How To Make The Best Pound Cake Ever? - Coffee House and Pastries

Prep before you start. Carefully read through the entire recipe,and prepare any special ingredients,such as chopped fruits or toasted nuts,before starting to mix the batter.

What is the secret to a good pound cake?

‘Pound cake should be light, with a finely textured, moist, and even crumb,’ says Claire Saffitz, BA’s associate food editor and baker extraordinaire. She has created, tested, and made dozens of pound cakes, plus she’s well-versed in the science of baking (yep, it’s a science).

What is the best flour to use for a pound cake?

Cake Flour: Cake flour is lighter than all-purpose flour and produces the best pound cake in my opinion. Since it’s so light, the attention remains on the butter. All-purpose flour is simply too heavy for this pound cake recipe; the cake will be heavy as a brick. If needed, use this homemade cake flour substitute.

What makes a pound cake rise high?

If you over-beat the eggs, the air in the eggs will cause the cake to rise. It will create a crust that will rise higher than the cake (the same way that eggs can create a crust in brownies, they can create a crust in cakes as well).

What ingredient makes a cake moist and fluffy?

Room Temperature Butter / Don’t Over-Cream

Most cakes begin with creaming butter and sugar together. Butter is capable of holding air and the creaming process is when butter traps that air. While baking, that trapped air expands and produces a fluffy cake.

Why is my pound cake so crumbly?

When the eggs are introduced to the batter, over-beating can cause the batter to become too light (eggs get fluffier as air is introduced in the beating process). This lighter batter will overflow the pan during baking and/or cause the crust to crumble and separate from the rest of the cake as it cools.

How long should you beat pound cake batter?

Make sure you beat the butter really well- like from 1-7 minutes, not just until it loses resemblance of a stick. This whips air into the batter so the cake will rise when baking. All those little pockets that create a nice crumb are air filled. If there is no air, there are also no pockets.

What’s the best pan to cook a pound cake in?

Best Overall: Nordic Ware Platinum Collection Bundt Pan. Best Value Bundt Pan: Wilton Recipe Right Fluted Tube Pan. Best Non-Stick: Anolon Advanced Nonstick Fluted Baking Pan. Most Visually-Pleasing: Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Fluted Cake Pan.

Does pound cake need baking powder?

A simple classic pound cake does not utilize any chemical leavening (baking powder or baking soda). This cake relies solely on the air that is mixed into the batter during the creaming process for its rise.

What makes a pound cake different?

Pound Cake

Because of its richness, pound cakes typically have light flavors and are served plain or topped with a basic glaze. They’re normally baked in a loaf or Bundt pant. Pound cake variations include some coffee cakes, sour cream cakes, and fruit crumb cakes.

What do eggs do in a cake?

The Function of Eggs in Cake Batter:

The most important job of eggs in a cake batter is to contribute structure in the form of proteins from both the yolk and the white. The protein coagulates as the cake bakes and, along with the starch from the flour, forms the cake crumb.

How does the number of eggs affect a cake?

How does the number of eggs affect a cake? If you add too many eggs to a cake, you’ll get a much thinner consistency of cake batter and, while it will be a stunning golden colour, you’ll end up with a cake tasting and textured more like a baked custard.

How long should you let a pound cake cool in the pan?

After removing from the oven, place the pound cake, right side up, in the pan on a wire rack, and let cool for 10 minutes away from drafts. This allows the cake to become firm enough to remove from the pan without breaking apart. Cooling too long in the pan will cause the cake to be damp and stick to the pan.

What does milk do in cake?

Milk is a nutrient-rich white fluid secreted from the mammary glands of female mammals. In baking, it moistens batter or dough, and adds protein, color and flavor to baked goods. The most common form of milk in baking is non-fat dry milk (NFDM), which is dehydrated skim milk.

Does sour cream make a cake moist?

Here’s one thing to consider: thickness. Sour cream adds moisture without thinning your batter the same way that a liquid would. That fact that sour cream delivers moisture without further thinning out a batter results in a cake with a very tender, very fine crumb.

How can I make my cake rise higher?

How to Make a Cake Rise Higher

Follow the Recipe.
Add a Leavening Agent.
Cream the Butter and Sugar.
Fold Ingredients Together – Don’t Mix.
Fill the Cake Pan Properly.
Avoid the Batter Setting Too Quickly.
Check the Oven Temperature.

What is the best recipe for pound cake?

Cream the butter. Add sugar and cream together for 2 minutes on medium speed.

Beat in eggs one at a time,beating each one for 3 minutes. (#4 speed on Kitchen Aid mixer)

Add flour and gently mix in. (#2 speed on Kitchen Aid mixer)

Pour into greased and floured bundt pan.

Let cool in pan for 30 minutes and then carefully remove.

How to make a Super moist pound cake?

preheat oven to 325. Cream cheese and butter should be room temperature. Mix together cream cheese, butter, shortening, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Next add the milk salt and baking powder. Add cake flour a half a cup at a time. Batter will be thick. Pour into bundt pan. Bake for 1 hr 15 minutes I prefer to add the glaze while its still warm.

How to serve pound cake in 10 different ways?

How To Serve Pound Cake. Best way to serve it is with whipped cream and fresh fruit such as fresh berries, peaches, apricots, some mint leaves and dust it with powdered sugar! Delicious! How about with some sweet syrup and nuts. Try some honey or maple syrup then sprinkle it with some almonds, walnuts or pistachios. How about with pudding and bananas.

Make a Buttery, Moist, Perfect Pound Cake by Avoiding These Common Mistakes

If you’ve ever eaten a slice of pound cake that wasn’t up to standard, you understand how gloomy it can be.What should have been a sweet and soft cake is rather a thick, dry hunk of bread masquerading as a dessert.But what about a delicious slice of pound cake?That’s a completely new ballgame altogether.According to Claire Saffitz, BA’s associate food editor and resident baker extraordinaire: ″Pound cake should be light, with a finely textured, moist, and even crumb,″ she explains.

As a result of her extensive baking experience (yes, baking is a science), she has developed, tested, and produced hundreds of pound cakes.
She is also well-versed in the art and science of baking.
We sat up with Saffitz in the test kitchen to go over the eight processes that go into making the perfect pound cake.

