Daivd is home this morning from work because he didn’t feel good last night which has been a blessing for me because he is BORED and cleaning my house while I work. Thank the LORD for David and with today being March 4th its National Pound Cake Day #NationalPoundCakeDay. If I had the ingredients with David and Charlie home I would ask them to help me bake a Pound Cake for this evenings dessert.
Baking works well for Charlie’s Homeschool Cooking Class. We don’t have the ingredients and I don’t want to go to the grocery store even though I need to go walking. While at the store I could pick up a Pound Cake or two if you wanted to join us for dessert. I have a question for you. Do you know what the difference between a Pound Cake and a Angel Food Cake is because I don’t know.
National Pound Cake Day is observed annually on March 4 to celebrate Pound Cakes and encourage everyone to put their baking hats on and make a Pound Cake or two or even three for their loved ones. Pound Cakes refer to the type of cake traditionally made with one pound each of four ingredients: Butter, Eggs, Flour, and Sugar. These ingredients typically makes a much larger Cake than most families could consume. On National Pound Cake Day, Cake lovers around the world are encouraged to bake and share Pound cakes with the people they love.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL POUND CAKE DAY
Every year, Americans and Cake lovers around the world observe Pound Cake Day. Did you know Pound Cakes are one of the world’s most versatile Cakes. National Pound Cake Day is celebrated by bakers and cake lovers alike in a tradition that has lasted over a decade. Come and join us in celebrating National Pound Cake Day.
In the U.S., Pound Cake is enjoyed by millions of people who add slight variations of ingredients to the traditional recipe, including Vanilla or Almond flavoring. Pound Cakes are sometimes served with fresh fruit juice or flavored Ice Cream. For the most part, Pound Cakes are sweet, moist, and dense but light taste is eaten plain. Pound Cake appears to have originated first in Europe in the 18th Century where it is believed that the first recipe to ever call for a pound’s weight of each of the ingredients for making a Cake was first seen.
Although the traditional ingredients of the Pound Cake are well known, there are several variations available that are more often made in today’s America. Each recipe has its distinctive style includes the addition of several flavoring agents like Vanilla, Almond, Orange, or Lemon extract. Baking Soda or Baking Powder is incorporated to induce leavening during baking to make a less dense Pound Cake. Cooking Oil can also be substituted for Butter to produce moisture, but some bakers believe it won’t add any difference to the taste than Margarine, which is usually at least 50% cheaper.
NATIONAL POUND CAKE DAY ACTIVITIES
- What better way to celebrate this yummy dessert than by making a Pound Cake
- Share recipes and tantalizing pictures of your own Pound Cake to inspire people to bake a Pound Cake as a way to celebrate National Pound Cake Day. When sharing online use the following hashtags #NationalPoundCakeDay #PoundCake or #PoundCakeDay.
THINGS YOU Might Not KNOW ABOUT POUND CAKES
- The Mexican variation of a Pound Cake is called ‘panqué in Mexico and the recipe is very similar to the U.S. version.
- The Did you know the French do Pound Cakes differently which is called ‘quatre-quarts,’ and uses four quarters of the same four ingredients without any kind of Fruit.
- Not until the 20th Century when baking equipment and directions became simplified, was baking a Cake considered easy.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL POUND CAKE DAY
- People get excited about National Pound Cake Day because they get to eats Pound Cakes either with fresh fruit or plain and Pound Cakes don’t need any frosting or glaze, not even powdered sugar dusting.
- If you’re new to the goodness of Pound Cakes, imagine what a battered mix of Butter, Sugar, and Flour, topped off with Eggs and baked at 350°F can do to your taste buds.
Recipe for Pound Cake
Prep Time:
15 mins Cook Time: 1 hour 25 mins Additional Time: 15 mins Total Time: 1 hour 55 mins
Servings: 12 Yield: 1 bundt cake
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups white sugar
- ¾ pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 6 extra large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup 1% milk
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a Loaf Pan
- Cream sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for 45 seconds after each addition. Add vanilla extract and beat for 30 seconds.
- Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until just blended. Add 1/2 cup milk and beat on low speed until just blended. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula between each addition. Repeat with remaining flour mixture and milk.
- Pour batter into the prepared baking pan, filling no more than 2/3 full. Smooth the top with a spoon or a spatula.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 1 hour and 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes before inverting onto a plate. Allow to cool completely before serving.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
