National Pound Cake Day

My, oh my… today is National Pound Cake Day and Monday just got better! Any self-respecting southern cook has a favorite version of this delicious dessert. Most likely, it was passed down to them from their mother, who got it from her mother, her got it from her mother and so on. The traditional pound cake, which comes to us circa the 1700’s, is made from one pound of butter, one pound sugar, one pound flour and one pound eggs and a dash of flavoring thus the name pound cake. Now, I’m craving my grandmother’s version of pound cake!

Two of my favorite recipes:

Traditional Pound Cake

1 pound cake flour (3-1/2 cups)

1 pound butter (2 cups)

1 pound sugar (2-1/4 cups)

1 pound eggs (9 large)

2 tablespoons vanilla or brandy

Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C), a slow oven. Line three bread loaf pans with waxed paper. Cream butter well, add sugar gradually and cream until light and fluffy. Add eggs, two at a time, and beat well after each addition. Add flavoring. Add flour gradually and beat until smooth. Pour mixture into pans and bake about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Whipping Cream Pound Cake

1 cup butter, softened

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs, room temp

3 cups sifted cake flour

1 cup whipping cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

Beat butter until creamy, gradually add sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well.

Add flour and whipping cream alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Pour into a greased and floured Bundt cake and bake at 325 for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

For more creative pound cake recipes click here to see Southern Living’s “Six Perfect Poundcakes”.

photo by Southern Living