Rich buttery flavour pound cake - Is it the Best Butter pound cake?

Hello !  I think this is my first recipe posting on this blog. 

First of all, I like using natural ingredients so you will see I use natural vanilla extract...etc.  I am thinking like a mom who want to feed simple and nutritious food to my young one and family.

 

 

 

Do you like buttery tasty pound cake?   I do.  I am in the search of the best pound cake recipe.  I have 2 recipes in mind to try last week.  The first one is from Cook's Illustrated and the second one is by Rose Levy Beranbaum's web site.  I really like the one from the Rose's web site because it uses a different mixing method.  This recipe: 1st - blend dry ingredients and 2nd - add the butter and wet ingredients into the dry ones.  However, the Cook's Illustrated pound cake recipe uses a creaming method (creaming the butter and sugar first).  The MIXING methods seem to make a difference in the final eating quality of the final product and the colour.  Is it? I am going to try one recipe at a time.  With my busy life, I have a short window to bake each time. Beside, I am also learning to assemble the video together from several pieces, so bare with me.  I will post the video when it is ready.  But I do think it is worth your time trying below recipe:   Rose Levy Beranbaum's Buttery Pound Cake.

Preparation:(Oven, Pan, and Ingredients)

Oven: Preheat conventional oven at 350 deg. F.  Set the rack on the second level from the bottom. (I did not need to cover the top with foil nor butter paper).

Baking time: approx.50-60 mins

Rectangular loaf Pan: approx. 8"x4"x2 1/2"  (4 cups).  I like smearing a thin layer of butter from the original butter wrap on the bottom and the 3 side walls of the pan, then line with parchment paper.
Why wasting more butter and dirtying more things?

Ingredients:
Prepare the dry mix and blend them together and set aside:
Flour (cake and pastry- store bought)              150g
Sugar (castor or grind it in a little processor)       150g
Salt (1/4 teaspoon)                                                 1.4g
Baking powder (store bought) 3/4 teaspoon             3g                       

Wet ingredients:
Butter (room Temp, I like salted, unsalted is fine) 184g
(calling for unsalted; I used salted)      

Blend below liquids together and set a side:
Large size eggs (approx. 50g each, room temp)    150g
Milk (HOMO or fat:3.25%) 3 tablespoon               45g
Vanilla Extract  (1 1/2 teaspoon)                               7g

Mixing instruction:
1.) Combine the dry ingredients together.  Put it in a mixing bowl and mix them with a whisk for 1 minute.  If the whisk is not touching the bottom of your dry ingredient and mix well (like mine mixer).  Mix them manually as well.  Combine the liquid ingredients: egg, milk, and vanilla extract.
Now you have 3 parts: Dry, liquid and butter.

2.)   After the dry ingredients are mixed, add all butter and 1/2 of the liquid into the dry mix.  Mix them at low speed until the dry is moistened.  Again, scrape the bottom of the bowl if necessary.  This batch size is a little small for my mixer.  So, I often have to scrape the bottom of the mixing bowl; flour and sugar usually stuck at the pointy bottom.    Then, increase mixing speed to medium and mix for approx. 1 minute to aerate the batter and develop the structure of the cake.

3.)   Scrape down the bowl again.  Slowly, add the remaining egg mixture in 2 bataches (or 2 separate additions) at low speed. (Note: If the left over eggs added all at once, it may take longer to mix everything in. Consequently, it might developer too much structure and make the cake tough.)  Mix approx. 20 seconds per after each addition of egg mixture.  Scrape down the bowl again.

4.)  Checking the cake if it is done by inserting a wooden toothpick.  If the batter still stick to the toothpick, bake a little long and check again later.   Also check the top if it spring back when pressing the center.  It might look done from looking at it.  However, the top might just need a little more.  It is a thick and dense batter and it does take time to bake it thoroughly. Otherwise, you might have gummy spots instead of a fine and tender crumb.

Note:

• Please use a cake flour without self leavening agent.  It might throw the recipe off.
• Try to use very fine sugar. Grind granulated sugar with a little electric grinder or chopper.
• If you use a big pan, it might not colour well. 
• Try to make sure you use large eggs, otherwise, it might change the proportion of the recipe.
• Baking powder (regular single acting powder).  I noticed that there are some double acting baking powder available.  I am not using the double acting baking powder (DABP) here because it is not commonly available in supermarkets.  DABP does make a different in some of the recipes - bigger.

Again, I will try to add some pictures and video asap!

If you have questions about this recipe, please feel free to post here. I will try my best to find the answer for you.  I am hoping this is a GOTO web site for bakers, both professional and leisure bakers to share information.  I do not know everything but I am learning from you and with you all.

Enjoy and share your picture and baking tips with us all!
My Baking Expression (MBE)