Consider whether you’re committing any of these typical errors.1.Don’t just sift your dry ingredients into a bowl.To avoid lumps, Saffitz recommends whisking your dry ingredients together first.Then, he suggests using the fluff, spoon, and level approach.

What is it, exactly?To carry out this procedure, fluff the flour using a fork or whisk before spooning it into the measuring cup with a measuring spoon.Finally, use a knife to level it out.When compared to the scoop approach, this method is preferable since just dipping and filling the measuring cup might result in flour that is too thickly packed.2.Allow the eggs and butter to come to room temperature before using them.

If they aren’t, hold on a moment!
You should ensure that not only are your eggs and butter at room temperature, but that they are all the same temperature as well.
The addition of cold eggs to heated butter will cause the eggs to seize and crack.
Allow the eggs and butter to sit out on the counter for many hours before you intend to bake them.
It’s also a good idea to avoid using the microwave to soften butter.
It will get excessively hot, and partially melted butter will not perform as well as fully melted butter during the creaming step.

3.
Set aside enough time to thoroughly cream your batter before baking.
When it comes to making the ideal pound cake, this is the most crucial thing to remember.
What is the best way to tell if your components have been ″thoroughly″ creamed?
Expect to spend at least five minutes—if not more—working with your stand or electric mixer.
Don’t stop mixing even if the mixture appears to be blended.

According to Saffitz, the tint should be ″extremely light in color; virtually white.″ And, yes, butter is very necessary when making pound cake from scratch.As the sugar granules bake, the sharp edges slice through the butter, forming air pockets that expand even more as the cake bakes.Butter is the only thing that can capture and keep these pockets, thus there is no replacement.

(With the exception of coconut oil, which operates in a similar manner.) This dish incorporates both of these ingredients.) 4….But Be Careful Not to Overmix Once the butter and sugar have been creamed, begin adding the dry ingredients one at a time.When you notice white streaks running through the batter, Saffitz suggests turning off the electric mixer and hand mixing the batter.Gently mix in the remaining flour with a broad spatula until everything is well combined.Gentleness is essential here; overmixing with a strong hand can cause the batter to deflate, and all of your hard work creaming will be thrown out the window.

The end product will be a dense, difficult cake with a dense crumb.

Perfect Cream Cheese Pound Cake (Video!)

It is possible that this content contains affiliate links. Please take the time to read my disclosure policy. This recipe yields a moist and delicious cream cheese pound cake. After extensive recipe testing and several attempts, I discovered the optimal ingredient ratio for producing a moist, thick, and tasty pound cake. This cream cheese pound cake recipe is made with only nine easy ingredients and will quickly become a family favorite. Follow the baking time and temperature instructions to the letter to avoid a destroyed cake. Until recently, I had never cooked a very decent plain pound cake, so this was a new experience for me. I have a few great pound cake recipes in my back pocket, including lemon pound cake, raspberry swirl pound cake, and brown butter pound cake, but normal pound cake has always been a letdown. It was really difficult for me to take on this recipe since pound cake may easily come out dry, rock stiff, and/or missing in flavor if not prepared properly. But then I started adding cream cheese and sour cream to the cake mixture, and it started to come together. And with it, my lengthy history of pound cake failures began to fade away as well. My favorite cream cheese pound cake, baked in a Bundt pan, is the recipe I’m sharing with you today. I’m convinced that this is the finest pound cake you’ve ever had, and I’m going to show you why: Very buttery and really moist
Not too dry
one-bowl recipe with only nine basic ingredients
dense, but not as weighty as a brick
soft and silky crumb
a hint of tang from cream cheese
Flavored with sugar and vanilla

This recipe may easily be halved to fit into a loaf pan, or you can try my small pound cake recipe.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake Ingredients

Here is a list of the ingredients for cream cheese pound cake, as well as explanations of why they are used.

Butter: The most important ingredient in pound cake is butter. You’ll need three sticks of butter that has been thoroughly softened.
To make a dry pound cake moist, cream cheese is added. That’s the end of the narrative. If you’ve ever had an issue with a dry pound cake, cream cheese will fix all of your troubles. I swear by it, and I know you will as well
To thoroughly cream all of the butter and cream cheese in this cake, a substantial amount of sugar is needed to sweeten the cake and properly cream everything together. 2 and 1/2 cups may seem excessive, but keep in mind that this cake is dense and will serve a large number of people.
Sour Cream: Although sour cream is an unusual addition in pound cake, it provides a significant amount of moisture. We’re trying to stay away from dry pound cake as much as possible
Vanilla Extract and salt are both utilized to enhance the flavor of the dish. More flavors may be found in the recipe notes.
Eggs: Eggs are the workhorse of pound cake, serving as the primary component and bearing the majority of the weight. It is impossible to create pound cake without eggs.
Cake Flour: Cake flour is lighter in texture than all-purpose flour and, in my view, provides the most delicious pound cake. Because it’s so light, the focus is always on the butter in this dish. All-purpose flour is just too heavy for this pound cake recipe
the result will be a cake that is as hefty as a block when made with it. You may use this homemade cake flour replacement if you need to.
The addition of baking powder to pound cake is yet another novel component in this recipe. When making this quantity of batter, I don’t use much, but a tiny bit gently elevates the crumb, preventing the cake from becoming too heavy and squat.

All of the ingredients are essential and perform a specific function!

Pound Cake Disasters: Don’t Do This

And now it’s time to talk about the things that may go horribly wrong when making pound cake. I’m going to share my blunders with you so that you don’t waste your time or supplies. The photo below depicts two pound cake failures that I had to go through until I found the right pound cake recipe and procedure for me.

This is a badly under-cooked pound cake that was baked at 350°F (177°C) for a long period of time. This temperature is TOO HIGH for pound cake, which is mostly made of butter and eggs, to bake evenly and thoroughly. It will brown on the outside before the middle is done, as you can see in the photo below. I was in such a bad mood as I sliced into this cake. On the exterior, everything appeared to be flawless
Mistake2 – Choosing the Wrong Picture: This is a pound cake that has been overcooked to an extreme degree. After learning from my first error, I baked the pound cake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit (163 degrees Celsius). I was so afraid of underbaking the pound cake that I ended up overbaking it. Despite the fact that the pan had been generously oiled, the cake would not come out of the pan.

