And that's when great baking begins to happen. The reason being is that the 4 main ingredients all call for 1 lb each. Heat oven to 350 degrees. No gift befits the food-obsessed people in your life like a cookbook. Spoiler: It's not because the cake weighs a pound. Want to read more from HuffPost Taste? allrecipes.com - Tiffany Stevens. In fact, it weighs about 4 pounds because you use these 4 simple ingredients that weigh a pound … You can also top your cake with a seasonal icing, like pumpkin, or add in buttermilk for a tangy flavor boost. This results in a large, dense cake not often suited to modern American tastes, though the style (if not the size) is still popular in Britain. But what we like most about this cake is how successful it is at liberating the amateur baker from the rigid guidance of recipes. Given that one pound of ingredients was called for in those recipes, a true pound cake would weigh about four pounds total. Why is it called pound cake? Most modern recipes for pound cake, however, are a … Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, then add the flour, a cup at a time, … What is the actual weight of a pound cake? If so, you’ve been understandably tricked by this strangely named dessert staple. See the two slices of lemon cake above? The … The pound cake, a delightful dessert typically made in a bundt or loaf pan, is a popular confection, especially in the Southern states. Why is pound cake called pound cake Pound cake is originally a recipe that calls for a pound of four ingredients: flour, butter, sugar and eggs. The one on the right has a typical texture: an even, fairly close grain. These can include the addition of flavoring agents (such as vanilla extract or almond extract) or dried fruit (such as currants or dried cranberries), as well as alterations to the original recipe to change the characteristics of the resulting pound cake. A traditional pound cake calls for one pound of butter, one pound of sugar, one pound of eggs, and one pound of flour. Im using the pound cake recipe which ive used for years and never had a problem. All rights reserved. That's it. Though most popularly called a pound cake it is also known as a 4 quarter cake. We also found that some 10-inch tube pans hold 12 cups of batter while others hold 14 or 16 cups. Cake; Why is Pound Cake Called Pound Cake? Pound cake, which originated in Europe in the first half of the 18th century, initially weighed four pounds. The Carribean part of the world that speaks French add Rum to the cake for Christmas eve along with mashed bananas. There are plenty of popular variations of the traditional pound cake: Oil can be used instead of butter to produce a more moist cake, sour cream is sometimes added to produce a tangier cake, and additional leaveners are often used to lighten the cake. Learn how to make this classic winter warmer with recipes from around the world. A-Pound cake was so named because originally each ingredient weighed about a pound. Although both may measure 10 inches in diameter, each holds a different amount of batter. But if you're not ready for that kind of baking freedom, check out the pound cake recipes below. The amount of times people have been told that baking is an exact science is enough to scare anyone from getting creative in the kitchen. ), a pound of sugar and a pound of eggs. A traditional British Pound Cake recipe would specify one pound each of flour, butter, eggs (8 eggs), sugar, and several kinds of dried fruit (currants, sultanas, and raisins, with perhaps a lesser quantity of glacé cherries). Recipes and more delivered to your inbox. And in truth, even 18th Century Britons didn’t necessarily have to make a four-pound cake if they wanted pound cake. post #2 of 4 I thought I remembered you saying you were baking your pound cakes in 3 inch high pans instead of the 2 inch high pans. The fact that the cake hinted at even proportions meant that cooks in the 1700 could use a quarter pound of each ingredient and still end up with a pound cake. One of my fellow King Arthur Flour test bakers, Frank Tegethoff, recently called me into the test kitchen for show & tell. The cake itself is extremely dense, since it doesn't rise as much as the American-style butter cake. Related: How to Make the Best Butter Cakes and Pound Cakes. Pound cake is called a pound cake because that was the weight of several of the ingredients. It may be easier to think of this kind of cake in terms the French use. If someone asked you how much the average pound cake weighs, would you say a pound? Oil is used by some to create a more moist pound cake; sour cream is added by others to lend a tang. Thanks . Spoiler: It's not because the cake weighs a pound. The best recipes, kitchen tips and genius food facts. Pound cake