Grandma's Favorite Pound Cake

By bonitariley

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening
• 3 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup whole buttermilk*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract**
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract**
• I used 4 tablespoons buttermilk powder and 1 cup water. Add buttermilk powder in with the dry ingredients and the water with the wet ingredients.

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 325°. Spray a 10″ tube pan with nonstick baking spray with flour. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening at high speed with an electric mixer until creamy, approx. 6 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to medium. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Set aside.
In another bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder (and powdered buttermilk if using). In a measuring cup, combine buttermilk (or water if using buttermilk powder) and extracts.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 batches, alternately with the buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Tap pan against counter to release an trapped air bubbles.
Bake for 45 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil, and continue baking until a wooden tooth pick inserted near the center of cake comes out lean, approx. 45 minutes longer.
Let cake cool in pan for 20 minutes, and let cool completely on wire rack.