Pound Cake 1860 Food

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.

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.

POUND CAKE 1860

Steps:

• Pound the spice and sift it. There should be twice as much cinnamon as mace. Mix the cinnamon, mace, and nutmeg together. Sift the flour in a broad pan or wooden bowl.
• Sift the powdered sugar into a large deep pan, and cut the butter into it in small pieces. If the weather is very cold and the butter hard, set the pan near the fire for a few minutes. If the butter is too warm, the cake will be heavy. Stir the butter and sugar together with a wooden stick until they are very light and white and look like cream (cream thoroughly).
• Beat the eggs in a broad shallow pan with a wooden egg-beater (or whisk). They must be beaten till they are thick and smooth and of the consistence of boiled custard.
• Pour the mixed liquor and rose-water gradually into the butter and sugar, stirring all the time. Add by degrees, the essence of lemon and spices.
• Stir the egg and flour alternately into the butter and sugar with a handful of flour and about 2 spoonfuls of the egg (which you must continue to beat all the time). When all is in, stir the whole mixture very hard for near 10 minutes.
• Butter a large tin pan or cake mould with an open tube rising from the middle. Put the mixture into it as evenly as possible. Bake in moderate oven (about 350F) for 2 [- 3 - 4 hours---- ? - watch this the time posted was before modern oven) in proportion to its thickness and to the heat of the fire.
• When you think it is nearly done, thrust a twig or wooden skewer (often a clean broom straw, now a cake tester) into it down to the bottom. If the stick comes out clean and dry, the cake is almost baked. When quite done, it will shrink from the sides of the pan and cease making a noise. Then withdraw the coals (if baked in a Dutch oven, coals were put on top of the oven in an effort to keep heat even), take off the lid and let the cake remain in the oven to cool gradually.
• You may ice it either warm or cold. Before you put the icing on a large cake, dredge the cake all over with flour, and then wipe the flour off. This will make the icing stick on better.
• If you have sufficient time, the appearance of the cake will be much improved by icing it twice. Put on the first icing soon after the cake is taken out of the oven, and the second the next day when the first is perfectly dry. While the last icing is moist, ornament it with colored sugar-sand or nonpareils.

EASY POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 900g loaf tin with parchment paper (mine was 19cm x 9cm x 6cm). Put all of the ingredients except those for the icing into a large bowl and beat together, either using an electric hand whisk or a wooden spoon until smooth and combined. Pour the mix into the loaf tin and spread evenly with the back of spoon. Bake for 40 - 45 mins.
• Once out of the oven, leave to cool and make the icing. Combine the icing sugar and vanilla paste with three tbsp of water - you may need more but add it gradually to get a thick icing. Spread it over the top of the cake; it's fine if it drips down the edges. Allow to set and then slice.