Heirloom Recipe: Grandma's Old Fashioned Pound Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Which is better for pound cake cake flour or all-purpose flour? ›

Cake Flour: Cake flour is lighter than all-purpose flour and produces the best pound cake in my opinion. Since it's so light, the attention remains on the butter. All-purpose flour is simply too heavy for this pound cake recipe; the cake will be heavy as a brick. If needed, use this homemade cake flour substitute.

Mayonnaise: The Hidden Gem in Cake Recipes

This unexpected addition can take your cake recipes to a whole new level. To incorporate mayonnaise into your cake batter, simply add a couple of tablespoons to the mix. The result? A tender and moist cake that will have everyone asking for seconds.

This traditional pound cake recipe is over 100 years old and is the original kind of pound cake: it contains 1 pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour with no salt, baking powder, or flavoring.

A steady 325-350 degrees is ideal when it comes to baking pound cake. Position the pan in the middle of the oven, and rotate it once, halfway through the baking time, as it bakes to account for any hot spots.

Sift: Sifting the flour into the batter makes the cake lighter. It also breaks up any large clumps of flour, making it easier to incorporate into the batter.

More Fat, More Flavor

Replace the oil with an equal amount of melted butter (and a pinch of salt if using unsalted butter), to boost richness. For an extra decadent cake, add two tablespoons of mayonnaise. Think that's crazy? Remember, mayonnaise is just eggs and oil – two things already in your cake!

It also helps to provide structure and moisture to cakes, cookies, and bread. In addition to its delicious taste, butter adds richness and flavor to your baked goods. Different types of butter are available, but salted and unsalted butter are the two most commonly used in baking.

Most cakes will call for a leavening agent like baking powder or baking soda. These create the bubbles you need for the cake to rise. If the flour you use is self-raising, it already has a leavening agent in it. Make sure your butter is room temperature, and beat the butter and sugar together until properly creamed.

Maillard reaction: The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction that occurs between amino acids and reducing sugars when exposed to heat. It leads to browning and the development of complex flavors. As a cake bakes, the Maillard reaction can occur in the interior, resulting in the brown color.

Mistake: Overmixing The Batter

Mix just until blended after each addition. Overmixing the batter creates a tough, rubbery cake.

How can pound cakes be made lighter and smoother? ›

Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your butter, eggs, and any other dairy ingredients are at room temperature. This helps to achieve a smoother batter and a more even bake. Sifting Dry Ingredients: Sift flour and leavening agents to create a lighter cake.

On average, the pound-cake servings contained 31 grams of fat, a little less than half the 65 grams of fat one should consume on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet that derives 30 percent of its calories from fat. Granted, not a low-fat treat.

How many eggs are in a pound? Eggs vary in weight since not all eggs are the same. Large eggs tend to weigh just short of 2 ounces each. It takes between 8 and 9 large eggs to equal one pound.

The main ingredient of the cakes is flour, which Cake Lady purchases by the pound. In addition, the production requires a certain amount of direct labor. Cake Lady uses a standard cost system, and at the end of the first quarter, there was an unfavorable direct labor cost variance.

Professional bakers often use cake flour for making cakes. Cake flour is a finely milled, low-protein wheat flour that is specifically designed for baking cakes. It has a lower protein content compared to all-purpose flour, which results in a lighter, more tender crumb in cakes.

For starters, cake flour is low-protein (typically 5–8% protein as compared to 10–13% for AP), and that's because it's milled from low-protein (a.k.a. soft) wheat. This means it does not produce as much gluten as regular AP flour and can yield more light, tender results.

Mistake: Beating The Butter Too Fast

This can take from one to seven minutes, depending on the power of your mixer. Gradually add sugar, continuing to beat until light and fluffy. These steps are important because they whip air into the cake batter so it will rise during baking.

The lower protein count creates a more tender and delicate final product. This is ideal when you are making cakes and cupcakes to get that light and fluffy texture. It will also produce less pockets of air within the cake when it bakes. Cake flour is also great for things like muffins, pancakes, and biscuits!