Crusty Pound Cake
This is the best pound cake I have ever tasted. I often make it as a gift to others and it is unfailingly met with raves of approval and requests for the recipe. The slightly crispy crust is a nice counterpoint to the rich, moist cake and the almond extract gives a wonderful, rich flavor.
This is the best pound cake I have ever tasted. I often make it as a gift to others and it is unfailingly met with raves of approval and requests for the recipe. The slightly crispy crust is a nice counterpoint to the rich, moist cake and the almond extract gives a wonderful, rich flavor.
- Carbohydrate 113.5085705 g
- Cholesterol 327.072 mg
- Fat 34.274615 g
- Fiber 1.87402503204346 g
- Protein 14.8051095 g
- Saturated Fat 19.4724314 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (225g)
- Sodium 281.9126 mg
- Sugar 111.634545467957 g
- Trans Fat 3.15456860000001 g
- Calories 818 calories
Step-by-step
- Cream butter well in a large mixing bowl.
- Add sugar gradually, mixing until texture is fine and mealy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
- Add flavorings.
- Combine flour and salt; stir flour mixture into batter, beating until flour is moistened.
- Do not overbeat.
- Pour into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan.
- Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and cake shrinks slightly from sides of pan.
- Cool in pan 15 minutes.
- Turn out onto a wire rack; turn right side up and complete cooling.
- Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar for decoration, if desired.
Standard measurements on a recipe card rarely reveal how mechanical action alters structure, specifically regarding how creaming incorporates air cells that thermal expansion later inflates. Butter must reach 65 degrees Fahrenheit before mixing to hold structural bubbles without melting prematurely. Sugar crystals act as tiny knives cutting through that fat matrix during the creaming phase, creating the micro-pockets necessary for proper rise.
- Cream butter and sugar for a full five minutes until the mixture turns pale white and visibly fluffy, because under-mixing yields a dense, heavy dense crumb lacking adequate lift.
- Add eggs strictly one at a time while the mixer runs on medium speed, allowing each yolk and white to emulsify completely before introducing the next, which prevents curdling.
- Stop the mixer the exact second flour disappears into the wet ingredients; continued rotation develops gluten networks that toughen the final texture.
- Bake the batter in a 10-inch tube pan at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 85 minutes, monitoring for the moment the edges pull slightly away from the metal.
- Invert the warm cake onto a wire rack after precisely 15 minutes of cooling in the pan to stop residual bottom heat from overcooking the crust.
Almond extract contains benzaldehyde molecules that bind strongly to dairy fats, creating aromatic depth that standard vanilla alone cannot achieve. Proper storage in an airtight container at room temperature preserves moisture levels for up to four days.
