The name ‘pound cake‘ comes from the fact that the original pound cake contained one pound each butter, sugar, eggs and flour. Originally, no leaveners were used in the cake except for the air whipped into the batter. It was only in the 1900’s that artificial leaveners like baking soda and baking powder were added to reduce the density of the cake. Other variations include the addition of flavoring extracts like vanilla and almond or dried fruits such as cranberries or currants. At times, some or all of the butter was substituted by a cooking or vegetable oil to obtain a moist cake.
One of the most popular variations is the sour cream pound cake. The butter is substituted by sour cream to moisten the cake and also get a tinge of a tangy flavor. Despite all these variations which alter the characteristics and the flavor of the cake drastically, the name pound cake is still used today.
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- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla
- 1/4 cup (60 gm) sour cream
- 2 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves
- 2-3 drops red gel food color, optional
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Ingredients
Cake
Cream Cheese Frosting
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- Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly butter or line pan of choice with parchment paper. (loaf pan or a Bundt pan)).
- In a bowl, cream butter & sugar with an electric mixer until pale & fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add salt, vanilla & sour cream.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour & baking powder. Combine wet & dry ingredients, then beat on low for about a minute.
- Transfer about 1/3 of batter to another bowl. Add raspberry preserves & beat until combined. Add 2-3 drops red gel food color if desired. To remaining batter, add lemon juice & beat until combined.
- To preferred baking pan, add a layer of white batter then alternate between pink & white batter. Use a knife to swirl the batters together but don't overdo it or you will end up without a marble effect.
- Bake for 60-65 minutes or until a skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean. If top browns too quickly, lightly cover with a piece of foil paper.
- Allow cake to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove pan & finishing cooling on a wire rack.
- In a small bowl, beat cream cheese for about 20 seconds on medium speed. Add powdered sugar & mix to combine well. Drizzle frosting over cooled cake, slice & serve.
- My choice of baking pans were some mini Bundt pans. I thought they made a nice individual presentation.