Perfect Pound Cake - TCB

By norsegal8

This cake not only has a silky-smooth dissolving texture similar to famous Sara Lee pound cake, but also has the incomparable, moist, buttery flavor of a home-baked cake. It's excellent keeping qualities make it ideal for slicing ahead and bringing to picnics.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons milk
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 13 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, lightly combine the milk, eggs and vanilla.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend. Add the butter and half the egg mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to medium speed and beat for 1 minute to aerate and develope the cake's structure.

Scrape down the sides. Gradually add the remaining egg mixture in 2 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down the sides.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. The batter will be almost 1/2-inch from the top of a 4-cup loaf pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes in a loaf pan or 35 to 45 minutes in a fluted tube pan, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover loosely with buttered foil after 30 minutes to prevent overbrowning. The cake should start to shrink from the sides of the pan only after removal from the oven

To get an attractive split down the middle of the cake, wait until the natural split is about to develope (about 20 minutes) and then with a lightly greased sharp knife or single-edged razor blade amke a shallow mark about 6 inches long down the middle of the cake. This must be done quickly so that the oven door does not stay open very long or the cake will fall. When the cake splits, it will open along the mark.

Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert it onto a wire rack. If baked in a loaf pan, to keep the bottom from splitting, reinvert so that the top is up and cool completely before wrapping airtight.