Pound Cake

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2009

Show: Good EatsEpisode: American Classics V: A Pound of Cake

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (36)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(36)

Cook Time:
1 hr 0 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
10 to 12 servings

Times:

Prep: 30 min
Inactive Prep: 10 min
Cook: 1 hr 0 min
Total:: 1 hr 40 min

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Directions

16 ounces unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened, plus 1 tablespoon

Ingredients

16 ounces cake flour, plus 2 tablespoons
16 ounces sugar
9 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350 degrees F.

Coat a 10-inch aluminum tube pan or 2 (9 by 5-inch) loaf pans with 1 tablespoon of butter and dust with 2 tablespoons of the flour.

Cream together the remaining 16 ounces of butter and the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer for 5 minutes on medium speed, using the paddle attachment. Stop once to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. With the mixer running at the lowest speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Again, stopping once to scrape down the sides of the bowl. This will take approximately 3 minutes and the mixture may look curdled. Add the vanilla and salt and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds.

With the mixer on the lowest speed, add the flour in 3 installments, making sure each portion is fully incorporated before adding the next. After the final addition, scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat for 30 seconds on medium speed until almost smooth.

Scoop the batter into the prepared pan(s), dividing evenly if using 2 pans. Bake for 1 hour or until the internal temperature reaches 210 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. The crust will be golden brown and will spring back when pressed, but the crack around the center will appear moist.

Remove the cake from the oven to a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan(s) and cool on the rack. Store the cake on the rack covered with a tea towel for up to 3 days.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Pound Cake
Michael Federal Way, WA 03-05-2010
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Kevin and others with lumpy dough
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Remember, that this is a "pound" cake, and a pound is a weight measurement not a volume measurement like a Cup. Most baking... is done with volume measurements, but that is not the case for this recipe. For instance a cup of lead, would weigh a lot more than a cup of water, in this case we want a pound of flour, which does not equal two (volume) cups. You really do have to weigh the ingredients here.Read more
recipe Pound Cake
Donna Rochester, NY 02-20-2010
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Disappointing
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

Followed this recipe to the letter. Weighed the ingredients. Beat the batter for the recommended times and at the stated... speeds. Incorporated the eggs one by one. Used an instant thermometer to test for doneness. What I got was an odd textured cake that was neither sweet nor moist enough for my taste. It looked great (just like Alton's) but the result was disappointing.Read more
recipe Pound Cake
Kathy Limerick, PA 02-19-2010
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Home Bakers Just crack me up
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

" Didn't weigh ingredients, didn't use correct ingredients ( cake flour), didn't use correct pans, didn't use the correct... cooking temperature, didn't follow the recipe" And THEN " the cake didn't turn out very wel" LOL I found this Pound Cake to be easy and tasty, but then I did follow the recipe. We found the cake to develop a deeper flavor the next day. Read more
recipe Pound Cake
Dave Ocean Springs, MS 02-16-2010
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Loved the episode, not the cake
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

The intrigue of the TV episode made me go right and buy all the ingredients for this cake. I enjoyed making the cake, but it... disappointed me on taste. I expected a more buttery taste, but nope. I even bought a kitchen scale as to not depend on measuring cups.Read more
recipe Pound Cake
Danny Honolulu, HI 02-15-2010
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Doesn't cook all the way through
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

I hate to review an AB recipe so low -- AB's recipes are my go-to recipes and I've always had success. Not this time. The... problem was that the poundcake was undercooked towards the bottom. No, I did not take the internal temperature as he suggested, but the poundcake was already at risk of burning on the outside so I had little choice but to pull it out. I cooked it for 60 minutes at the suggested 350 degrees, gave it a rest, checked it and put it back in for another 10. I baked it in two separate pans: a 9x5 loaf pan and a 9x9 pan. The 9x9 pan was shallower and it still exhibited undercooked areas towards the bottom. The loaf pan was even worse. Like another review, I'd try this again if someone could offer a suggestion. A shame too because the batter smells sooo good. BTW, I used an unbleached cake flour blend from King Arthur Flours (in a brown box).Read more
recipe Pound Cake
Kevin Langhorne, PA 02-15-2010
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2" lump of doughy cake
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

Dunno what went wrong, anyone have any ideas? Used cups instead of oz. where 2 cups = 16 oz. The flavor was ok, but the... cake never rose. Did I not mix the butter long enough, or did the mesaurements throw off things? I DID use cake flour as indicated. Love Alton, but this one just didn't work out for me. I'll try it again if someone has a suggestion.Read more