Like cheesecake and pizza, everyone thinks they have the perfect recipe. But since we all have very different ideas on what makes a great pizza or cheesecake, there isn’t really one perfect way to do anything, including making a moist, buttery pound cake. Or is there?
Try this one and see.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk*
Butter Sauce:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup water
1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
METHOD
In a large mixing bowl or food processor, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. *I never have buttermilk around the house, so I use the Saco powdered Buttermilk blend, below. Just follow the directions - it’s typically 4 tablespoons powder to 1 cup water.
Pour into a greased and floured 10-inch springform pan.
Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 55-70 minutes.
Cool 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges and center tube of pan.
For sauce, combine the sugar, butter and water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat just until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.
Remove from the heat; stir in extracts.
Using a skewer. poke holes in the warm cake, all the way down to the bottom (which is why you can’t use a toothpick).
Spoon 1/4 cup sauce over the cake. Let stand until sauce is absorbed.
Repeat twice. Remove sides of the springform. Poke holes into sides of cake; brush remaining sauce over sides.
Cool completely.
No need to refrigerate, but cover tightly.
Pretty perfect, right?
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