Old Aiken Pound Cake Recipes

OLD-FASHIONED POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place butter in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer, and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 6 minutes). Gradually add sugar, beating until blended. Beat1 more minute. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition.
• Combine flour and next 2 ingredients. Combine evaporated milk and cream; add to butter mixture alternately with flour mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into a greased (with shortening) and floured 10-inch (16-cup) tube pan.
• Bake at 350°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 1 hour; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

OLD FASHIONED POUND CAKE II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan. Sift together the flour and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla and lemon extract. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 90 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

GRANDMOTHER'S POUND CAKE II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 3 - 8x4 inch loaf pans, then line with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the flour alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated.
• Pour batter evenly into prepared loaf pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. After removing them from the oven, immediately loosen cake edges with a knife. Allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans. Strip off the parchment paper and cool completely on wire racks.

OLD AIKEN POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Spray heavy-duty bundt or tube pan with Baker's Secret or grease and flour it.
• In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, mace, and salt, and set aside.
• Add vanilla to milk, and set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• To shortening/butter mixture, alternately add 1/3 flour mixture and 1/3 milk mixture, mixing between additions.
• Repeat until all flour and milk are incorporated into batter.
• Pour batter into prepared baking pan.
• Place cake in COLD oven.
• Turn oven to 350 degrees and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes.
• Do NOT open oven door while cake is baking.
• After the 70 minutes cooking time, test cake for doneness, as oven temperatures vary.
• Cake should be golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted in center of cake should come out clean.
• After cake is partially cooled, remove from pan.
• VARIATION: Substitute rum or brandy flavoring for the vanilla.
• If desired, make a glaze of powdered sugar and water or lemon juice and pour over cooled cake.

CLASSIC POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour the pan of your choice.
• Sift the flour and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. Whisk the whole eggs, yolks, milk, and the vanilla together in a 4-cup measuring cup or bowl, and set aside. In a heavy duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at a medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually pour in the sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, to cream and lighten the butter. (This should take about 3 minutes.) Once all the sugar is added, turn the machine off and scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle with a rubber spatula. Continue to beat the butter mixture until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the lemon zest and beat for 30 seconds more.
• Turn the machine off and scrape the sides of the bowl again to assure even incorporation of the ingredients. Turn the mixer to its lowest setting. Gradually pour in the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, and beat the batter for 30 seconds. Gradually add the egg mixture. (It should take about a minute to pour all of it into the batter.) Remove the bowl from the mixer, scrape any batter off the paddle, and finish stirring the egg mixture into the batter with a rubber spatula. Take care not to over mix the batter, but make sure that you scrape the bottom of the bowl to evenly incorporate all of the ingredients.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth over the top with a spatula. Put the cake in the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, and the top springs back when lightly pressed, about 1 hour and 30 minutes, for the tube or Bundt pans; and 50 minutes to 1 hour for loaf pans.
• Cool the cake, in the pan, on a rack, for 10 to 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a flat plate or cardboard. Re-invert the cake and set it right side up on the rack to cool completely. If not serving the same day, wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature, for 4 to 5 days or freeze for 1 month.