These cakes were very disgusting!

How to Make Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Following your understanding of how things might go wrong, let’s speak about how to prepare the most delicious cream cheese pound cake. The *TRICK* is that you have to do a lot of mixing before you can add the eggs.

Using your hands, cream the butter until it is smooth and creamy. Add the cream cheese and combine the two until they are completely smooth. Remove all of the cream cheese lumps from the mixture. After you’ve beaten in the sugar, add the sour cream and vanilla. So far, there has been a great deal of mingling, which is OK
Take one egg at a time: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, ensuring sure each is fully mixed before adding the next. It just takes a few rotations of the mixer when the eggs are at room temperature, and they will not be overmixed. Over-mixed batter results in a cake that is as heavy as a brick.
Toss in the dry ingredients:
Pour the dry ingredients into the same mixing bowl as the wet ingredients
Pour the following ingredients into the pan: Pour the batter into a 10-12 cup Bundt pan that has been thoroughly oiled. Despite the fact that this is not a paid post, I truly enjoy Nordic Ware Bundt pans. It is important to select a container that contains at least 10-12 cups of batter. This one is likewise quite stunning!
Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C) and bake the cream cheese pound cake for 30 minutes. In order to avoid overbrowning, lightly tent the cake halfway through the baking process using aluminum foil.
Allow the pound to cool for approximately 2 hours in the pan before inverting it onto a serving platter and allowing it to cool fully before serving.

Pound Cake Success Tips

That’s all I have to say! Before you get started, allow me to leave you with four suggestions. Follow the directions on the recipe. Make use of the ingredients and measurements that have been provided.
Bake at a low temperature for an extended period of time. Pound cake is a huge, thick cake that has to be baked in a colder oven for best results. Don’t be concerned if your cake takes longer than 90 minutes to bake
this is normal.
Before you begin, make sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature. The use of room temperature components ensures a cake with a homogeneous texture. It is impossible for cold ingredients to blend together, and the pound cake will not bake correctly.
Make sure each egg is blended in before adding the next

Description

This recipe yields a moist and delicious cream cheese pound cake. After extensive recipe testing and several attempts, I discovered the optimal ingredient ratio for producing a moist, thick, and tasty pound cake. This cream cheese pound cake recipe is made with only nine easy ingredients and will quickly become a family favorite. Follow the baking time and temperature instructions to the letter to avoid a destroyed cake. Use my experience to your advantage! 3/4 cup (345g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
8 ounce (226g) block full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 1/2 cups (500g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (80g) sour cream, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla essence
6 large eggs, softened to room temperature
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups (354g) cake flour (spooned and leveled)
Handmade whipped cream and fresh berries are optional garnishes for serving.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (163 degrees Celsius). Not at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 10-12 cup Bundt pan generously with butter or nonstick spray
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed for about 2 minutes, or until it is smooth and creamy. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the sides and up the bottom of the bowl to remove any stuck-on food. Add the cream cheese and beat on high speed for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is fully smooth and blended. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar and beat on high speed for 1 minute, then add the sour cream and vanilla and continue to beat on high speed until everything is well incorporated and creamy. Rubber spatula the sides and up the bottom of a mixing bowl
on low speed, beat in the eggs one at a time, letting each to thoroughly incorporate before adding the next. After the eggs have been added, take care not to overmix the mixture. Stop the mixer after the sixth egg has been thoroughly incorporated, and then add the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix on medium speed *just* until everything is incorporated. Don’t overmix the ingredients. Giving the mixture one more stir with a rubber spatula or a firm whisk will ensure that there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl is important. The batter will be somewhat thick and extremely creamy
pour or spoon the batter into the prepared pan in a uniform layer. To release any trapped air bubbles, tap the pan on the counter once or twice. Preheat the oven to 75-95 degrees. Halfway through the baking time, loosely tent the baked cake with aluminum foil to ensure that the surface does not become too brown. The trick to making pound cake is to bake it slowly and for a short period of time. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the pie. The pound cake is finished when the toothpick comes out absolutely clean. If you are baking a huge, hefty cake, don’t be surprised if it takes a little longer in your oven. Bake it for a longer period of time if necessary.
Bake for 30 minutes, then remove from oven and leave to cool for 2 hours in the pan. Next, flip the cake over onto a wire rack or serving dish to allow it to cool somewhat further. Allow to cool completely before using.
Slice the cake and serve it with optional toppings such as homemade whipped cream and fresh berries.
Cover any leftover cake firmly and store it at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days after it has been baked.

Notes

Freezing Instructions: Wrap the pound cake in 1-2 layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil, after it has been cooked and chilled. Freeze for a maximum of three months. Allow it defrost in the refrigerator overnight wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, then bring to room temperature before slicing and serving
Pan for baking a loaf of bread:
Pour the batter into two 9-inch loaf pans that have been oiled. Bake each for for 60 minutes at 325°F (163°C). Alternatively, divide all of the ingredients in half to create one loaf.
Cake flour is a kind of flour that is used in baking. Cake flour is the greatest choice for the best outcomes, in my opinion. I have many more recipes that call for it, which you can purchase in the baking section at your local supermarket. It is possible to develop a homemade cake flour alternative if you cannot get your hands on cake flour.
Almond extract or other flavors are optional. In addition to the vanilla extract, a small amount of almond extract should be added. This is completely optional, but it provides the most incredible flavor! The amount of almond extract I use on a regular basis is around 1 teaspoon. Alternatively, 1 teaspoon of lemon extract, orange extract, coconut extract, or any other flavoring of your choice can be used.

Pound cake, cake are some of the keywords used to describe this recipe.

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Sign up for email updates so that you’ll be the first to know when a new recipe is published! Subscribe Making a Cake is a Piece of Cake Are you a first-time visitor to our website? Getting started with this email series is a terrific idea. I’ll take you through a handful of my most popular recipes and explain why they’re so effective in the process.

