Pound Cake (Smitten Kitchen) by Barbara

I've been trying recipes from Deb Pearlman's "Smitten Kitchen Keepers" cookbook which we received as a Christmas gift from Sarah & family.  This recipe I am likely to make again and again. The pound cake tastes great on its own, or with fresh fruit and a little whipped cream.  

   ---Barbara

Better-Than-Classic Pound Cake

(adapted from Smitten Kitchen Keepers, by Deb Pearlman, page 257)

Makes 1 loaf

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 t. sea salt

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup sour cream

1.5 t. vanilla 

1/2 t. vanilla bean paste

2 t. baking powder

260 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour

extra sugar for sprinkling on top

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  

Coat a 9 x 5 inch (6 cup) loaf pan with butter or baking spray. then line it with a sling made of parchment paper.  The sling should be long enough for you to be able to lift the loaf out of the pan after baking.  

In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and brown sugar, salt and melted butter, and whisk together.  Add the eggs, one at a time.  Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, vanilla paste, and whisk until smooth.  Sprinkle the baking powder over the surface of the batter, and whisk thoroughly until the baking powder completely disappears, then whisk some more.  It is important that the baking powder is evenly distributed throughout the batter.  

Add the flour and gently fold it together with a spatula.  Then, scrape the batter into the prepared pan.  Drop the pan on the counter a few times, to release any air bubbles, then smooth the top, paying attention that the batter reaches into the corners of the pan, and the top does not have a dome.  Optional:  sprinkle the top with granulated sugar.

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Do not over bake.  

Let cool completely in the pan.  

To slice, remove the loaf from the pan using the sling.  Leave it on the sling so you can return it to the pan.   

Here's a tip: Cut the slices from the middle then put the ends of the loaf back together to keep it moist.

Deb Pearlman recommends that you don't cover the cake to keep the exterior crisp. 

I did this and it worked very well, as long as I kept the ends butted up against each other to prevent the inside from drying out.  

We kept it on the counter all week long, cutting slices in the morning to have with coffee.  Delicious!

It is also very good with fresh fruit and whipped cream.  

B