Yossy Arefi from Apt. 2B Baking Co. shares dessert projects that demand a little extra time and effort. Because your weekends should always be sweet.
This week: We’re making Individual Baked Alaskas! First, you need the ice cream—Yossy went with Honeycomb Ice Cream. Then, there’s the cake: Pick this Brown Sugar Pound Cake. And tune in tomorrow to learn how to put together (and torch) the Baked Alaskas.
Pound cake is one of the simplest cakes to make—and one of my very favorites. This one is made from a combination of light brown and granulated sugar, which gives it just a bit more flavor than the traditional recipe. Make sure to cream the butter until it is very light and fluffy and beat the eggs into the batter thoroughly. This will give your finished cake the perfect texture and crumb. Pound cake also tastes best a day or two after you bake it, so feel free to bake this in advance, especially if you are going to make Individual Baked Alaskas later this week.
Makes one 9 by 5 by 3-inch cake
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces high quality unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
Preheat the oven to 325º F and butter and flour a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan.
In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
Cream the butter and sugar together until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl and mixing for 30 seconds after each addition. Add the extracts and lemon zest.
Turn the mixer down to low and alternately add the flour and milk in three additions each. Do not over mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
Bake the cake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cake out onto the rack to cool completely. Store, wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature, for up to 4 days.
See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.
Photos by Yossy Arefi
Written by: Yossy Arefi
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4 Comments
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/elvis-presleys-favorite-pound-cake-232642
Your ingredient base is very similar, but I like your idea of using brown sugar and switching out some of the vanilla for almond extract and lemon zest. I'll have to experiment with these two recipes to come to the ultimate pound cake. Now if I could just figure out how to add a browned butter element...
I meant to add that I wonder if your addition of baking powder would have the same effect as the extra beating step -- incorporating a little gas to lighten the final cake.
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