How to Prevent a Dry or Dense Cake

It is possible that this content contains affiliate links.Please take the time to read my disclosure policy.These nine essential baking guidelines can help you avoid making a cake that is too dry or thick.By putting these teachings into practice in your kitchen, you can ensure a soft and moist cake!Dense.

The nemesis of a cake crumb.
Dry.
The adversary of a cake crumb.

Cakes that are too dry or thick have absolutely no place in this world.However, all too frequently, a cake with a seemingly innocent appearance might become a victim of one or both of these textural catastrophes.It has occurred to me roughly 3,520,958 times, and I am always striving to prevent my cake (and myself!) from experiencing the thick or dry cake tragedy.There are methods for avoiding and preventing these undesirable textures.For numerous years, I’ve been experimenting with different cake recipes and have gained a great deal of knowledge in the process.

In most cases, I can look at a recipe and predict the texture that will result from it.But every now and then, I’m not that fortunate, which is why I composed nine critical lessons that will assist us the next time we bake a cake from scratch.

I promise you SOFT & MOIST cakes!

1. Use Cake Flour

There may be affiliate links in this article.My disclosure policy may be found here.A cake that is dry or thick may be avoided by following these nine essential baking recommendations.Use these tips in your kitchen to ensure a soft and moist cake every time you bake.Dense.

The adversary of the cake crumb Dry.
The adversary of the cake crumb Cakes that are either too dry or too thick have no place in this world at all.
Even a cake with an innocent appearance can become the victim of one or both of these texture catastrophes, which happens much too frequently.

The dense or dry cake disaster has occurred around 3,520,958 times in my life, and I’m always striving to prevent this disaster from occurring again.There are methods for avoiding and preventing these undesirable textures from forming and developing.In order to improve my cake baking skills, I’ve been experimenting with different cake recipes for several years.In most cases, I can look at a recipe and estimate the texture that will result from the ingredients used.In other cases, though, luck isn’t on my side, which is why I put down nine important lessons that will come in handy the next time we bake a cake from scratch.

2. Add Sour Cream

Let’s add a creamy and light wet ingredient to assist avoid a dry, thick cake from forming.In most cake recipes, milk is called for to thin down the mixture and lighten the crumb, while sour cream is sometimes ignored in favor of buttermilk.In addition to the milk, a tablespoon or two of sour cream can be used.Of course, this varies from recipe to recipe, but you’ll find that sour cream is used in a lot of my cake recipes as well.Take this ingredient’s potential for strength into consideration.

I also use it in my cheesecake and no-bake cheesecake recipes, which you can find here.
Plain yogurt can be used as a suitable substitute.

3. Room Temperature Butter / Don’t Over-Cream

I know I sound like a broken record on this one, especially if you’re a frequent SBA reader, but bear with me on this one.For recipes that call for room temperature butter, however, use room temperature butter instead.The majority of cakes begin with the creaming of butter and sugar.Butter has the ability to hold air, and the creaming process is the mechanism through which butter holds that air.During the baking process, the trapped air expands, resulting in a light and fluffy cake.

No air Means no fluffiness if the butter is not fully creamed.
A thick cake, to be precise.
However, let us assume that your butter was at the appropriate room temperature.

You started creaming it with the sugar, but then you forgot to turn off the mixer.Over-creaming your butter and sugar increases the likelihood that the butter may trap more air than is necessary.As the batter bakes, the additional air will be deflated, resulting in a cake that is too dense to cut into.It’s all a matter of science!In order to achieve the best results, cream the butter and sugar together for around 1-2 minutes.

Additionally, the cake recipe may ask for sour cream, milk, and/or eggs that have been left out at room temperature.Check to see that they are both at room temperature.Because they are warmer, room temperature components will link together more easily and quickly, resulting in less over-mixing.Over-mixing results in a thick cake.(See also tip #6.)

4. Add a Touch of Baking Powder or Baking Soda

When a cake is overly dense, it is tempting to believe that adding additional flour would absorb more moisture and soften the crumb.This is not necessarily true.In most cases, however, this is not the case.Baking powder or baking soda will most likely be required to provide additional leavening assistance for the cake.This advice isn’t really a piece of cake (ha!) because these two elements are quite specific in terms of science.

If a recipe calls for a lot of acid, such as lemon juice or buttermilk, and it isn’t raised with enough baking powder, the cake will be thick in texture and flavor.
If this is the case, you may want to consider adding baking soda, which will react with the acid and result in a fluffier crumb overall.
Depending on the recipe, increasing the amount of baking powder or soda may result in a bitter aftertaste…

As a result, avoid going excessive.The amount of baking soda or baking powder I use per cup of flour varies depending on the recipe, but I often use 1/4 teaspoon baking soda or 1 teaspoon baking powder per cup of flour.Sometimes recipes ask for both baking powder and baking soda to be used in the same dish.

5. Add Oil

Some people believe that adding more flour to an overly dense cake can help it absorb more liquid and lighten the crumb.In most cases, however, this is not the situation.Baking powder or baking soda will most likely be required to provide further leavening help.Despite the fact that these two substances are technically distinct, this advice isn’t exactly a stroll in the park (ha!) Cake will taste thick if it contains a lot of acid, such as lemon juice or buttermilk, and it isn’t raised with enough baking powder to compensate.You may need to add baking soda in this situation, since it will react with the acid and result in a fluffier crumb when combined.

A bitter aftertaste may result from the addition of more baking powder or soda to the recipe.
Don’t take things too far.
The amount of baking soda or baking powder I use per cup of flour varies depending on the recipe, but I normally use 1/4 teaspoon baking soda or 1 teaspoon baking powder per cup of flour.

In certain recipes, both baking powder and baking soda are called for.

6. Don’t Over-Mix

When a cake is overly dense, it is tempting to believe that adding additional flour would help to absorb more moisture and soften the crumb.However, this isn’t always the case.It is likely that the cake may require additional leavening help from baking powder or baking soda.This advice isn’t precisely a piece of cake (ha!) because these two substances are quite specific in terms of their scientific properties.Cake will taste thick if it contains a lot of acid, such as lemon juice or buttermilk, and it isn’t given enough lift by baking powder.

In that scenario, baking soda may be required, as it will react with the acid and result in a fluffier crumb.
Depending on the recipe, increasing the amount of baking powder or soda might result in a bitter aftertaste…
Don’t go crazy with your enthusiasm.

