(Almost) Perfection Pound Cake

I was inspired to make another Dorie recipe this week in honour of some visiting relatives. I thought a pound cake would be ideal as it is simple, not too sweet and lovely with tea or coffee.

The cake was really easy to prepare but I was wary of overcooking it. When this cake was made as a TWD recipe lots of people found it very dry. Once it cooled I wrapped it in gladwrap and left it overnight before slicing it which I'm sure improved both the taste and texture.

As it was a bit on the dry side, I made a lemon simple syrup to brush over it (1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water and zest of 1/2 lemon brought to the boil and cooled). I then topped each with a smear of good raspberry jam and a dollop of pure whipped cream. Delicious!

Perfection Pound Cake
from Baking: From my Home to Yours, p222

2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
230g unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup of sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 150 deg c (fan forced). Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan and line the base with baking paper.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Beat the butter and sugar on high speed until pale and fluffy, a full 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beater and reduce the speed to medium. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 to 2 minutes after each egg goes in. As you are working, scrape down the bowl and beater often. Mix in the vanilla extract.

Reduce speed to low and add the flour, mixing until it’s incorporated- DON’T OVERMIX. In fact, you might want to fold in the last of the flour, or even all of it by hand with a rubber spatula.

Scrape the batter into the buttered pan and smooth the top. Put the cake into the oven to bake, and check on it after 45 minutes. If it’s browning too quickly cover it loosely with foil. Depending on your pan size, your cake might need to be in oven from 70 to 95 minutes (Mine took 75 minutes).

The cake is baked properly when a thin knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean. Remove cake from oven, and transfer the pan to a rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Run a blunt knife between the cake and sides of pan and turn the cake out, then turn it right side up on the rack and cool to room temperature.