Thursday, March 3, 2016

Pound Cake or A Pound of Cake?

Cakes, back in the day, did not involve measuring as we are accustomed today. The ingredients used in baking at that time were primarily weighed. A prime example is the recipe for grandma's pound cake: one pound of butter, one pound of sugar, one pound of eggs and one pound of flour. With so much poundage, this recipe made for one heavy, dense cake! Through the years as methods of measurement changed, cakes became lighter, less dense. In addition, flavorings, such as amaretto, Black Forest, blood orange, cappuccino, caramel turtle, chocolate/white chocolate, chocolate chip, chocolate swirled, coconut-macadamia, Grand Marnier, Key lime, peanut butter, pecan, butternut, pineapple and so on, altered the taste of the traditional pound cake to one much more specialized. Other variations call for sour cream, cream cheese, yogurt and/or buttermilk.

March 4 is...

National Pound Cake Day

The Pound Cake can be baked in a tube pan, loaf pan or bundt pan. It is a relatively easy cake to make with a most delightful result. A basic Pound Cake recipe is wonderfully rich, moist and buttery with a lovely golden brown crust. Yum! Just thinking about it makes one want to cut a generous slice right out of the oven and enjoy its richness along with a piping hot cup of coffee! Another thought would be to let it cool, break off a hunk and dunk it right into the amorous brew. Added touches would be a sweet fresh fruit sauce and swirls of whipped cream.