The Pound Cake

The Classic Pound Cake is a recipe everyone must hold under their belt to my opinion. This is a cake that seems simple, but can be served in SO many different ways, and also freezes very well. So you can bake a batch that yields 2 loaves, and freeze one of them for a later use.

Dense and buttery, it can be left naked with a light dusting of powdered sugar, or dressed up with citrusy glazes. It pairs well with ice cream and berries, too!!

Top: Classic Pound Cake ; Bottom: Pound Cake with Lemon Curd

A shot of history

I visited a friend after I baked this cake, and I walked in the house and said "I brought a pound cake to test!" And her husband asked if I bought it for a pound (talking about the currency we had before EUR here in Cyprus). I laughed and said "noooo, I used a pound of butter, a pound of sugar and a pound of flour to make this cake!" It also takes about a pound of eggs. A very easy recipe to remember that has been adjusted in the modern kitchen. Leavening agents are added, in my recipe I also added cream. The name remains the same, and it is still a pretty dense cake -- that I like to enjoy with my coffee.

Dress it up

This is the kind of cake that happily plays along with whatever you’re craving. There are so so many suggestions I can tell you for this cake. The ones I will share with you are a lemon glaze, an orange-vanilla glaze, or the plain version with powdered sugar and berries. You can also cut it up and serve it in a trifle bowl with cream and fruit. You can cut it in layers and fill it with whipping cream and, can I repeat myself? Fruit. You can add ice cream, or just a dollop of cream -- this pairs well with peaches. You can add lemon curd to the slice with toasted pistachios! And lastly (because I am sure you get the gist) sliced bananas with toasted coconut and a drizzle of honey. You can make this cake your own!

I dared to add lemon curd inside the cake before I baked it. But I have to admit there was some family inspiration to that. When I was younger, my aunt used to make her own lemon curd, and add it to a lemon cake. I don't remember what kind of cake it was exactly, but I very vividly remember her lemon curd! So I wanted to mimic that. As I mentioned in previous posts, sometimes you’re not recreating a recipe, you’re recreating a feeling. And that's one of the reasons I love baking so much.

The recipe I am about to share yields 2 loaves of cakes. I made the one the classic, original cake, and in the second one, I added lemon curd.

How, you might ask. I put a layer of the batter on the bottom of the pan, added a few spoonfuls of curd, finished with the remaining batter, and drizzled some curd on top and swirled it with an offset spatula. You can also use a butter knife.

Going back to my New Year's Intentions, even though this is a recipe I have baked over and over again, I made the lemon curd from scratch for the very first time -- first time recipe #1, done!

Pound Cake 3 ways

These are the 3 ways I chose to dress up my pound cake for you.

• Watery lemon glaze: for a touch of lemon that doesn't change the actual taste of the cake. Just gives it a little sour note

• Thick orange and vanilla glaze: this is a thick glaze with orange zest that gives it a nice citrusy touch with a little bit of texture

• The classic: powdered sugar with berries.

Pound Cake 3 ways

Storing Tips

I am a fan of always serving such cakes at room temperature. Especially when they have a high density of butter, refrigeration can alter the texture.

After baking, make sure you cool your cakes completely.

Before cutting, you can keep in an air tight container at room temperature.

After cutting, you can use plastic wrap to cover the exposed side, to prevent air from drying out the cake.

Storing Time

At room temperature, the cake keeps fresh anywhere between 3 to 5 days, depending on the climate, and always in an air tight container.

If you do want to refrigerate it, it can keep for up to a week, but please, make sure you bring it to room temperature before serving.

This cake does freeze very well! I actually suggest baking the whole recipe, which yields 2 loaves, and freezing one of them. First wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and then put in a freezer-safe bag to present it from getting a freezer burn. If you don't have one of those bags, just make sure you wrap it 2-3 times in plastic wrap.

At the end of the day, this is just a good, honest cake. One you can bake on a quiet afternoon, freeze for later, dress up for guests, or enjoy with your coffee the next morning. Whether you keep it classic or swirl in lemon curd like I did, I hope this pound cake becomes one of those recipes you reach for again and again. And if you do give it a go, please let me know how you chose to serve it. I'd love to hear your version.