Vanilla Pound Cake

By MissHeather

Ingredients

• 3 C all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 C sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature, whisked to blend
• 1 C milk, at room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preparation

Step 1

Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 350F. Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan or other 12-cup decorative pan with a center tube.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together onto a sheet of waxed paper; reserve.

Put the butter into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat at medium until smooth. With machine running, add sugar in a steady stream./ Stop the machine and scrape down the bowl. Continue to beat at medium until the mixture is very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

With the mixer still at medium, begin to add the eggs in small additions, about a tablespoon at a time. If the mixture becomes watery or shiny, stop add the eggs and beat at an increased speed just until it smooths out. When the batter has come together again, decrease the speed to medium and continue adding the eggs, scraping down from time to time, it will take 3-4 minutes to incorporate the eggs. The mixture is properly combined when it appears white, fluffy and increased in volume.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture and the milk alternately - 4 flour and 3 milk - scraping frequently and mixing until the batter is smooth after each addition. Add teh vanilla and mix just to blend.

Spoon the batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55-65 minutes until wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow it to cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a rack, remove the pan and cool to reoom temperature.