FridayLicious was delayed this week but,Thank God It’s Delicious!
We all grew up with Pound Cakes throughout our childhood, and personally, I still consider it one of my favorite treats. The simplicity of its ingredients (flour, butter, eggs and sugar) make Pound Cake a simple, versatile type of dessert, loved by both the little ones and grown-ups. Using one pound of each ingredient (from here the name Pound Cake), anyone can adventure in this baking experience and turn out victorious, even those who, well, don’t exactly master the art of cooking.
Pound Cake seems to have Northern European origins (some say British) that date back to the 1700s, and appears for the first time as a recipe listed in a cookbook in the 1796 American Cookery: or, The Art of Dressing Viands, Fish, Poultry and Vegetables, and the Best Modes of Making Puff-pastes, Pies, Tarts, Puddings, Custards and Preserves, and all kinds of Cakes, from the Imperial Plumb to plain Cake by Amelia Simmons, and published in the United States. Pound Cakes were already popular way before though, as they trace back to the Egyptians and, later, Medieval Times, when they were made similarly to bread with the addition of honey, nuts and dried fruits.
Today baking powder is also used in the recipe to make Pound Cake lighter and stir away from the bread-consistency, while yoghurt is often a great (and healthier!) substitute for butter.
Last year we were honored to be featured in the Rometti Limoncello Pound Cake by Chef Larry at Whitehall Lane Winery. It’s the perfect, light, zesty pound cake to enjoy as a snack in the afternoon, with tea or some Rometti Limoncello. Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
11⁄2 C cake flour
11⁄2 t baking powder
1⁄2 t baking soda
3⁄4 t salt
3⁄4 C unsalted butter (11⁄2 sticks), room temperature
11⁄4 C sugar
1 C plain Greek yogurt
3 eggs
1 T vanilla extract
2 T + 4 T Rometti Limoncello
Zest of one lemon
For the Glaze:
3⁄4 C confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
4 T Rometti Limoncello
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and position a rack in the center. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter, dust it with flour, and tap to knock out the excess. In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, yogurt and sugar on medium speed until smooth and light, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down sides of the bowl after each addition. Add vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons of limoncello, lemon zest, and mix well. On low speed, beat in dry ingredients to combine them, scrape down sides of the bowl, and beat batter for 30 seconds on medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pan and use a spatula to smooth the top. Give the pan a few gentle whacks on the counter to remove any air pockets. Bake cake for 15 minutes, then turn the pan 180 degrees to ensure even browning. Lower the temperature to 325 degrees and continue baking until the cake springs back lightly when touched, the sides have begun to pull away from the pan, and a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 25 to 35 minutes more. Drizzle the remaining 4 tablespoons of limoncello over cake. Allow cake to cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then carefully invert it onto the rack to cool completely. To make glaze, mix together the confectioner’s sugar with the limoncello until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cake.
If you would like to see the whole recipe book you can click here.
Recipe courtesy of Chef Larry at Whitehall Lane Winery
Image © Franck Schmitt/Oredia/Corbis
Rometti Limoncello 