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Sherrie Norris Lovin’ Spoonful Cooking Column: March 4 is National Pound Cake Day

By Sherrie Norris,

Anyone or anything that has a day named in its honor must be something special — and the pound cake is no exception as it has its day coming soon on March 4.

There are few desserts that have stood the test of time like the pound cake. It’s one of the first sweet treats I remember seeing at family reunions and church gatherings when I was a child.

And while today’s pound cakes have taken on various personalities and flavors, there’s nothing to compare to one of Granny’s original pound cakes, stirred by hand and mixed up with a lot of love from days gone by.

Some of today’s popular pound cakes include puddings, fruit, nuts and various extracts. Some even start with a boxed cake mix — and some of us know the difference — but whatever the method, any way or any day is good for a pound cake.

My favorite pound cake has, in recent years, transitioned from a sour cream pound cake to a beautiful, luscious lemon-blueberry one that a dear friend makes us for special occasions. I can almost taste that tart/sweet decadence right now and can hardly wait for the next one!

 

Brown Sugar Pound Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cake flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp kosher salt

3/4 cup butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup heavy cream

 

Caramel Topping

¼ cup salted butter

½ cup dark brown sugar

½ cup heavy cream

½ tsp. kosher salt, or to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Spray/flour a tube pan. Whisk together flours, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in eggs and yolks, one at a time, mixing between each addition. Add in vanilla. Mix until smooth, scraping sides as needed.

Add in flour and heavy cream, alternating while starting and ending with flour. Mix until just smooth. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 55-60 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If top begins to brown too much before center is set, tent with foil.

Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on wire rack.

 

Caramel Topping

In small saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When melted, add brown sugar, cream and ½ sp salt. Bring to a soft boil and allow to boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and taste sauce, adding more salt if desired. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes and then pour on cake.

Drizzle over pound cake while topping is warm, as it thickens when cool.

 

Lemon Pound Cake

1 cup butter, softened

¼ cup vegetable oil

3 cups sugar

5 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 tsp. lemon extract

 

Glaze

½ cup sugar

½ cup water

1 tsp. grated lemon rind

¼ cup lemon juice

 

Beat butter in a large bowl at medium speed of electric mixer; gradually add oil, beating until well blended. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add flour to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until blended after each addition. Stir in lemon extract. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan.

Bake at 300 for 90 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and place directly on wire rack.

Combine glaze ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves. Drizzle glaze over top of cake and down sides. Cool completely before serving.

 

Easy Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

1 yellow cake mix

1 (3.9 oz.) pkg. instant chocolate pudding mix

½ cup white sugar

¾ cup water

¾ cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup sour cream

½ cup milk chocolate chips

Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 325; grease and flour a 10-inch tube or Bundt pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together cake mix, pudding and sugar. Add water, oil, eggs and sour cream; mix well until blended. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Note: Very easy, rich and good. You may substitute vanilla pudding for a less chocolaty cake, or substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips for a more intense chocolate flavor.

 

Sour Cream Pound Cake

2 sticks butter or margarine

3 cups self-rising flour, sifted (may use plain, all-purpose flour and add ½ tsp. baking powder)

8 oz. sour cream

3 cups sugar

5 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Strawberries or fruit of choice as topping, optional

Cream sugar and butter well. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Add flour and sour cream alternately. Beat well; bake in greased tube pan at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Top with fruit if desired.