A Pound Of Cake

Pound Cake is rather plain, but tasty.  It's always a good standby, so you can make it ahead and keep it in the freezer, you just thaw and slice and don't have to worry about frosting.  You can make a lot of other desserts out of pound cake, for example - A trifle, slices toasted then topped with ice cream and chocolate sauce, strawberry shortcake or any other fruit shortcake, these are just a few.  You can also flavor it with different extracts or nuts.  I made this Pound Cake yesterday, it has a little bit of lemon zest in it for flavor, the recipe is below.  I used a Nordic Ware Pumpkin Pan to make it festive for Fall, it can also be baked in a tube pan. I didn't put anything on it, it's just great all by itself!

A few ingredients you will need.  Have the butter and eggs at room temperature. I always have my ingredients separated as to how they are added to the recipe. Example: Eggs cracked in a cup and ready to be added, flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl and mixed together, lemon zested before I start mixing.  It just makes sense to me to do it that way.  Mixing goes much faster.

 Ingredients measured and ready to be added.  This is the Nordic Ware Loaf pan I used.  I've had it for a very long time and found it at William - Sonoma.  They still have it with pumpkins on it but a different design.

 Again, don't forget the Baker's Joy!  Spray the inside of your baking pan with it.

Beat  the butter, sugar, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla.  Then add the flour mixture.

 This is how the batter will look.  It's very thick so spread evenly in the pan.

 Baked and out of the pan.  And of course you have to taste test it!

Pound Cake

1 3/4 cups of flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup of butter (2 sticks), softened at room temperature

1 1/3 cups of sugar

1/4 cup of honey

5 eggs, at room temperature

1 Tablespoon of lemon zest

2 teaspoons of vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray baking pan with Bakers Joy or grease and flour your pan.  If using a loaf pan make sure it is a 6 cup or bigger, or just use a tube pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

Beat the butter, sugar and honey in a mixing bowl on high speed until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the lemon zest, then the vanilla.  Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter/egg mixture beating after each addition.

Spread the batter, it will be thick, into the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool for at least 15 minutes before turning out of the pan, then turn out onto a cooling rack.  Leave it plain, frost with your favorite flavor frosting or dust with powdered sugar.