ISO- Fabulous Pound Cake

Hi,

Anyone have a fabulous Pound Cake recipe?
I have a Apricot Brandy one that I use, and I want some different ones to use for the Holidays.
Any Coconut, Liqueurs, Dark Chocolate, Pineapple,Exotic Flavors,etc, anything different. A tried and true recipe. MOIST. Something that you swear by.
I would appreciate it, thanks.

[mudbug]

From Heather in SF

This is the best poundcake I have ever had... It's very moist, very dense, can be flavored with other things. My pal Chris does not cook, except for this recipe...

POUND CAKE
Here is my friend Chris's pound cake recipe
as he wrote it in 1975.
Ingredients:
Group 1: 3 cubes of butter (3/4 pound)
3 cups of sugar
5 eggs

Group 2: 3 cups of flour (unsifted)
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Group 3: 1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. For best results let the butter soften. (Don't cheat and use the artificial product. It doesn't work as well and besides you'll never be able to visit Wisconsin without looking guilty.)

When you have thoroughly creamed the butter and sugar, add the eggs, one at a time, stirring well. (Yes, stirring! Good ole ma didn't have an electric mixer or a Cuisinart.) In a separate bowl or mixing cup, mix the flour with the salt and baking soda. Put aside.

In another mixing cup, mix the vanilla with the buttermilk.

Now you have three mixtures: the creamed butter/sugar/egg, the flour and the buttermilk.

Alternatively add a little of the flour and buttermilk mixtures to the large mixing bowl containing the butter/sugar/eggs.

Stir well each time before progressing to the next step It is better to add the ingredients in _small amounts, as this ensures a thorough mixing. The flour mixture can be stretched easily into 7 or 8 small portions, as can the buttermilk. But regardless of how many portions you do BE SURE THAT THE LAST THING YOU ADD IS THE FLOUR. (I'm not sure what happens if the milk is last, but good ole ma was right about this recipe (pronounced receipt) and you are welcome to experiement if you like.)

Spray your baking dish with Pam. Bake for 75 minutes at 325 degrees. Foil pans work well. A bundt pan should be ok too, or any ring type pan. I recommend agains using Pyrex loaf dishes. Experience has shown that the cake takes longer to bake in Pyrex. If you leave it in until it is done, the crust turns dark, and if you take it out when the crust is right, it isn't done {in the center}. For variations, swirl in ground chocolate or cinnamon/brown sugar.

[mudbug]

Powdered Sugar Pound Cake

1 1/2 c butter, at room temperature
1 lb powdered sugar, sifted
6 large eggs
1 t pure vanilla extract
2 3/4 c cake flour, sifted
1/4 c almonds, sliced, optional

In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer until creamy.
*
Sift powdered sugar; gradually add to butter, beating until mixture is light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs,1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

Gradually beat flour into creamed mixture. Heavily butter a 10-inch (12 cup) plain or decorative tube pan; add sliced almonds (if used), then tilt pan to coat inside surface with nuts. Or butter pan and dust with flour.

Scrape batter into pan and smooth top surface. Bake in a 300 degree F. oven until a slender wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Let cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes; run a knife around edges of tube to loosen center of cake, then turn out onto rack to cool.

Serve warm or cool, cut into thin slices. If made ahead, store airtight for up to 2 days.

Serves 10
Source:* The Best of Sunset

This came from Epicurious, but it's one of the best I've tried. I'd never even tried using self-rising cake flour before, so this was an experiment for me. You can try different extracts, grated citrus peels, try adding a cup (+/-) of toasted coconut, drained crushed pineapple, spices . . . what ever strikes your fancy. I generally use a citrus peel and serve this with sweetened pureed raspberries or blackberries.

2 1/3 cups self-rising cake flour
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 10-inch (3-quart) bundt pan, knocking out excess.

Sift flour. Beat together butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugar, flour, and vanilla and beat on low speed until just combined (mixture will appear dry and crumbly). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition (mixture will form a batter as eggs are added).

Pour batter into pan, smoothing top. Bake in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 15 minutes, then invert onto a rack and cool completely.

Serves 20 (they say it will, but they've never met my family)

[mudbug]

COCONUT POUND CAKE

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
6 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp coconut flavoring
1/2 tsp almond flavoring
2 cups flour
7 oz flaked coconut

TOPPING
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 tsp coconut flavoring

Whip the butter. Add sugar and mix till well blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time. I also add all the flavorings to the butter and sugar when I am beating it together. Stir in the flour and then add the coconut.

Pour into buttered and floured tube or bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or till done.

Remove from oven and let cool about 10 minutes before removing from pan.

During the last 15 minutes or so that the cake is baking, mix the water and sugar together in saucepan. Bring to a boil and let boil for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in coconut flavoring.

Pour over the cake while it is still warm. Wrap cake in foil when completely cool to keep it from getting sugary. From Loupy

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Coconut Cream Pound Cake

1 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. shortening
2 1/2 c. sugar
5 eggs
3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. cream of coconut *
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
powdered sugar

Cream butter and shortening, gradually add sugar, beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and lemon rind.

Add dry ingredients alternately to creamed mixture with cream of coconut. Pour batter into greased and floured 10" tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr., or until pick comes out clean. Cool in pan, 10-15 min.

Remove and cool completely on rack. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. from Cyndi, CYH

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CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening (I use Crisco)
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp butter flavoring (don't skip)

Combine dry ingredients and set aside.

Beat butter and shortening together; add eggs one at a time, beating after each. Beat in sugar.

Stir in the dry ingredients alternately with milk and flavorings.

Pour into a buttered and floured 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan.

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BROWN SUGAR POUND CAKE

1 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening (I use Crisco)
1 pound of brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
5 eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans

Cream the butter and shortening together. Add the sugars and beat. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix the dry ingredients together and add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk and vanilla. Stir in the pecans.

Pour into a buttered and floured bundt or tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

CARAMEL GLAZE

1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp corn syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix first 5 ingredients in heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and continue to boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Off heat, add the vanilla.

Pour at once over the hot cake.

Let cake cool completely before covering.

If you like brown sugar, you will absolutely love this recipe.
From Loupy

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Caramel Pound Cake - this cake receives rave reviews.

Submitted by: Judy Neary
Makes 10 inch tube cake

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
5 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1 Cream together 1cup butter or margarine, shortening, brown sugar, and 1 cup white sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

2 Sift 2 1/2 cups flour and baking powder. Add alternately with milk to the creamed mixture. Stir 1/2 cup flour with nuts, and fold into the batter. Pour into greased and floured 10 inch tube pan.

3 Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 90 minutes; start checking at one hour for doneness. Let stand in pan 10 minutes, and then turn out.

4 To Make Frosting: In a small saucepan, beat 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup white sugar, butter or margarine, and milk together. Bring to a rolling boil, and cook for one minute. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla. Cool. Beat until thickened. This icing is thinner than conventional frostings. Add a little milk if it too thick. Spread on cake. loupy



[This message has been edited by cchiu (edited 12-12-2000).]

[Mezzaluna]

These sound fabulous! Maybe I'll use one of them to try out my new Kitchen Aid mixer this weekend. I expect the cakes would freeze well- am I right? I will need on for a week from today.

[mudbug]

I would think they would freeze well. I would double or tripple wrap them with Saran Wrap.

Wow! Thanks everyone for the great recipes. I've been away for awhile, and got all these nice responses. Thanks!!!

Spoons