POUND CAKE

OLD FASHIONED POUND CAKE

The original recipe for a “Pound Cake” meant that the main ingredients in it had to be strictly one pound in weight. One of the first recorded recipes for this delightful treat dates back to the early 18th century, from the Cookery Book called “Court Cookery” (1725) by Robert Smith as shared below:

“Take a Pound of dry’d Flower, a Pound of refin’d Sugar sifted, and a Pound of Currans wash’d, pick’d, and rubb’d clean, and a Pound of Butter wash’d very well, and rub it into the Flower and Sugar, with a little beaten Mace, and a little Orange-Flower Water; beat ten Eggs, but half the Whites, work it all well together with your Hands, and put in the Currans; sift over it double-refin’d Sugar, and put them immediately into a gentle Oven to bake.”

500 grams (One pound) plain flour

500 grams (One pound) white sugar, powdered and sifted.

2 teaspoons baking powder

500 grams (One pound) softened unsalted butter

6 medium size eggs, well beaten

½ glass Wine (1/2 cup)

½ glass Brandy (1/2 cup)

½ glass Rose-Water (1/2 cup)

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

1 teaspoon mixed mace and cinnamon powder

½ teaspoon nutmeg powder

¼ teaspoon salt

 Preheat the oven to 160 C

 Mix the cinnamon, mace, and nutmeg together.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.

 Place the sugar into a large bowl, and cut the butter into it, in small pieces. Cream the butter and sugar together till very light and creamy

Pour the wine, brandy and rose-water, gradually, into the butter and sugar, stirring all the time.

Stir in the vanilla essence, beaten egg and flour alternately into the butter and sugar. (A handful of flour, and about two tablespoonfuls of the egg alternately) till all the flour and egg is added. Add the mace, cinnamon and nutmeg powders.

Stir the whole mixture well for a few minutes till all the ingredients are well incorporated.

Butter a large tin pan, or a Bundt cake mould.

Pour the mixture into it as evenly as possible.

Bake at 180 C for about one hour, till golden brown on top and cooked inside.

(Check to see if its cooked inside by inserting a skewer or toothpick. If it come out clean and dry, the cake is ready)