This varies from recipe to recipe, but I normally use 1/4 teaspoon baking soda for 1 cup of flour or 1 teaspoon baking powder per 1 cup of flour, depending on the recipe.In certain recipes, both baking powder and baking soda are required.

7. Don’t Over-Bake

When a cake is overly dense, it is tempting to believe that adding additional flour would absorb more liquid and soften the crumb. However, this is not always the case. The cake is most likely in need of additional leavening help from baking powder or baking soda. This advice isn’t quite a piece of cake (ha!) because the two substances in question are technically unique. If a recipe calls for a lot of acid, such as lemon juice or buttermilk, and it isn’t raised with enough baking powder, the cake will be thick. In such scenario, you may want to consider adding baking soda, which will react with the acid and result in a fluffier crumb. Depending on the recipe, adding additional baking powder or soda may result in a harsh aftertaste. Don’t go crazy with this. This varies depending on the recipe, but I often use 1/4 teaspoon baking soda for 1 cup of flour or 1 teaspoon baking powder every 1 cup of flour. Sometimes recipes ask for both baking powder and baking soda to be used.

8. Brush With Simple Syrup/Other Liquid

Even if things go completely wrong and you end up with a dry cake on your hands, not all is lost.Simple syrup, applied with a fast brush, gives hydration.After the cake has been allowed to cool fully, apply a thin layer of simple syrup to the top.You can also substitute Sprite (yeah, I’m serious) for the simple syrup if you like.To prepare simple syrup, combine equal parts granulated sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.

Allow the syrup to cool before brushing it onto the cake.
Use a pastry brush to apply the glaze.
You may also add flavoring to the syrup.

When the simple syrup has finished cooking, add a few drops of vanilla essence, some freshly brewed coffee, lemon juice, Amaretto, or another liqueur to taste.Allow it to cool completely before using.You may also add some vanilla bean, lemon peel, or culinary lavender to the cooling syrup to make it even more flavorful.Once the chunks/add-ins have cooled, sift them out using a fine mesh strainer.Because it is a very thin coating of syrup, your cake will not be too sweet as a result.

9. Don’t Double the Recipe

Never, ever double a cake recipe if you want the very best flavor and texture.Instead, double the batter’s volume.When you double the recipe, you run the danger of overcreaming (tip3), overmixing (tip6), or undermixing.Furthermore, the baking powder and/or soda may not be evenly distributed throughout the cake, resulting in bitter aftertastes in some portions of the cake.Only use the amount of batter that the recipe specifies for each step.

When I need additional cake batter, I make the batter twice– one for the first time and one for the second time.

More Baking Tips

I have a few more courses in store for you! 6 Inch Cakes (as shown in the chocolate cake above)
Top 10 Baking Tips
10 Baking Tips for Perfect Cakes
10 Baking Tips for Perfect Cupcakes
14 Kitchen Tools That Every Baker Should Have
Baking Powder vs Baking Soda
Ingredients to Use at Room Temperature

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Tips for Baking a Perfect Pound Cake

Nothing compares to the moist, buttery flavor of a freshly baked pound cake.Tips and tactics to help you bake pound cakes like a master are included in this article.Since it was first created using one pound of each of the following ingredients: butter; sugar; eggs; and flour, inventive cooks have come up with innumerable modifications, such as substituting a portion of the butter with cream cheese or a few of the eggs with sour cream and leavening agent.The most amazing thing about these pound cakes is how simple they are to make.They are also delicious.

Make these ahead of time and store them in the pantry for up to a week.
Alternatively, you can arrange them in big zip-top freezer bags and store them in the freezer for up to two months.
According to the experts at the Test Kitchen, the following are eight crucial tips:

Prep before you start.

Before beginning to mix the batter, carefully go through the whole recipe and prepare any special ingredients, such as chopped fruits or roasted almonds, as directed. We prefer to pre-measure our components and assemble them in the order that they are mentioned on the recipe. We’ll be less likely to make a mistake if we’re interrupted in this manner.

Use name-brand ingredients.

Store brands of sugar are frequently more finely ground than name brands, resulting in more sugar per cup, which can cause the cake to tumble out of the oven. Store-brand butter may include more liquid fat, and store-brand flours may contain more hard wheat, resulting in a cake that is too heavy.

Be accurate.

Make sure to measure all of your ingredients precisely. A cake that has too much sugar or leavening will fall, while a cake that has too much flour will be dry. Additionally, use an oven thermometer to ensure that the temperature in your oven is accurate.

Have ingredients at room temperature.

This results in a pound cake with the greatest possible volume.

Be patient.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, cream softened butter (along with cream cheese or vegetable shortening) until it is smooth and creamy.Depending on the power of your mixer, this might take anywhere from 1 to 7 minutes.Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.These procedures are critical because they incorporate air into the cake mixture, allowing it to rise throughout the baking process.When baking, position the cake pan in the center of the oven and close the oven door until the minimum baking time has gone, around 30 minutes.To avoid jarring and heat loss, gently close the oven door as soon as possible after testing to prevent the cake from falling if it isn’t fully baked.

Don’t overbeat.

The eggs should be added one at a time, beating just until the yellow has disappeared. Inadequately beating the eggs might result in the batter overflowing from the sides of the pan when cooked, or it can result in a delicate crust that crumbles and separates from the cake while it is cooling.

Prep your cake pan.

Cake pans should be greased with a solid vegetable shortening, such as Crisco, and dusted with flour before baking.

Test for doneness.

Always use solid vegetable shortening, such as Crisco, to grease and dust cake pans before baking.

What makes a winning pound cake?

Cake in the shape of a pound.This Southern favorite is one of the simplest recipes to follow – it just calls for a pound of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar – but it is also one of the simplest cakes to do wrong since it is so forgiving.As a judge for this year’s South Carolina State Fair, I had the opportunity to taste more than 30 pound cakes, which confirmed what I’d always believed: the devil is in the details.Because of the nature of the judging process, what seems to be a perfectly cooked cake on the exterior might have an inedible, gummy feel on the inside.Cake slices with a little crumbly texture and small, consistent air pockets will be awarded first place.They will also have a thin, crispy crust that is just on the verge of being awarded second place.

