How to Make Four Different Pound Cake Recipes

Make your own pound cake with one of four recipes.

In the early 18th century, the British devised a simple cake recipe. Since most commoners were illiterate, the recipe was useful because it could be memorized. The earliest pound cakes were to be made from one pound each of flour, butter, eggs and sugar. These cakes were very dense. Over the centuries, the basic ingredients remained the same, but the measurements changed to create a lighter cake. Although there are many versions of the pound cake, knowing how to make four different types gives you a variety of baking options.

Things You'll Need

• Basic Recipe: Elvis's Favorite
• 10-inch bundt pan
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, plus extra for greasing
• 3 cups cake flour, plus extra for dusting
• 3/4 tsp. table salt
• 1 cup butter
• 3 cups sugar
• 7 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Chocolate Pound Cake
• 12 ounces (3 sticks) butter, plus extra for dusting
• 2-1/2 cups flour, plus extra for dusting
• 3/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. instant espresso
• 2-1/2 cups sugar
• Lemon Pound Cake
• Loaf pan
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) butter, plus extra for greasing
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• Strawberry Pound Cake
• 10-inch bundt cake pan
• 20 ounces frozen strawberries
• 1 cup butter-flavored shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 tsp. strawberry or almond extract
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Instructions

Basic Recipe: Elvis's Favorite

1. Grease a 10-inch bundt pan using butter. Sprinkle the inside of the pan with flour and shake it around to coat the sides. Turn the pan over and shake out the excess flour. Do not preheat oven before preparing this recipe.

2. Sift together 3 cups of cake flour and 3/4 tsp. table salt.

3. Cream together one cup of softened butter and three cups of sugar in a stand mixer on medium speed for five minutes. Add seven room-temperature eggs, one at a time, mixing between additions. Mix in 2 tsp. vanilla extract.

4. Turn the mixer to low. Slowly add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Once incorporated, mix in one cup of heavy cream. Slowly add the last half of the flour, mixing until fully incorporated. Turn the mixer off and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Turn the mixer to medium high and let it beat for an additional five minutes.

5. Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt pan. Tap the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles. Put the pan in an unheated oven. Turn the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 60 to 75 minutes. Test the cake for doneness with a wooden skewer: a clean skewer means cake is ready. Remove the cake and let it cool for 30 minutes in the pan. Remove the cake from the pan and cool on a cooling rack.

Chocolate Pound Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a bundt pan by coating it with butter and sprinkling the inside with flour. Shake the flour around to remove excess.

2. Sift 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder and 1/2 tsp. salt in a medium bowl. In a second bowl, use a wire whisk to combine eight room temperature eggs, 2 room temperature egg yolks, 1 tsp. vanilla extract and 2 tsp. instant espresso powder.

3. Beat the 12 ounces of unsalted, room temperature butter in a stand mixer for one minute. With the mixer on medium, add 1/4 cup of sugar into the butter until a full 2-1/2 cups is added and the butter becomes lighter in color. Turn the mixer off and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Turn the mixer to medium-high for four minutes.

4. Turn the mixer to low and add half the flour mixture. Turn the mixer off and scrape the bowl sides. Turn the mixer on medium high and mix for 30 seconds. Turn the mixer back to low and add half the egg mixture. Repeat the entire step to mix the remaining flour and egg mixture into the batter.

5. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a wooden spoon to stir the chocolate mixture into the batter. Mix only until incorporated. Transfer the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 60 to 70 minutes. Test the cake with a cake wooden skewer for doneness. Cool for 30 minutes before removing the cake from the pan and cooling on a wire cooling rack.

Lemon Pound Cake

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the inside of loaf pan using a stick of butter. Once buttered, line the pan with pieces of parchment paper.

2. Place 1-1/2 cups flour into a medium bowl. Stir in 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. baking powder.

3. Place two sticks room temperature butter into a bowl for a stand mixer. Beat the butter on medium-high speed to cream the butter. Then, mix in one cup of sugar, until the sugar is fully combined. Turn the mixer to low and add one egg. Mix to combine. Add three more eggs, mixing between each addition. Beat in 2 tsp. vanilla extract, once the eggs are fully incorporated.

4. Mix half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Then, add 1/8 cup lemon juice to the mixture. Once mixed in, add the remaining flour. After mixing the flour in, add another 1/8 cup lemon juice.

5. Transfer the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 65 to 78 minutes. Test the cake with a wooden skewer. Once the tester comes out clean, allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes before taking it out of the pan and letting it cool completely.

Strawberry Pound Cake

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Empty 20 ounces of frozen, sweetened strawberries into a strainer. Place the strainer over a bowl and let the berries thaw. Remove the berries and roughly chop them.

2. Beat together one cup of butter-flavored shortening and two cups of sugar; cream on medium speed with a stand mixer. Add in four eggs, one at a time, mixing between additions.

3. Mix together three cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. baking powder in large bowl. Add half of the flour to the shortening mixture, combining on low speed. Add 1/3 cup buttermilk. Then, mix in the remaining flour, followed by 1/3 cup buttermilk.

4. Stir in the chopped strawberries and 1/4 tsp. strawberry or almond extract, using a wooden spoon. If desired, mix in 1/2 cup chopped pecans as well.

5. Grease a 10-inch fluted tube pan with butter. Dust the inside with flour and shake it around. Tap out the excess flour. Transfer the batter into the pan and bake at 325 degrees for 75 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the cake. Let it cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

References

• What's Cooking America: Pound Cake -- History of Pound Cake; Linda Stradley; 2004
• Epicurous: Elvis Presley's Favorite Pound Cake Recipes; September 2005
• Food Network: Chocolate Pound Cake
• Food Network: Lemon Pound Cake Recipe; Gale Gund
• Taste of Home: Strawberry Pound Cake