Pound cake, anyone ?

  This is one of my favorite recipes. One of my favorite desserts. It's an all around, multi-purpose kind of cake that pairs well with home canned peaches, raspberry sauce and whipped cream,  strawberries and cream in a trifle, or even just all by itself. 

  This recipe is more like a Half a Pound cake...lol...since it only has half a pound of butter in it and  "only" 5 eggs.  Not like the old pioneer recipes that actually used a pound of everything-- maybe they baked them in bigger pans?  All I know is a couple of secrets to a good pound cake are  1) Real butter and 2) the kind of pan you bake it in.  

 When I first got this recipe from my friend Donna (about 1973)  I had a cast iron, enameled bundt pan that I ALWAYS baked it in. That pan has gotten lost in my travels somehow, and I haven't been able to find another one. I  replaced the aluminum one I have a couple of years ago  (that I hate--I almost never would use it because I do not cook in aluminum.)  I bought a pricey Pampered Chef stoneware one and it works as good as the cast iron.  That's my beauty in the picture. 

Okay--back to the recipe!!

 This is a recipe for Aunt Edna's Pound Cake. I believe that is Aunt Edna Sawyer, but I can't remember for sure.  Here's the list of ingredients :

        1/2 cup vegetable shortening
        2 sticks real butter
        3 cups sugar
        3 cups flour
        1 cup milk
        5 eggs
        1/2 tsp salt
        1/2 tsp. vanilla
        1/2 tsp lemon extract

 Okay. In a large mixing bowl,  cream the shortening and butter.  Add the sugar and cream again.

Blend in half the flour and half the milk. Mix well.   Then add the eggs--1 at a time-- with the remaining four and milk. MIx well after each addition.  Mix in the salt and flavorings and pour into an ungreased Bundt pan. (The heavier your pan, the better).

(As you can see, it fills it pretty full, but that's okay.)


Put into a cold oven and then bake it one hour at 325 degrees.  Then turn the heat up to 350 degrees and bake  30 minutes more.  Cool  in pan and turn out onto a cake plate--beautiful !!!!

I have to admit, this one got a little more brown than usual, because I...uh...well...I forgot about it for a bit while I was blogging !!!!   lol  It's still one of the most incredibly moist  and rich pound cakes I've come across.  I made this for the Irishman's birthday Friday. I will probably finish it up on Tuesday and cut it up to make a trifle to take to a potluck I'm attending with some women friends. Trifles are usually made with angel food cake, but they're every bit as good with pound cake.

  Try this recipe--you'll be glad you did !!




Bon Apetit !