Placing a freshly baked pound cake on the serving table is something I never tire of. Whether it’s a fancier caramel apple variation or the beloved classic with that delicious crumbly top, pound cakes inherently produce lots of oohs and aahs.
This classic American dessert is renowned for being a simple yet elegant creation that feeds a crowd and pleases taste buds. However, no matter how fancy or whimsical you want to get with your pound cake, there are few quintessential practices that cannot be ignored.
We’ve all experienced hearing how simple a recipe is, and then…it just doesn’t turn out like we thought. (Every good cook has their share of recipe failures). So, today I want to take it back to the basics and share a few tips that take the guessing out of whether your cake will turn out or not. Here we go!
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- All the ingredients should be at room temperature before you begin mixing. Butter and eggs at room temperature will blend together more easily and ensure that you get good results. (The size of your eggs does actually make a difference—always use large eggs.)
- When softening butter, there is a perfect point of softness. Make sure your butter holds a fingerprint. If it is too soft, your cake will not rise as well. If it does get too soft, place the butter back in the refrigerator for a few minutes until it reaches desired softness.
- Full-fat buttermilk is a must! This cake needs plenty of fat for that dense and wonderfully moist texture that we all know and love.
- Whisk together your dry ingredients before adding them to your wet ingredients. This distributes the leaveners evenly throughout the cake, ensuring a good, even rise.
- Don’t open the oven door until your cake has baked for at least three-fourths of the recommended baking time. The rush of cold air could cause the cake to collapse!
In baking, technique is equally as important as the recipe. And that’s why tips like these are sprinkled throughout the pages of our cookbook—Ultimate Pound Cakes. This wonderful collection of recipes ranges from tube and Bundt cakes to loaves and mini cakes. So, whether I’m looking for a larger cake to take to a family gathering or mini versions to package and give as gifts, I rely on the fantastic inspiration in this cookbook.
If you have been baking for years or are just getting started, we would be thrilled for this book to be a part of your baking journey! From now until Friday, October 12, this book is on sale for just $19.95.
Shop by clicking the image below!
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Thank you for the tip Taste of France! Will try this.
My husband just requested a pound cake now that we have a new oven. I previously blamed my failures on the old oven, noting that surely it couldn’t be the cook!
Thanks for the tips and a great cookbook.
The French version is called quatre-quarts, because you use the same weight of each of the four main ingredients. It also gets around the big/small egg question because the first thing you do is weigh the eggs in their shells. You separate them, then to the yolks you add the same weight of sugar, of melted butter then of flour. Plus a pinch of salt and either a little lemon zest or some vanilla. You beat the whites until they’re stiff, then fold them in. Bake at 325 F, which is a little cooler than normal for baking, and might be the tip Roma needs to avoid an outer crust.
Author
That sounds wonderful. Thank you for sharing!
Dear Phyllis,
Your pound cake book is what’s for Christmas this year. Family and friends. Those who bake will be over the moon, and those who don’t may find themselves having a new hobby. Or at least try one or two of the recipes.
It has become my Saturday go to for a family Sunday cuppa’. Each one different and yet the trusty Pound cake we all love.
Summer is over and baking cakes are back in my kitchen.
I love pound cakes but for some reason quite often the outside of the cake tends to start burning before the interior of the cake is done. I would appreciate any tips on that. Thank you Phyllis.
Author
Hi Roma,
Some home ovens bake hotter than the temperature to which they are set. Using an oven thermometer is the best way to get an accurate read on your oven temp! You can also cover the cake with aluminum foil half way through baking to prevent the top from burning.
Pound cake rocks! My grandmother always made a lemon pound cake that I have yet to replicate,so good.
Phyllis, my family loves pound cakes and my late mother’s recipe is always the preferred choice. Thank you for sharing the tips and I can’t wait to get my copy of the book!