Recipes For 2009

Pound Cake

Hmm..who doesn't like pound cake.
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature for at least 30 minutes
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup whole milk, at room temperature

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350F. Generously butter and flour 9 x 5 x 3 metal (do not use glass!) loaf pan, knocking out excess flour.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a stand mixer or 5 minutes with a handheld mixer. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in zest and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and milk alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour and mixing until just incorporated.

Spoon batter into loaf pan and bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with crumbs adhering, 1 to 1 ¼ hours. Cool cake in pan on rack for 30 minutes, then invert onto rack and cool completely.