Pound Cake (Old-Fashioned)

oldfashionedpoundcake2 Old Fashioned Blue Ribbon Pound Cake. Tall, buttery, moist, dense. This pound cake is classic and very close to an original pound cake recipe. There are no baking soda or baking powder in it. Traditionally, eggs were the only leavening agent used in pound cakes. Baking soda and baking powder do more than aid in making baked goods rise, they also change the texture of them. To get that traditional pound cake texture that's crusty on the outside with a dense, moist, soft inside make the recipe as written.

2 cups butter, no substitutes, salted or unsalted, at room temperature
3½ cup granulated sugar
10 large eggs at room temperature
4 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached (always sift, then measure)
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 recipe Lemon Sauce (optional)

Allow butter and eggs to come to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Grease and flour a tube or 10-15 cup bundt pan. The cake is too large for a regular bundt pan. Or, you can make cupcakes with the extra batter. Don't fill the pan closer than 2" from the top or it may overflow. You can grease and flour or use non-stick spray. You may need to line the sides of the tube pan with waxed paper so that is above the top of the pan 2-3". This is a very tall cake.

Cream 2 cups butter until soft and there are no lumps. Add 3½ cups granulated sugar and cream until light and fluffy. Add one at a time, beating until just mixed in before adding the next egg.

Lower speed on mixer to low and slowly add 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour. Add vanilla and mix in completely.

Spoon batter into prepared tube or bundt pan. (If using a bundt pan, make sure it's large enough for batter to double in size.)

Bake for 1 hour and test for doneness with a wooden pick. Insert pick in the center of the cake, if pick comes out clean or with dry crumbs, it is done. If not, bake for 10 minutes more and check again, up to 20 minutes more.

Remove cake and allow to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter.

Makes 20 slices.