Pound cake

You already know that I have moved into our new apartment a month ago & I am still settling down. Now that the unpacking is all done, I have time to laze around at home while my son is at school. I love my mornings, as I get to watch serials, cook food & anything I want. The last week I spent watching Scandal I cant tell you how much I loved that serial. After it was over, I was so bored coz I was so addicted to it. So, I decided to bake a cake with all that time I had. 

I have always wondered how the store brought pound cake looked! I used to love the texture it had, but taste wise I was not very satisfied.  I have also seen in cookery shows how some chef's add in so many eggs into their cake recipes. I wondered if so many eggs were really required. If you have followed all my cake recipes, then you will realise that I have never used more than 3 eggs. After doing some recipe research on google, I decided to try out Elvis Presley's Favourite Pound Cake recipe. I was not too happy with the amount of eggs used in it, but I went ahead with this recipe. I must say "yes" the eggs does make a difference to your cake texture, taste, etc etc... Although the cake has a little eggyness, but I loved this cake. In fact we loved this cake at home. I am sure everyone who tried this recipe will definitely get addicted to this cake. This cake is so tasty, moist, rich & the texture is superb. I am sure you must have already fallen in love with the pictures. This is how I made it....

Serves: 25- 30 pieces

Making time: 30 minutes

Baking time: 1:30minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks (220 gms) salted butter, softened, plus additional for buttering pan
• 3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring) plus additional for dusting
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2.5 cups sugar (powder it)
• 7 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup heavy cream or whipping cream
• 1 Tspn lemon zest
• Special equipment: a 10-inch tube pan (4 1/2 inches deep; not with a removable bottom) or a 9.6 - 10-inch bunt pan (3 1/4 inches deep; 3-qt capacity)

Direction:

1. Put oven rack in middle position, preheat oven for 10 mins
2. Generously butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour.
3. Sift together sifted flour (3 cups) and salt into a bowl. Repeat sifting into another bowl (flour will have been sifted 3 times total).
4. Beat together butter (2 sticks) and sugar in a large bowl with an electric handheld beater at medium high speed until pale and fluffy, about 8 minutes.
5. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour, then all of cream, then remaining flour, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down side of bowl, then beat at medium-high speed 5 minutes. Batter will become creamier and satiny
6. Spoon batter into pan and tap pan against work surface once or twice to eliminate air bubbles. Place pan in oven and turn oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in middle of cake comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 
7. Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack to cool completely.

Notes:

• There is no leveling agent used in this cake as the eggs do the job. This cake will have some eggy smell so if you don't like the strong smell, I suggest you add some extra Vanilla essence or any other you may like.
• I made my own cake flour. 1 Cup all purpose flour minus- 2 tbsp flour + 2 tbsp corn flour makes 1 cup of cake flour.
• Since I am new to my oven in  my new home, I am still experimenting on the temperature. I kept my cake at 220 degree & I felt my oven's 350 was very high. So if you are friends with your oven you already know how she works:) If not, you might need to talk to her & experiment:)
• I love the texture & taste of the cake. I am sure this is the cake you will fall in love with.
• This is the first time I tried this cake & the net time I will try baking it in a regular round pan.