Classic Pound Cake

This is the real deal. Unlike other pound cake recipes, this one does not have sour cream or cream cheese. It gets all its flavor and moistness from the original pound cake ingredients: butter, sugar, flour, eggs (oh, and an optional pinch of salt and dash of vanilla). There's no chemical leavening here either. No baking powder or baking soda. The cake gets its height from beating in the eggs well and one by one.

The end result is a tall, mouth-wateringly golden, fine-grained cake with a crisp crust and tender crumb. With such rich ingredients packed into such a small package, a thin slice goes a long way. My search for the perfect pound cake recipe has come to a close. This one's a keeper!



Classic Pound Cake
9x5" Loaf | Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 large eggs

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt; set aside.
2.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium-low speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture; beat until just combined.
3.Spoon batter into prepared pan, and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake until cake is golden and cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn out cake onto the rack to cool completely. Cake can be kept at room temperature, wrapped well in plastic, for up to 3 days.