Martha Stewart’s Classic Pound Cake

This year on my birthday, my best friend Neha gave me a baking handbook by Martha Stewart. The book has many delish recipes. I thought I will start with Pound Cake because it has always been one of my favorites.

I am so glad I waited all this time to bake this cake. Since this is from my birthday book, it makes the recipe even special. This recipe makes a perfect pound cake – buttery, moist, dense and every bit flavorful. Unlike many new variations of Pound cake, this recipe uses only six ingredients:

• Butter: Of course! Butter makes the base of Pound Cake, it’s what makes it rich and delicious. We need properly softened butter. Just keep it outside at room temperature for an hour or so. And don’t forget to use only unsalted butter while baking. This is very important. You don’t want to add extra saltiness in sweet goods.
• Flour: While many recipes use cake flour for this cake, I have followed the directions of the book and used the regular All-Purpose Flour. Remember, do not substitute flours unless you are sure it can work.
• Sugar: This is a large cake, but it’s not overly sweet. A balanced amount of sugar helps make the cake sweet but not overwhelming.
• Eggs: Eggs help the cake to rise, make it open textured and control the density. In short they provide structure to the cake, making it moist, soft and not chewy.
• Vanilla Extract & Salt: Both are used for flavor.

One Bowl Recipe:

This means that you can do everything in the same mixing bowl so less clean up later on. Just make sure to use a different bowl to crack the eggs. Add them one by one in the mixing bowl after checking for any shells. I think as long as you follow the directions, step by step, without skipping something, you will do fine. Pound cake is not hard to bake, I actually baked this awesome cake the very first time. Yes, the recipe also plays a very important role. 

Baking Time:

The cake will be dense but not at all heavy and the crumb will be soft and smooth. The vanilla induces a mild fragrance and flavor to the cake while the salt cuts any extra sweetness. Keep an eye on the cake as it bakes, if it starts browning too soon, tent the top with an aluminum foil. It may take more than an hour to bake so after 50-55 minutes insert a skewer to check. Keep an eye on it and set small timers. Be very careful not to over-bake the cake because that will result in a dry cake. Every oven has a blind baking spot where the heat is irregular so after an hour rotate the baking pan for an even baking.

Test to check:

Use a long wooden skewer to test if the cake has finished baking. This cake will rise up quite a bit and a toothpick wont be able to go all the way in and check properly. Insert in the center of the cake and continue baking till the skewer comes out clean. If you see moist crumbs but no batter that means the cake is baked through. Remember we will wait for 10-15 minutes for the cake to cool down before turning it up on the wire rack. The cake will continue to cook during this process drawing the leftover heat from the baking pan. So be attentive while testing.

How does Pound Cake get its name?

Traditionally, Pound Cake was prepared by using exactly one pound each of flour, sugar, butter and eggs. I read somewhere that the very first American cookbook called the American Cookery (1796) had the recipe of Pound Cake in it. However, it is said to have come from Northern Europe. If you think how the baking process has evolved since then, it is absolutely amazing. Today there is no limit to what you can do and add in a cake. Like this recipe uses slightly different proportions of the ingredients but the result is every bit rich and delicious. The crumb is soft, buttery and dense and not at all dry or crumbly.

Remember, a plain pound cake can be served with many variations. I read somewhere that Pound Cake can be paired with the following:

• Macerated Berries (Berries Soaked in Alcohol)
• Fresh Strawberries, Whipped Cream and torn Mint Leaves
• Fresh Blueberries and Simple Syrup
• Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Syrup
• Sliced Bananas, Toasted Coconut and Honey
• Sprinkle Some Confectioner’s Sugar on it
• Or Just Eat Plain!

Try this sweet, dense, and incredibly easy cake and then post in the comments section how it turned out. Serve it:

With Brunch

With coffee

When you have guests coming over

Or just for comfort!

Store Pound Cake:

• At room temperature, tightly sealed for 3-4 days.
• In the fridge, in a box for 6-7 days. I recommend cutting the cake into slices.
• In the freezer for up to 3 months. I recommend cutting the cake into slices, then freezing them in individual zip lock bags. You can also stack them on pieces of parchment paper, then freeze them in a single big zip lock bag.

Makes one 9-by-5-inch loaf

‘This recipe does not contain the traditional pound each of butter, eggs, flour and sugar but its proportions produce the most delicious results.’

Ingredients:

• Unsalted Butter - 1 ½ cups (3 sticks), room temperature, plus more for pan
• All-Purpose Flour - 2 cups 
• Granulated Sugar - 1 ½ cups 
• Eggs - 6 large 
• Pure Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon 
• Salt - 1 teaspoon 

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
• Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the Butter, Granulated Sugar and Vanilla on medium-low speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.

• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. 
• With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture; beat until just combined.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. 
• Bake until cake is golden, 50 minutes to an hour or until a skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Tent with aluminum foil if browning too quickly.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool, 10-15 minutes. 

• Turn out the cake onto the rack to cool completely.
• Cake can be kept at room temperature, wrapped well in plastic, for up to 3 days

Some more cake recipes you may like:

• Chocolate Raspberry Cake with Chocolate Ganache
• Easy Pineapple Upside Down Cake
• Pecan Cake with Rum Frosting
• Chocolate Coconut Cake 
• Chocolate Sponge Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream 
• Black Forest Gateau
• Boozy Christmas Fruitcake
• Mary Berry’s Chocolate Apricot Cake (Homemade Sacher Torte)
• Mary Berry’s Victoria Sandwich Cake