"Pound Cake Recipes" Gone Wild!

"Pound cake a cake of creamed type, is so named because the recipe calls for an equal weight of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs; in old recipes, a pound of each, making a large, rich cake...Pound cake has been favoured in both Britain and the USA for over two centuries. Recipes for it were already current early in the 19th century...The German Sandtorte is similar to pound cake; and a French cake, quatre quarts (four quarters), uses the same principles..."

---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 631)

Food historians generally agree that pound cake is a Northern European recipe named for the equal weight of its ingredients. Recipes printed in contemporary American cookbooks follow the same general proportions. The "pound" connection is not obvious today because we now measure with cups, not weight. American cookbooks printed in the early decades of the 20th century helped cooks bridge the gap by including both sets of measurements.

Historic evidence confirms recipes for pound cake first surface in 18th century English and American cookbooks. Then, as now, there were variations on the recipe. Early recipes sometimes included alcohol and currants. Many are flavored with a hint lemon. Then, as now, proportions varied. Many recipes for pound cake call for more or less than a pound!

Photo courtesy of: foodistablog, on Flickr

Pineapple White Chocolate Pound Cake

Oven Temperature: 350 degrees
Baking Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Pan Type: 10-inch tube pan or a 12-cup Bundt tube pan

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounce container sour cream
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple in juice
1 cup butter (softened)
2 cups granulated sugar
5 eggs
1 package (6 squares) white baking chocolate (melted and cooled slightly)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup flaked coconut
Powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven, lightly grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan or a 12-cup Bundt tube pan.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Mix sour cream and pineapple; set aside. Beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in melted chocolate and vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with sour cream mixture, beating until well blended after each addition. Add coconut; mix well.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on wire rack. Loosen cake from side of pan with small knife or metal spatula. Invert cake onto rack; gently remove cake. Cool completely on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Check out the recipe here . . .

Apple Cider Pound Cake With Caramel Glaze

Oven Temperature: 325 degrees
Baking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Pan Type: 10-inch tube pan (or try miniature bundt pans!)

Ingredients:

6 large eggs
3 cups flour (un-sifted)
16 tablespoons butter (softened to room temperature)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening (softened)
1/2 teaspoon allspice
3 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup apple cider
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Caramel Glaze
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven and spray pan with non-fat vegetable spray.

Soften butter and shortening. Add sugar gradually, beating for 1 to 2 minutes. Add egg one at a time, beating 1 1/2 minutes after each egg. Sift together all the dry ingredients and add alternately with the cider and vanilla to the shortening mixture. Blend well and bake. Let cool.

Caramel Glaze
Bring ingredients to a rolling boil over low heat and boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Photo courtesy of: DianthusMoon, on Flickr

Double Peanut Butter Pound Cake

Oven Temperature: 350 degrees
Baking Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Pan Type: 10-inch tube pan (or try miniature bundt pans!)

Ingredients:

1 cup softened butter
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, peanut butter, sugar and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; stir into butter mixture alternately with milk. Pour into prepared pan. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pan 15 minutes on wire rack. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

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Source: The National Peanut Board

Photo courtesy of: QuintanaRoo, on Flickr

Photo courtesy of: shok, on Flickr