Classic Pound Cake

All You Need:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
• 3 tablespoon Milk
• 3 large Eggs
• 1 1/2 cup Cake flour (See notes for the Cake flour recipe)
• 3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 13 tablespoon Unsalted butter, softened

The Recipe:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F
• Even if you are using a non stick pan, brush the pan with butter on all sides. I am telling you this from my own experience :) You can also use a normal cake pan or fluted tube pan. But the baking time will vary depending on the pan you use. I have used a pyrex glass loaf pan to bake this pound cake.
• In a large bowl, add vanilla, milk and eggs. Lightly Whisk them to combine. This will be your wet ingredient.
• Take 1 cup of all purpose flour, remove 2 tbsp from it. Now add 2 tbsp of cornstarch/cornflour. Take another 1/2 cup flour, remove 1 tbsp flour from it. Add 1 tbsp Cornstarch/cornflour. In large bowl, combine All purpose flour and cornstarch and sift it for 3 times. This will yield Cake flour. If you have cake flour readily available you can use 1 1/2 cup of cake flour instead of all purpose flour and corn starch.
• Then add baking powder, sugar and salt. Using your hand mixer or a stand mixer, mix the dry ingredients on low speed for 30 seconds. This will smoke up your kitchen. To avoid this, cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towl (ensure that water is not leaking) as you mix. I have used a hand mixer.
• Cut the butter in to small chunks and add it to the dry ingredients along with half of the egg mixture (from step 4).
• Gently mix it until the dry ingredients are moistened using a spatula. Cover the bowl with damp cloth and beat it for one minute on medium speed (I used the speed level 3 on my hand mixer). This step actually helps the batter to aerate and develop a good cake structure.
• Scrape down all the sides. Then add the remaining egg mixture in two batches beating for 20 seconds after each addition. Again scrape down all the sides.
• Now pour the prepared batter into the loaf pan. You will definitely need the help of your spatula to scoop out the batter. Smooth the surface using your spatula.
• Bake for 55-65 minutes until the tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. I have baked this pound cake for 60 minutes. If you are using a flute tube pan the baking time will 35-45 minutes. And as I said earlier, depending on your pan size and the make the baking time will vary.
• Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. And then invert it on a wire rack. Flip the loaf gently. Allow it to cool further before you slice them. And yes this will definitely test your patience.
• And it is a fact that pound cake tastes better the next day.

Notes :

Cake flour Recipe:

Ingredients : 1 1/2 cup All purpose flour + 3 tbsp cornstarch

Method: Basically for every 1 cup flour, remove 2 tbsp flour and add 2 tbsp cornstarch/cornflour. Sif t it for 3 times. In this case, take 1 cup of all purpose flour, remove 2 tbsp from it. Now add 2 tbsp of cornstarch/cornflour. Take another 1/2 cup flour, remove 1 tbsp flour from it. Add 1 tbsp Cornstarch/cornflour. In large bowl, combine All purpose flour and cornstarch and sift it for 3 times. This will yield Cake flour.