It's a Celebration With Elegant Pound Cake

Today is a special day for Beverly's Back Porch. On January 7, 2010 I introduced my blog and posted my first recipe. I didn't do anything, my wonderful niece Angie did all the set up work, and my brother, Larry, came up with the name for the blog. With the posting of this recipe I will have 300 assorted items posted, recipes, opinions, a little spiritual and various other stuff.

It is a celebration so you have to have cake.

Have you ever had really honest to goodness Old Fashioned Pound Cake? No, not Sara Lee! The original version of pound cake was basically a pound of eggs, pound of sugar, pound of butter, pound of flour and a little cream and vanilla. Hence the name pound cake. This recipe is as close as we are going to get. This is the way my mother and grandmother made pound cake. Living on a farm there was never a shortage of eggs, milk, cream and butter.

I have used this for the base of fruit short cakes, or lightly buttered and toasted with jam or jelly for breakfast. My favorite is a big chunk with a cup of coffee for that mid-afternoon pick-me-up. Kids love this with peanut butter.

If you are lucky enough to have a few slices left over, it freezes beautifully. Like most cakes, this is better made a day or two ahead.

Elegant Pound Cake
15-18 servings
print recipe

8 eggs, separated
2 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 pound butter (no substitute)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, measured after sifting
1/2 cup light cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Separate eggs. Measure sugar and set aside. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; gradually add 6 tablespoons of the sugar while continuing to beat until stiff. Refrigerate until needed.

Cream butter in large mixer bowl until light; gradually beat in remaining sugar. Add well beaten egg yolks. Sift the flour three times and add alternately with cream and vanilla, beginning and ending with flour. Beat until mixture is very light (about 10 minutes at low speed of mixer).

Now add egg whites, in this manner: Spoon out a heaping tablespoon of the whites and stir vigorously into the batter. Make no attempt to fold it in, it is to be stirred in thoroughly. (this loosens and lightens the texture of the batter and prepares it to receive the remaining whites.) Now fold in egg whites thoroughly. Pour into lightly greased 10-inch tube pan at least 4 inches deep. Bake at 300 degrees F. for 1 3/4 hours. Invert onto wire rack and allow to cool. Loosen around edges with spatula and remove to serving plate. Requires no icing. Remember this freezes well.

COOK'S NOTE: This is nice to have on hand in the freezer to serve with fresh strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream.

Thank y'all for visiting. Come back often and thanks for the support of 300 postings, of mostly total nonsense.