Creamy Pound Cake with Strawberry Lemon Sauce
Many years ago a friend of mine gave me the recipe for this Creamy Pound Cake. I remember thinking this couldn’t possibly work – as bakers we have been trained to preheat the oven. This started in a cold oven. But because she was such a good cook I decided to give it a try exactly as it was given to me. Wow! was I wrong! This is a fantastic, easy pound cake. The only caveat is to make sure the butter is really soft or it won’t blend together with the large amount of sugar. I find it fascinating that is rises as it does without the benefit of any kind of leavening which is why it is important beat a lot of air into the butter/sugar. It is a dense cake, as pound cakes are, but it has a moistness and flavor that is incomparable. It literally lasts for days under a cake cover and freezes well.
Everyone I know who has made this has sworn by it and like me, finds the recipe fascinating. In fact, the reputation of this pound cake is so great, I was asked by a local magazine for the recipe to use in their yearly cookbook.
Every time I make this I think of my friend, now gone, and what a wonderful gift she gave me.
Pound Cake
2 sticks butter (1/2 pound or 225 grams)
3 cups sugar (600 grams or 21 ounces)
6 eggs
1 tablespoons vanilla
1 cup cake flour (100 grams or 3 1/2 ounces)
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour (245 grams or 9 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup 40% cream
2 sticks butter (1/2 pound or 225 grams)3 cups sugar (600 grams or 21 ounces)
6 eggs
1 tablespoons vanilla
1 cup cake flour (100 grams or 3 1/2 ounces)
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour (245 grams or 9 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup 40% cream
Spray tube pan very well. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, 3 at a time beating well after each addition
Add the vanilla; beating well.
Sift the flours and salt together. Add alternately with cream, starting and ending with flour.
Sift the flours and salt together. Add alternately with cream, starting and ending with flour.
Pour into tube pan
Smooth the top.
Place in a COLD oven. Set the oven for 275 degrees. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes until golden brown on top and a tester comes out clean.
Cool 15 to 20 minutes. Release from pan.
Strawberry Lemon Sauce
4 cups sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Grated lemon zest from 1/2 lemon
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper, optional
4 cups sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Grated lemon zest from 1/2 lemon
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper, optional
Combine all together in a mixing bowl about 1 hour before serving. Let rest at room temperature.
Special thanks to Hillary for commenting she didn’t have a tube pan, what could she do. The recipe will cut in half really easily so I suggested a 9×5 loaf pan. She wrote back today saying she had made 2 loaf pans out of a full recipe and they were fantastic. Hilary said she baked them for the same amount of time. She did mention the top of the cake was very crusty and fell off, but all was good otherwise.