And the flavor is straightforward, with no unnecessary extras or additional components like as fruit or nuts.So, what are the characteristics of a superb pound cake?Susan Fuller Slack and Joanne Ziegler, two accomplished bakers, may have the answer.Food writer and educator Fuller Slack has 45 years of baking experience, while Ziegler has been baking and judging baking competitions for more than 50 years.Both ladies agree that over beating and over baking are two areas in which the home chef should exercise caution.

While they disagree on a few things, they both agree that over beating and over baking are two areas in which the home cook should exercise caution.It is possible to over-beat a batter in two ways: first, when the eggs are added to the batter, over-beating can cause the batter to become too light; second, when the batter is baked (eggs get fluffier as air is introduced in the beating process).If you use a light-colored batter, the batter may overflow the pan during baking, and it may cause the crust to crumble and separate from the center of the cake during cooling.Over-beaten eggs might result in a cake that is too dry in flavor.When the flour is added to the batter, the batter becomes thick.A cake that has been overworked will have dense glue-like streaks or a sticky middle because the gluten in the wheat has been stretched.

After rising wonderfully in the oven, a cake may sink significantly when it is removed from the oven, resulting in a cake that seems undercooked when sliced.
Take your time and combine or cream the ingredients together carefully, using no more than a medium speed on an electric mixer or mixing by hand, to prevent both difficulties.
Here are some other suggestions for making the ideal pound cake: Allow the eggs and butter to come to room temperature before continuing.

This might be the single most crucial piece of advice.Cold butter will not mix well, and you will not be able to speed up the process by heating it in the microwave to soften it.When using microwaved butter, the butter will be too warm and will not absorb air into the batter when it is blended together.Don’t overcook the potatoes.When the cake has turned a light golden brown and a toothpick pushed into the center of the cake comes out clean, it is finished baking.It’s important to check your oven’s temperature since some are too hot and some are too cold, but the typical baking time for pound cake is one hour and 10 minutes.

Cakes that have been over cooked will have a dry or somewhat burned taste.It is also important to keep the flavor as basic as possible.A traditional pound cake is plain pound cake.Vanilla essence and/or citrus fruits such as lemon or orange have been added to the original cake over the years to enhance the flavor.If you do this, keep in mind that using the fruit’s fresh zest and juice will provide the greatest results.

Extracts have the potential to leave an unpleasant aftertaste.
2-cups unsalted butter, cooled to room temperature 3 quarts of sugar 6 eggs at room temperature are required.
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour a third cup of milk Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a bundt pan, a tube pan, or three 8 x 4-inch loaf pans with cooking spray before starting.
Butter and sugar are creamed together in a large mixing dish until they are light and fluffy.
One at a time, beat in the eggs until they are barely combined.

Mix in the flour alternately with the milk, only until the flour is all integrated (either on low-medium speed on an electric mixer or by hand).Pour the batter into the pan that has been prepared.Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake for 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean.Cool completely before serving.After removing the cake from the oven, remove the edges of the cake using a knife right away.Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing it from the pan.

Allow cake to cool fully on a wire rack.
The original version of this story was published on October 14, 2015 at 10:10 a.m.

9+ Mistakes When Making Pound Cake – Are You Guilty?

Cupcakes, cakes, pound cakes, cookies– they all appear to be simple enough, and people are frequently perplexed as to why their simplest of easy recipes turned out to be a flop.Baking is a science, and most recipe authors presume you are familiar with the techniques used by a professional baker as if they were second nature to you.When I was younger, I used to read an article in Southern Living magazine that had some fantastic recommendations on how to make the ultimate moist pound cake, regardless of the recipe.The following recommendations, combined with my own opinion, will help you to make a delicious pound cake with the right crumb.I hope you find them useful.

Pound Cake Recipes

But first, a little background on pound cake.Pound cakes tend to be a little on the heavy side.This isn’t the cake to make if you’re looking for a light, moist crumb.However, when you’re in the mood for a warm, buttery dessert, they’re perfect.They were given this moniker because the original ingredient list was short and sweet.It is made with one pound of butter, one pound of sugar, and one pound of flour, as well as a couple of eggs.

As a result, pound cake was born.You’ll never have to worry about forgetting it!However, because there were no leaveners or other flavors added, they were heavy and needed to be served with a sauce or fresh fruit on the side.Since then, a plethora of pound cake variations have appeared.

ONE. Measure Correctly

I understand what you’re thinking.I’m not a complete moron; I know how to measure…In no way am I claiming that you are, but the vast majority of individuals were never taught how to properly measure in the first place.When measuring dry things, spoon them into the measuring cup or spoon rather than dipping the cup in to scoop them, and then level with a flat edge to ensure even distribution.Do not do this over your mixing bowl, because all of the extras will end up in the batter instead of the batter.When packed, this results in additional volume, which might have an influence on the moisture of your baked goods.

Pour and measure at eye level while working with wet components.Yes, such as bending down and looking at it straight on rather than at an angle and from above.It is possible that you will have more than the amount specified in the recipe if you do the latter.As a result, most baking recipes in Europe and professional bakeries utilize weight measures rather than volume measurements to ensure consistency.It lowers the likelihood of making a mistake.

TWO. Sugar

Granulated sugar, castor sugar, and powdered sugar are the three most common forms of sugar. When sugar is called for in a recipe, the conventional guideline is that it should be granulated. Store brands, on the other hand, are frequently more finely ground than name brands, resulting in a higher yield per cup. A cake that has been over-sweetened may crumble.

THREE. Butter

Take note of the quality of the butter you’re using.baking with unsalted butter (salt dries things up) and baking with grade A butter are two of my top baking recommendations.Some off-brand or lower-cost butters include more water or liquid fats than others, and as a result, they will not bake as well.Make sure you thoroughly whip the butter—for at least 1-7 minutes—and not simply until it no longer resembles a stick of solid butter.This infuses air into the batter, causing the cake to rise when it is baked.All of the small air pockets that help to make a beautiful crumb are filled with air.

If there is no air, there are no pockets, and vice versa.

