Zaiqa

Pound cakes are my favorite for a quick breakfast. Slice them up, spread a jam of your choice, or enjoy them as it is, and you are good to go until lunch. I usually bake a pound cake once every month. I also savor them along with a cup of warm tea in the evenings. Heres the recipe that I follow –

Source: Everyday Food

Pound Cake
Serves: 8

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter – 1 cup (2 sticks), room temperature, plus more for pan
All-purpose flour- 1 1/2 cups, (spooned and leveled), sifted, plus more for pan
Granulated sugar – 1 cup
Vanilla powder – 1 teaspoon
Eggs – 5 large, room temperature, lightly beaten
Coarse salt – 1/2 teaspoon

Sliced Pound Cake

Note: Let refrigerated butter sit at room temperature for 30 minutes; it should hold an indentation when pressed. If your eggs are cold, submerge them in warm water for 15 minutes.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly butter and flour a 4 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch loaf pan (I used a Bundt pan). In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium-high until very light and fluffy, 7 minutes. Scrape down bowl and beat 1 minute more. Add vanilla, then gradually add eggs, beating well and scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, add salt, then gradually add flour, beating well to combine and scraping down bowl as needed.
2. Transfer batter to pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 65 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack, 1 hour. Remove cake from pan and let cool completely on rack before slicing. (To Store, wrap in plastic and keep at room temperature, up to 3 days.

Alterations
1. Brown Sugar, Maple and Nut Pound Cake:
Swap 1/2 cup light brown sugar for 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 2 tbsp pure maple syrup for vanilla.
Fold 1 cup nuts of choice (walnuts, pecans, pinenuts, almonds, etc) lightly toasted and chopped, into batter before transferring to pan.

2. Berry Cornmeal Pound Cake:
Swap 1/2 cup fine ground yellow cornmeal for 1/4 cup flour
Fold 2 cups mixed berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, gently tossed with 1 tbsp flour, into batter before transferring to pan.

3. Double Chocolate Pound Cake:
Swap 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for 1/4 cup flour
Fold 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped or chips, into batter before transferring to pan.

4. Citrus Glazed Pound Cake:
Add 1 tsp lemon zest plus 2 tsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp orange juice to batter along with vanilla and eggs.
Make a glaze by whisking together 1 cup confectioners sugar, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp orange juice until smooth. Pour citrus glaze over cooled cake.

Note: To freeze the cake- When the cake is cool, wrap in plastic. Freeze for upto 3 weeks. Thaw, wrapped, at room temperature.

Cheers,
Mona