English Pound Cake

"This pound cake recipe is a classic and because of that, it's common. It's the standard, really, for pound cakes - 3 c. each sugar and flour, a cup of butter, 6 eggs, 1/4 tsp. each of baking soda and..." See more salt, 8 ozs. of sour cream or cream cheese and flavoring, usually vanilla. Make enough of them and you’ll have this recipe down pat. So as a tried and true recipe there was no question it was a good one - and of course it was. It's moist, buttery rich, with a compact and tender crumb. This recipe differs from the classic in that, like some other pound cake variations, it uses different flavorings. But it also deviates from the conventional and preferred creaming and mixing technique, which I chose to adhere to: cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy, a good few minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in the flavoring. Add the flour alternately with the sour cream, in thirds, beginning and ending with the flour. That method, unless you OVERBEAT the batter or bake the cake too long, all but guarantees a perfect result. I have to say the three flavors of extract didn't move me, although it seemed to be a good fit for the "Funfetti Cake" I made by adding 1/3 c. of colored sprinkles to the batter. In this cake it was a good fit, but I prefer a simple, vanilla-flavored pound cake by adding 1 T. of vanilla. Still, the basic recipe is the modern-day standard by which any variations come from, so it can be prepared confidently."

"this cake needs more flavor - the "crust" is delicious, but the middle is tasteless. i know that doesn't make sense, but everyone in my family said the same thing...." See more"

"Wonderful cake. Lots of flavor. My kids and my husband loved it. I did too!!..." See more"