FOUR. Room Temperature Ingredients

Not only the butter, which should be softened to room temperature rather than microwaved and melted, but all of the components should be softened to room temperature.The addition of a chilly component to a batter that is otherwise room temperature will lower the total temperature.Similarly, baking cold batter in the same degree oven as baking room temperature batter would result in significantly varied cooking durations.

FIVE. Do Not Overmix

I’m aware of the situation.Simply said, I instructed you to beat the butter for an extended period of time.After you begin to add the eggs, simply mix until they are well combined.Overbeating eggs and dry ingredients can result in an excessive amount of air being drawn in, resulting in dryness.In addition, it activates gluten, which has an influence on the texture of the baked good.It will become harsh and rubbery if you mix it too much.

SIX. Cake Pan

Use the pan that the recipe specifies, or be aware that if you use a different pan, the dish may not come out correctly or may require a different cooking time than the recipe specifies.If you use a fluted bundt pan, you could find that the batter is too large for a tube pan, and certainly for a loaf pan, which is thicker but shallower.Even though the pan has the same diameter (10 inches), the sides of the pan may be lower or higher than the center.They have the capacity to contain 12, 14, or 16 cups of batter.Also, keep in mind that the more complicated the bake pan, the greater the likelihood of inconsistent cooking results.When compared to pans with rounded edges, little tiny crests and peaks will cook more quickly and will tend to become dry and brittle.

I happen to enjoy the crunchy crunchies, so I’m not going to say anything negative about them.

SEVEN. Grease Your Pans

This is something I am completely guilty of—using cooking spray—DO NOT!Do you remember the days when cooking spray was ever invented?You took out a paper towel and oiled the pan with shortening, before dusting it with flour to prevent sticking.To get into the smallest of spaces, use a pastry brush.For chocolate cakes, you can use a combination of flour and cocoa powder to dust the tops of the cakes.

EIGHT. Oven Temperature

Preheat your oven to 15 degrees higher than the temperature specified in the recipe, and then lower the temperature to the specified temperature when you place the cake in the oven.Every second that the oven door is left open results in a significant loss of heat.This helps to mitigate the impact of the decline.Cook in the center of the oven as well, as this is probably the hottest section of the oven.If you are concerned that your oven will not maintain the proper temperature, you should purchase and utilize a separate thermometer.While baking, do not open the oven door.

Turn on the light and make your decision based on that.Until such time as you need to open it to do a toothpick test.If you don’t, you’re reducing the temperature by a significant amount with each opening.This has the potential to cause a cake to topple.

NINE. Cooling

Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes before cutting into pieces.This allows cold air to travel throughout the entire pan rather than just the top of it, which is more efficient.You’ll want to flip and dump it while it’s still warm to avoid wasting time (not super hot).When it is still malleable, it has the greatest inclination to release.While upside down, give the pan a couple knocks with a wooden spoon to release the sides before removing the pan from the stove.Once cooled completely on a cooling rack, sprinkle with powdered sugar or frosting and serve with fresh fruit if desired.

Pound Cake Hacks

To make pound cakes look more presentable, they should be dressed up a little bit more. Here are some of my favorite methods for accomplishing this. Simple Syrups– After the cake has been removed from the oven or after it has cooled, brush it with a flavored simple syrup. It not only aids in keeping the cake moist or loosening a stiff cake, but it also enhances the flavor.
Cake with Fresh Fruit– You can’t go wrong with a mound of fresh berries or stone fruit draped over a cake, whether it’s whole or sliced
Fresh Fruit with Cream–
Various sauces, including fruit sauces, but also dessert sauces such as caramel, dulce de leche, fudge sauce, and praline, are all excellent alternatives. Jams and preserves can also be used in this recipe.
Cakes that just require a thin dusting of powdered sugar are called for in this recipe. For a professional-looking finish, put powdered sugar into a tiny mesh sieve and tap a spoon on the edge of the sieve approximately 1 foot above the cake. Continue until the surface is uniformly sprinkled.
Made-from-scratch whipped cream has never been refused by anyone in recorded history.

Our favorite pound cake recipes:

Pound Cake with Sour Cream, Classic Pound Cake, Berry Buttermilk Pound Cake, and Blackberry Pound Cake are all options.

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The Best Bundt Pans, According to Our Editors

Is there such a thing as the best bundt pan?If so, what is it?Based on internet evaluations, articles published by other websites, and the suggestions of our favorite bundt-obsessed professional bakers, we developed a list of five potential bundt pans to put through their paces.Our top-performing best-seller turned out to be the obvious winner after a series of testing and creating a variety of bundt cakes for us to sample.Continue reading to find out what made one bundt pan stand out above all the rest.

Our Editor-Tested Picks for the Best Bundt Pans:

In actuality, bundt pans are a versatile baking tool that can be used for a variety of recipes.No matter which one you choose, you will almost certainly end up with a cake that your guests and family will be delighted to cut into.Every model we tried, with the exception of one, produced a cake that was evenly browned and had a delicate crumb, and it released easily from the pan.However, when it came to simplicity of use, the quality of the construction, and the overall aesthetics of the finished product, one contestant stood out from the rest of the field.Image courtesy of Amazon.com of the Nordic Ware Bundt Pan

Best Overall: Nordic Ware Platinum Collection Bundt Pan

Nordic Ware is the business responsible for bringing the bundt pan to the United States, and their goods are still the gold standard for bakers more than half a century after their introduction.The Nordic Ware Bundt Pan we tested had a robust cast aluminum body that was both taller and narrower than its competitors, as well as clearly defined curves and ridges.The result was a cake that was attractive and shapely, with clean lines and architectural edges that caught the eye.Using the ample handles to slide the pan into and out of the oven was a breeze, and having something to hold onto when it came time to turn the cake out onto a cooling rack was a welcome relief.Having a capacity of 10–15 cups, it would be big and adaptable enough to suit a variety of recipes.It was the largest of all the types we examined.

