cool completely.
• To make the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar, almond extract, and milk together in a small bowl. Drizzle over the cooled pound cake and sprinkle the almonds over the top.

LESLIE'S FAMOUS ALMOND POUND CAKE

Steps:

• PREP Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly great and flour a 10 inch bundt pan MAKE BATTER Using an electric stand mixer with a whisk attachment: Cream shortening and butter until combined. Add sugar and mix on high until light fluffy. This will take a while - be sure to scrap the sides of the bowl every few minutes. Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each addition. Beat in almond extract and scrap sides of the bowl. Combine flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Alternatively beat in flour mixture and milk in batched starting and ending with flour. (this should be about 3 batches of milk). COMPLETE CAKE Pour batter into prepared pan. bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. MAKE ICING In a small bowl using a hand whisk combine powdered sugar and almond extract. Add water in 1 teaspoon batches until icing is of the desired thickness. Pour over cake and let dry. When serving you can also add sliced fresh strawberries mixed with Grand Marnier (or Triple Sec) and 2 tablespoons white sugar that has been in the fridge overnight.

APRICOT-ALMOND-RUM POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter a 9 inch tube pan generously, and dust with ground almonds.
• Combine apricots with rum and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with almond paste and 1/2 cup sugar.
• Add egg yolks and beat until light and fluffy.
• Mix in apricots in rum and almond extract until well blended.
• Mix in flour until well blended, but don't over mix.
• In another bowl beat egg whites until fluffy.
• Into the egg whites, gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup of sugar until stiff and shiny.
• Mix 1/3 of the egg whites into the creamed mixture.
• Carefully fold in the remaining egg whites until well blended but not overmixed.
• Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and cakes slightly pulls away from side of pan. I start checking at about 55 minutes.
• Note* The Rum flavor is faint, but complimentary. If you want a more pronounced rum flavor, sub rum extract for the almond extract.

ALMOND POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• In a large bowl, blend together butter and sugar and almond paste.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Stir in the extracts and beat until smooth.
• Sift together dry ingredients.
• Add to the butter mixture, alternating with the buttermilk.
• Spray sides and bottom of two loaf pan.
• Scoop batter into the pan.
• Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Let cake cool in pan 10 minutes then remove from pan and cool on a rack.
• Cut into slices and add fruit toppings and dust with powdered sugar if desired.

ALMOND POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 and butter an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 - inch loaf pan. Line the pan with waxed paper, allowing about 4 inches of overhang on each of the long sides. Butter the waxed paper.
• Using an electric mixer, cream the butter, cream cheese, and sweetner. Add one of the eggs and the vanilla and beat until smooth.
• Put the flours, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large sieve or sifter and sift them, breaking up any clumps by rubbing the mixture with your hands. Anything that can't go through the holes can just be dumped back into the pile.
• Add the remaining 4 eggs and the dry ingredients alternately to the creamed mixture, beating until smooth after each addition, begining and ending with dry ingredients. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spoon.
• Bake the cake for approximately 45-50 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan, on a rack, for 30 minutes, then lift the cake out by the paper and place it on the rack. Peel down the sides of the paper and cool the cake throughly. Slice the cake after it has cooled. Store leftovers, wrapped in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator.