Old Fashioned Pound Cake (1950s)
This classic pound cake recipe is buttery and tender, with a golden crust. Serve with a cup of coffee or tea.
Ingredients
- 10 eggs
- 1 pound granulated sugar (2 cups + 2 tablespoons)
- 1 pound salted butter (4 sticks)
- 1 pound all-purpose flour (3¼ cups)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla extract (or both)
- ½ teaspoon mace, optional
- To serve: whipped cream and berries
Instructions
- Grease a tube pan or bundt pan generously with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Separate the egg yolks and the egg whites. Whip the egg whites until stiff and set aside.10 eggs
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.1 pound granulated sugar, 1 pound salted butter
- Add the egg yolks, a few at a time, until the mixture is thick. It’ll resemble softened butter.
- Add the flour and baking powder, and beat just until combined. Add the extract and mace, if using, and beat just until combined. The mixture will be thick like cookie dough.1 pound all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon mace,
- Fold in the egg whites.
- Transfer to the tube pan and bake for about 80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
- Cut into slices and serve.
Notes
For measuring the flour, scoop it up a measuring cup to lighten it, then spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife.
If you use unsalted butter, add 1 teaspoon of salt along with the baking powder.
A stiffly beaten egg white will not flop over when you pull the beater out and hold it up (photo above in the post). If it flops over, keep mixing.
Here are a few variations on flavoring the pound cake:
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- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon lemon extract, ½ teaspoon mace
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- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon lemon extract, ½ teaspoon coconut OR orange extract
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- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, dash of mace
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- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract
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- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon lemon extract, 1 teaspoon almond extract
Nutrition
Calories: 455kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 7gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 163mgSodium: 249mgPotassium: 76mgFiber: 1gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 857IUCalcium: 41mgIron: 2mg
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