And, despite the fact that it is somewhat more expensive than the other versions, it comes with a lifetime warranty and, given its improved performance, seems like it is well worth the extra money.Furthermore, Nordic Ware is still a family-owned business that manufactures all of its goods in the United States.The culinary gurus Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, authors of Baked Explorations and Baked Occasions, came out on top in the end, and we couldn’t disagree with them more.In their own words, ″Nordic Ware pans are very exceptional.″ In spite of the company’s global expansion, ″you can still sense the company’s excitement about its products—it still has that mom and pop feel to it.″ To purchase, go to amazon.com and search for Nordic Ware Platinum Collection Bundt Pan.Wilton’s Best Bundt Pan is a must-have.

Amazon provided the image for this post.

Best Value Bundt Pan: Wilton Recipe Right Fluted Tube Pan

When we baked the cake in the simple, affordable Wilton Recipe Right Fluted Tube Pan, we were thrilled with the even golden color of the cake and were impressed by the longevity and dependability of the nonstick surface.Also, other from the Nordic Ware pan, this was the only other model that produced a cake with a reasonable height and fluting that was fairly distinct from the rest.It was very simple to clean up.To purchase, go to Amazon.com and search for Wilton Recipe Right Fluted Tube Pan.Thanks to Amazon for providing this image of Anolon Bundt Pan.

Best Non-Stick: Anolon Advanced Nonstick Fluted Baking Pan

On the strong Anolon Advanced Nonstick Fluted Mold Baking Pan, we liked the feel of its soft, easy-to-grasp handles, and we were impressed with the consistency and depth of color of the cake that it created.The nonstick surface also performed admirably, and the completed cake was easy to remove from the pan after only a few minutes of cooling.Our only reservations are that we don’t have enough time.In compared to the matte texture of the Nordic Ware cake, the surface of the cake appeared to be unnaturally polished, and the artistic ridges and curves were noticeably less prominent, resulting in a cake that was less aesthetically intriguing.Anolon Advanced Nonstick Fluted Baking Pan, $20 (was $22) on Amazon.com (originally $22).Credit: Courtesy of Amazon for the Cuisinart Bundt Pan

Most Visually-Pleasing: Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Fluted Cake Pan

On the sturdy Anolon Advanced Nonstick Fluted Mold Baking Pan, we liked the feel of its soft, easy-to-grasp handles, and we were impressed with the consistency and depth of color of the cake that it produced.Also, the nonstick surface performed well; after a few minutes of chilling time, the final cake easily slipped out.All we have is a few of reservations.In compared to the matte texture of the Nordic Ware cake, the surface of the cake seemed to be unnaturally glossy, and the ornamental ridges and curves were noticeably less prominent, resulting in a cake that was less visually appealing.Anolon Advanced Nonstick Fluted Baking Pan, $20 (was $22) on Amazon.com (originally $22) Kudos to Amazon for providing the Cuisinart Bundt Pan.

Also Tested: Baker’s Secret Basics Nonstick Fluted Tube Pan

The Baker’s Secret Basics Nonstick Fluted Tube Pan was the only model we tested that did not produce an uniformly browned cake, making it the lowest performer of the group.Its ornamental curves were also too shallow to create a dramatic silhouette, making it the weakest performer of the group.Still, to its credit, the nonstick surface performed admirably, and the cake was delicious, albeit not quite as visually appealing as the others.Currently out of stock, the casaWare Fluted Cake Pan, which has an easy-release ceramic covering and deep molds to make a picture-perfect bundt cake, is a good substitute for the Baker’s Secret pan at a comparable price.

In Search of the Best Bundt Pan

The bundt cake was invented about 1950 by a young husband and wife team in Minnesota and popularized throughout the 1960s by a Texas bake-off participant.It has now become an all-American classic—and the bundt pan has become a modern kitchen need.The pan’s fundamental form was straightforward: a circular tube-shaped loaf with a hollow core and a beautiful, fluted pattern around the body, intended to be a lighter, more contemporary alternative to the heavy cast iron cookware traditionally used to produce the central European cake known as kugelhopf.Bundt pans are available in a variety of shapes and sizes today, including rosettes, castles, and even pine forests.However, no matter how elaborate the design, the basic requirements of a quality bundt pan remain the same: it must be well-constructed to withstand repeated use without denting or warping (which would ruin the decorative shape); it must be generously-sized to accommodate large batches of dough required to feed a crowd.In truth, the name ″bundt″ is a derivative of the German word ″bund,″ which literally translates as ″an alliance or assembly.″ A non-stick pan should allow the cake to release freely from the pan’s ridges and crevices without cracking or sticking, while also producing a cake that is evenly browned and shapely, with the clearly defined curves that are characteristic of the form.

With the goal of identifying a bundt pan that best satisfies those requirements—and that deserves a position in any baker’s arsenal—we spent hours baking our way through a slew of bundts, evaluating their design, functionality, and simplicity of operation.What did we take away from this experience?Despite the fact that the competition is fierce, most classics become classics for a reason—and in the case of bundt pans, the original is still considered to be the industry standard.

The Tests

Several culinary and consumer websites, including King Arthur Flour, Food52, Cooks Illustrated, Fine Cooking, The Sweethome, and Kitchn, as well as user reviews on Amazon and discussions on forums such as ″Real Baking with Rose Levy Berenbaum,″ were consulted in order to determine the best bundt pan available.We also went directly to the source, interviewing Lewis and Poliafito, two self-described ″bundt aficionados″ who put hundreds of bundt pans through their paces in their bakery in Red Hook, Brooklyn, day after day.We reduced the field to five widely available and traditionally shaped bundt pans with capacities ranging from 10 to 15 cups and prices ranging from $12 to $34 based on the suggestions gathered from that study.The identical recipe—this luscious, orange-scented, olive oil bundt—was cooked in each pan separately in the same oven for exactly the same length of time to ensure that all factors remained constant.Then we compared the outcomes, looking for things like how pleasant the pans were to handle, how uniformly the cakes cooked and browned, how well they maintained their shape, how readily the cakes released from the pan, and how difficult it was to clean the pans up afterward.

The Bundt Pans

When putting up our testing for the finest bundt pans, we took the following factors into consideration: Material: The overwhelming consensus among professional and amateur bakers is that metal—either aluminum or coated steel—is the best material for baking a bundt cake because of its sturdiness as well as its even and efficient heat conductivity.While bundt pans can be found in various materials, such as glass, stoneware,