Vanilla Bean Pound Cake Recipes

VANILLA BEAN POUND CAKE WITH GINGER GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 5-by-9-inch loaf pans. Combine flour and salt in a bowl.
• Cream butter and sugar with a mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy, for 8 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to medium, and add seeds of vanilla bean.
• Lightly beat eggs, and add to mixer bowl in 4 additions, mixing thoroughly after each and scraping down sides. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture in 4 additions, mixing until just incorporated. Divide batter between pans. Tap on counter to distribute; smooth tops.
• Bake until a tester inserted into center of each cake comes out clean, about 65 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire rack.
• Make the glaze: Heat milkand sliced gingerin a saucepan over medium heat until milk begins to simmer. Let cool; discard ginger. Stir inconfectioners' sugar.Drizzle over cooled cakes. Sprinkle chopped candied ginger on top.

VANILLA BEAN POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a food processor, grind vanilla bean and sugar until vanilla is as finely chopped as it can get, about one minute. Sift this mixture twice, making sure all larger pieces have been filtered out. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer, then gradually add the vanilla sugar, continuing to beat until well creamed and smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add the flour and salt, beating constantly. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and continue beating until well blended.
• Grease and flour a 10-inch tube or bundt pan. Pour in the batter and ''spank'' the bottom of the pan to distribute the batter evenly. Bake until a straw inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes, taking care not to overcook. Turn cake out onto a rack and let cool.

VANILLA BEAN POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Position oven rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat oven to 325°.
• Place the vanilla bean on a small cookie sheet and toast for 8-10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool; break into 1-inch pieces (if the vanilla bean is already brittle, it does not have to be toasted).
• Place the sugar and vanilla bean pieces in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.
• Pulse 3-4 times, then process for 1 minute.
• Pulse another 3-4 times and process for another minute.
• Pass the mixture through a fine strainer, discarding any particles of vanilla bean, and set aside.
• Generously butter a 9-inch Bundt pan, dust with flour, then invert it over the sink and tap firmly to remove the excess flour; set aside.
• In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, process the butter on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
• Add in the cream cheese, 1 piece at a time, and continue to mix until smooth and creamy.
• Add the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, taking 6-8 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed.
• Add 2 of the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition.
• Whisk the remaining eggs with the milk and vanilla until well blended; set aside.
• Decrease mixer speed to low, and add the dry ingredients alternately with the liquid ingredients, dividing the flour into four parts and the liquid into 3 parts, beginning and ending with the flour.
• Scrape down the side of the bowl and mix for 10 seconds longer.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the back of a large spoon.
• Bake for 1 hour and 10-15 minutes; the cake is done when the top is golden brown and firm to the touch, and a pick comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and place the cake on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes.
• Invert the pan onto the rack and carefully lift it off; let the cake cool completely .
• Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
• Store under a glass cake dome or covered with plastic wrap for up to 5 days; the cake may be frozen.

RICOTTA POUND CAKE WITH VANILLA BEAN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
• Cream together ricotta, butter, and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Mixture will look somewhat grainy and curdled--this is normal. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat batter an additional 2 to 3 minutes on medium-high speed after adding the last egg. Mix in almond extract.
• Use a small paring knife to slice vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Scrape the seeds out of each half and add to the batter. Mix on low speed until vanilla seeds are evenly dispersed.
• Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter, mixing until only just combined. Mix in remaining dry ingredients until just combined. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Tap pan lightly on the counter a few times to remove air bubbles.
• Place pan into preheated oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 70 to 75 minutes. Allow cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Gently run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen, the remove to a wire rack to cool completely.