If there’s one cake recipe that everyone should have in their baking repertoire, it’s the classic Pound Cake. This cake is a timeless favorite for a reason: it’s rich, buttery, and satisfying, with a dense yet tender crumb that simply melts in your mouth. The Pound Cake has a long and storied history, dating back to early 18th century Europe. Named for its simple 1:1:1:1 ratio of ingredients (a pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour), this cake was designed for simplicity and ease, making it accessible to cooks of all skill levels. The beauty of this cake lies in its versatility. It’s delicious on its own, but it also serves as a fantastic canvas for various toppings and flavor additions, like fresh berries, whipped cream, or a dusting of powdered sugar. I love this recipe because it’s foolproof and always a hit. It’s the perfect cake for any occasion – from birthdays to holidays, or just because. So, whether you’re a seasoned baker or a total beginner, I hope you’ll give this Pound Cake recipe a try. You might just find your new favorite dessert!
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter
- 1 c. Crisco
- 3 c. sugar
- 6 eggs
- 3 c. plain flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 c. sweet milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Baking Instructions
- Cream butter, Crisco and sugar.
- Add eggs, one at a time.
- Add flour, a cup at a time.
- Add milk, a third at a time, then mix good.
- Beat 3 minutes.
- Put in a tube pan (greased and floured). Place in cold oven.
- Turn to 350° and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Calorie: 450
Total cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Difficulty level: Easy
Meet My Culinary Nemesis: The Pound Cake
Hello, my fellow food enthusiasts! Today, I’m going to share with you one of the many epic tales from my kitchen battlefield. The protagonist of our tale is none other than the humble pound cake.
The Calm Before the Storm
The ingredients seemed innocent enough. A stick of butter (unsalted, because we’re not savages), a cup of Crisco (because nothing says ‘homemade’ like a good old-fashioned tub of shortening), three cups of sugar (diabetes be damned), six eggs (because cholesterol is a myth, right?), three cups of plain flour (the most unassuming of all flours), half a teaspoon of baking powder (the little agent of puffiness), a cup of sweet milk (not to be confused with sour milk, or worse, bitter milk), and a teaspoon of vanilla (our flavor hero).
The Battle Begins: Creaming the Fat and Sugar
The first step was to cream the butter, Crisco, and sugar. Creaming, for those who don’t know, is a fancy way of saying “beat the living daylights out of it.” Now, this is not as easy as it sounds. The butter put up a fight, clinging to the whisk like a scared child to his mother’s leg. The Crisco, on the other hand, was more like that overly friendly neighbor, sticking to everything and refusing to let go.
Egg Invasion
Next, it was time to add the eggs, one at a time. This is where things got a bit messy. The first egg slipped from my hand and exploded on the floor, a yolk-y crime scene. After a speedy clean-up and a moment of silence for our fallen comrade, I managed to get the remaining eggs into the bowl without further casualties.
Flour Shower
Adding the flour, a cup at a time, seemed straightforward. But as I poured, a flour cloud billowed out from the bowl, covering me and my kitchen in a thin layer of white dust. I looked like a ghost, haunting my own kitchen!
The Milk Incident
The milk was to be added a third at a time. But, in my flour-induced haze, I missed the bowl on the first pour. The milk splashed across the counter, and I had to use the old ‘five-second rule’ to rescue what I could.
Whisk until Your Arm Falls Off
Then came the three minutes of beating. I’m convinced that this step is a secret plot by bakers to get us all in shape. Halfway through, my arm was begging for mercy. But I powered through, my determination (and fear of a flat cake) outweighing the pain.
Into the Oven You Go
Finally, it was time to put the batter into a greased and floured tube pan and place it in a cold oven. This was the easy part. Or so I thought. But as I turned to set the oven to 350°, I tripped over my dog, who’d been quietly watching the chaos unfold. Miraculously, the pan stayed upright, but I landed in a heap on the floor.
The Waiting Game
Then came the longest hour and fifteen minutes of my life. As the oven warmed, the sweet smell of vanilla filled the kitchen. The cake rose, the top turned a beautiful golden brown, and I began to feel a glimmer of hope.
The Moment of Truth
After what felt like an eternity, I pulled the cake out of the oven. It was…perfect. Golden, risen, and with a smell that made my stomach growl. Against all odds, I had won the battle.
So, my friends, that’s the tale of my pound cake escapade. It was a journey filled with laughter, tears, and a whole lot of mess. But in the end, it was all worth it. Because, let’s be honest, is there anything better than a slice of homemade pound cake? I think not.
