Whenever my family takes a beach trip, I go a little crazy baking and preparing food writing service to take with us. I freeze a couple casserole type meals in disposable aluminum containers, prep easy pasta salads, and of course bake some yummy snacks and treats to leave out on the counter to snack on through the day, like my pound cake for which I”ve perfected a recipe.
If you”re going to be at the beach longer than just a couple days, you have to pick your bake-ahead recipes with care, so that you don”t end up with stale stuff only half way through your stay.
One of my favorite things to take is a pound cake. Here”s why:
1. It gets better over time. You really shouldn”t eat a pound cake they day you bake it.
It”s best few days later. The flavors meld, the crumb gets super dense, creamy and moist. Keep it wrapped or in an airtight container and it”s still going to be great a week later. (If there is any left.)
2. It”s versatile. Put some plain slices in the basket to munch on while on the sand. Dress up a slice with whip cream and fruit for a simple but satisfying dessert. Or grill a slice and top with ice cream for a decadent sundae.
3. It”s pure comfort food. And isn”t that why you are the beach anyway? For comfort?? Plus, I really haven”t met anyone who turns up their nose to pound cake.
4. It”s easy to make! No crazy ingredients or methods.
I”ve adapted this recipe from Southern Living so that it will fit in a smaller/average size bundt pan. If you have a large bundt pan (holds 10 cups or more) you can use the original recipe.
Michelle”s Perfect Pound Cake
Ingredients:
2 sticks plus 5 Tbsp slightly softened unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
Preheat the oven to 325. Butter and flour your bundt pan. ** If you don”t have a bundt or tube pan, use a loaf pan, or even mini loaf pans. You will just want to adjust the baking time based on the size of your form.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium high speed until extremely light and almost white in color. Depending on your mixer and the temperature of your butter (if it”s cooler it will take longer) this should take about 5 minutes, give or take.
Scrape down the bowl and then add the eggs with the mixer on medium speed, one at a time, allowing each egg to be fully incorporated before adding the next. Add in your extracts.
On low speed, alternately add the flour and milk in 3 additions. Mix just until the batter looks mixed and smooth.
Use a spatula Both DMV approved Economic Driving online traffic school Online Driver Education and Training courses will will satisfy the requirements to obtain the permit and take the test at your local Dagens , eller sakalte nymoderne slots, er sv?rt forskjellige, men tilbyr en unik form for underholdning!Klarer du a l?re deg reglene og kjenne de forskjellige spillene, kan det hende du har spart deg for ganske mye penger. Department of Motor Vehicle office. and scrape the bottom of the bowl and fold the batter a few times to make sure you”ve got all the bits of butter and sugar stuck to the sides and the bottom mixed in. The batter should be fairly thick.
Spoon the batter into your form. It should fill the pan no more than 3/4 full. It won”t rise much, but it will rise, so leave yourself some room.
Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes, or until a tooth pick or long bamboo skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean, or with just a couple crumbs sticking to it.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out on a cooling rack and let it cool completely. Wrap tightly or put in an airtight container.
And then enjoy yourself at the beach and allow yourself a little treat that won”t go stale!
For a lemon variation: Leave out the almond flavoring and instead, add in the zest and juice of 2 lemons. I like to leave the vanilla in, but if you want a pure lemon flavor, take out the vanilla too.
***I have a terrible time with bundt pans that stick, even the “non-stick” pans. I have 5 different pans, and they all stick like crazy. Makes me furious. 🙂 I”ve tried all the ways to help it release: non-stick sprays, non-stick sprays with flour, a pan-ease formula that uses shortening, flour and veg oil…but the ONLY way that works for me is to butter and flour the pan.
Here”s a way to do it without making a mess all over your hands: Take a sandwich bag, turn it inside out and use it as a glove. Pick up a hunk of soft butter and spread it on semi-thick on all surfaces inside the pan. When you are satisfied that you”ve covered it all, turn the sandwich bag right side out, pulling the unused butter into the bag. Zip the bag shut, and put it in the fridge for the next time you need it. Then put some flour in the pan and shake it around so that it sticks to the butter. Tap out the excess flour into the trash.
Now you”re set! Knock on wood…I have not had a cake stick with this method. Just don”t be stingy with the butter and flour and you should have gorgeous cakes literally slide out of the pan with no effort.
Bake on!
Michele
Need help in the baking department, like me? Ask away! Michele will be glad to answer any questions you have about this recipe or take suggestions for future baking blog posts! Oh, and don”t forget to pin this fab cookie recipe! Your family will thank you!
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