Requested Pound Cake recipe.

[mikael3]

Lammas Day.

I've been eyeing this recipe for a while, and I finally found the excuse to make it. Since it's Lammas Day and--more importantly--the weather in Atlanta has been strangely cool all week, I decided to heat up the kitchen and bake a cake. I brought it to the office with a summer fruit cocktail I made a couple of days ago, and some sweetened sour cream.

The cake is just absolutely fantastic, very much like the pound cakes I remember from when I was young. The texture is perfect, dense but not heavy. Everyone just loves it.

When I saw the shortening as an ingredient, I figured this had to be an old recipe. Then I saw it had 3 cups of sugar!!! YIKES!!! But of course, that's what makes the cake so good and old-fashioned. At least it's worth the calories.

Thanks for the great recipe, Hans. This is a real keeper.

 

[gfm8959]

You left something out...

What type of mixer did you make it with?!! You've inspired me to make one today also

 

[mikael3]

I have to confess, I didn't use any of the specified equipment, and I was hoping no one would notice!! But since I've been busted, all I can say is, "Father, I have sinned."

I mixed the batter in my 20-year-old Kitchenaid Pro-600 mixer (in Williams-Sonoma blue). I put it into a Bundt 'Star' pan. And I baked the cake in a Breville Convection Toaster Oven!!! You wouldn't think that would be possible; but in Atlanta, I'll try anything to beat the heat.

 

[frontloaderfan]

Pound Cake

Since I am a baker by trade, I would like to add a tip here:

Instead of the margarine/shortening, try using all unsalted butter instead. Not only does it improve the taste, it is also not as bad for you. Margarine is one molecule away from being plastic, IIRC. Shortening is a tasteless vegetable fat which has a higher melting point than real butter, which makes it stick to the palate. Where I work, I have had to convince the boss that using real butter is worth the increase in the cost of ingredients. In Germany, we rarely ever used anything except real butter in all our cakes.

Since this is Hans' grandmother's recipe, I'm thinking it's most likely from the war era, when butter was in short supply. Back then, most recipes called for alternative fats to butter.

This, however, is just a well-meant suggestion, and in no way a slam to anyone's nan

 

[norgeway]

Actually..

It was a Cousins recipe...but really the standard pound cake recipe around home, My family switched to margarine back when the doctors all were telling people it was good for you and butter was bad,,,I know this sounds strange, but I like margarine better than butter ...LOL!Butter is hard to spread, and does not taste as good on biscuits.

 

[frontloaderfan]

Oops! Sorry 'bout that. Your COUSIN'S recipe then

I have heard from a lot people in the know that margarine is worse for you than butter, but then again, they change what they say ever few weeks anyway.

Butter is, well, like buttah if you let it reach room temp...

 

[norgeway]

I may try to switch..

Butter really does bake nicely, and there is no substitute for some things such as mashed potatos....

 

[mikael3]

I should mention that I used butter in place of margarine, but I did include the shortening as indicated. Shortening totally changes the texture of baked goods in a way that other fats do not, and when used properly, it makes for an excellent result.

After trying this recipe--which is so similar to others I have, and yet not quite the same--I'm pretty sure the shortening is the ingredient I've missed in the past that produces the texture I remember from my childhood.

 

[tolivac]

I USED to use margerine and Smart stuff whatever it was-then tried butter MUCH BETTER.Scientists are now finding out that what was thought to be bad in the past--is no longer true.Butter and eggs are actually BETTER for you.Just got tired of the fake tastes of margerine and related items.