Description
Rich, buttery Paula Deen’s mama’s pound cake emerges as a Southern classic that delights with its dense, moist crumb and golden exterior. Homemade comfort awaits when you slice into this treasured family recipe perfected through generations.
Ingredients
Scale
- 5 eggs
- 3 cups (675 g) sugar
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk
- ½ lb (227 g) butter
- ½ cup (105 g) vegetable shortening
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine salt
Instructions
- Preheating and Preparation: Warm the oven to 350°F and meticulously grease a tube pan with butter and flour to ensure effortless cake release.
- Butter Blending: Whip unsalted butter and vegetable shortening in a spacious mixing bowl until achieving a silky, cloud-like consistency.
- Sugar Integration: Slowly introduce granulated sugar, thoroughly blending after each addition to create a smooth, homogeneous mixture.
- Egg Incorporation: Add whole eggs individually, vigorously whisking to maintain a light, airy texture and prevent ingredient separation.
- Dry Ingredient Combination: Sift all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl to eliminate potential clumps and ensure even distribution.
- Batter Assembly: Methodically alternate folding dry ingredients and whole milk into the butter mixture, starting and finishing with flour to maintain optimal batter quality.
- Flavor Enhancement: Gently stir in pure vanilla extract, mixing until the batter becomes completely smooth and uniform.
- Baking Process: Pour the batter into the prepared tube pan, spreading evenly, and place in the preheated oven for 60-90 minutes.
- Doneness Verification: Check cake readiness by inserting a clean toothpick into the center – it should emerge free of raw batter.
- Cooling and Serving: Allow the cake to rest in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and presenting.
Notes
- Master Room Temperature: Allow butter, eggs, and milk to reach room temperature for 30-60 minutes before mixing to achieve smoother, more even batter consistency.
- Prevent Cake Sticking: Grease pan meticulously, using parchment paper or flour dusting to guarantee seamless cake release without tearing.
- Check Baking Precision: Use toothpick test multiple times during baking, focusing on center area where moisture tends to linger longer than edges.
- Handle Gentle Folding: Mix dry and wet ingredients delicately using figure-eight motion to maintain airiness and prevent dense, tough cake texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 11
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 52 g
- Sodium: 170 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 65 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg