Friday, October 7, 2011

Vanilla Pound Cake

Ingredients


  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions



  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 6-cup (8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch) loaf pan; set aside.
  2. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla and salt. With mixer on low, gradually add flour, beating just until combined (do not overmix).
  3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour (tent with aluminum foil if browning too quickly). Let cool in pan 15 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack, and turn upright to cool completely.
What I did differently


a.  I used just half a cup of butter (watching the fat!)
b.  I added a pinch of baking powder (a mistake!)
c.  I had to bake it for more than an hour (around 1 hour and 20 minutes)


Results


The cake had a crunchy crust with a moist interior. The light flavor of vanilla intermingled perfectly with the subtle sweetness of the sugar.  However, since I mistakenly added the baking powder, the cake had risen a bit.  I am glad it didn't affect the taste or the texture though - it was a huge hit at a party last night!  


'Van'tastic - 8/10



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