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Cake

Cold Oven Pound Cake

by:
May 12, 2014

Jenny is in perpetual search for easy, weeknight recipes to attempt to feed her family. When they balk, she just eats more.

Today: A pound cake that goes rogue in all the right places.

Cold Oven Pound Cake from Food52

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Who isn’t a fan of pound cake? It is unapologetic in its density, and expects that you will consider it a meal. Ostensibly named because of its traditional proportions of one pound each of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar, this cake is often at its best when it deviates from that standard, as is the case with Edna Lewis’ super delicious pound cake, which I have made tons of times. 

On that note, check out Cold Oven Pound Cake.

This cake also uses the interesting and effective technique of adjusting the oven temperature while the cake is in the oven, rather than preheating. I love the beating of egg whites, which gives it a lift. It also uses 2 percent milk, another unusual call. I recommend you hand mix this batter after creaming the butter. 

Cold Oven Pound Cake by Muffinj

Makes 1 cake

5 eggs, separated
2 sticks salted butter
1/2 cup solid shortening
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk, 2% or less (do not use whole)
3 cups all-purpose flour 

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here. 

Photo by James Ransom

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A New Way to Dinner, co-authored by Food52's founders Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, is an indispensable playbook for stress-free meal-planning (hint: cook foundational dishes on the weekend and mix and match ‘em through the week).

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See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • ayoung816
    ayoung816
  • Beez Kneez
    Beez Kneez
  • Julie Martenson
    Julie Martenson
  • Shrinkrap
    Shrinkrap
  • sarabclever
    sarabclever
Jestei

Written by: Jestei

The ratio of people to cake is too big.

5 Comments

ayoung816 June 11, 2014
Can you use coconut oil for the solid shortening?
 
Beez K. May 19, 2014
you can use butter instead of shorting - my cold oven pound cake does - Cold oven gives it a slow rise - with the heat of the oven, instead of a blast of heat right away - very dense cake - good with ice cream
 
Julie M. May 19, 2014
sure wish it did not have shortening, something that simply is not a healthy choice even when splurging
 
Shrinkrap May 14, 2014
Elvis Presley's favorite is another one. What does the cold oven do?
 
sarabclever May 14, 2014
I have been wanting to make a cold-oven cake for a while--such an interesting concept!
 

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