gets its name from the fact that it calls for a pound of flour, a pound of butter (yes! Can’t we be pleased with both? So we add sour cream - or nonfat Greek yogurt - to add tang, tenderness, and moisture into the cake. If that sounds like a lot of cake, you can cut the ingredients in half -- so long as the ratio remains the same, that's all that matters. The oldest recipes for pound cake call for a pound each of sugar, eggs, butter and flour; two variations of these types of pound cakes can be found in Amelia Simmons’ famous 1796 book, American Cookery. A pund cake was originally called that bexause it involved a pound (one pound butter, one pound flour, one pound sugar, ect.) That's because it called for a pound of each of … However, it tends to be very dense, dry, and surprisingly lacking in flavor. Rather, it’s a hint at the ingredient list, a relic of a time when recipes were largely passed along orally. It gets the name of pound cake, because of how it’s made. Today, the humble pound cake’s construct has evolved to entail plenty of variations on the original concept. Add comma separated list of ingredients to exclude from recipe. Pound cake is quite well known in France and is called 'quarte-quarts', or 'four quarters', a quarter referring to a pound. Pretty simple, huh? ©2020 Verizon Media. There are numerous variations on the traditional pound cake, with certain countries and regions having distinctive styles. A traditional pound cake calls for one pound of butter, one pound of sugar, one pound of eggs, and one pound of flour. Classic Pound Cake Recipe by My Cake School | My Cake School It's one of those cakes you can just whip together and impress people with. The French name quatre-quarts, four quarters, comes from the fact that the cake is made from equal weights of its four main ingredients. In the UK, it was known as a madeira cake. But with a pound cake recipe -- one that you can cook off the top of your head -- experimentation becomes simple. Pound cakes are one of the easiest things to bake. Part of HuffPost Food & Drink. Whether or not it contains any type of flavoring will stir up debate just about as much as questioning whether cornbread does or doesn’t contain sugar. This cake gets its name because of how its ingredients can be measured: a pound of butter, a pound of sugar, a pound of eggs, and a pound of flour. It’s typically made in a bundt cake pan or … Why is Pound Cake Called Pound Cake? All Recipes. Pound cake is actually called that because it calls for a pound each of butter and sugar, but also a pound each of eggs and flour, for a total of four pounds in all. Traditional pound cake is called such because it uses a pound of each of the ingredients. You don't even need a recipe to make one because the recipe lies within the name. If someone asked you how much the average pound cake weighs, would you say a pound? But it’s name doesn’t derive from the weight of the completed dessert itself. If you are, that's your problem. Its name originated from the ingredients used in quantities of English pounds. Carefully read through the entire recipe, and prepare any special ingredients, such as chopped fruits or toasted nuts, before starting to mix the batter. But it’s name doesn’t derive from the weight of the completed dessert itself. I wanted to make something a little more tender, fluffy, and flavorful. A traditional British Pound Cake recipe would specify one pound each of flour, butter, eggs (8 eggs), sugar, and several kinds of dried fruit (currants, sultanas, and raisins, with perhaps a lesser quantity of glacé cherries). Pound cake is an American English name for a type of fruit cake known in British English as a Madeira cake. People have begun adding leavening to make it less dense; orange zest to give it a burst of flavor; chocolate to make it more, well, chocolatey. ), a pound of sugar and a pound of eggs. 3 replies . Give it a try, you'll see. Pound cakes first originated in Europe. The pound cake, a delightful dessert typically made in a bundt or loaf pan, is a popular confection, especially in the Southern states. But the one on the left shows streaks – areas of dense, sodden cake. Over the generations, it has been adjusted a bit here and there with many different variations available. Pound cakes are one of the easiest things to bake. © Copyright 2020, Our Top 20 Most Cherished Christmas Cookies, Make-Ahead Breakfast Minis to Save Your Mornings, 15 Classic Sandwiches That Make Lunch Legendary, 14 Nights of Dinner Ideas All Under $2 Per Serving, 15 No-Yeast Breads for Quick and Easy Baking, 10 Easy Christmas Cookies for Once-a-Year Bakers, 10 Chicken Stew Recipes That Make for Comforting Dinners, 10 Leftover Turkey Meals to Freeze for Quick Weeknight Dinners, 16 Mom-Approved Christmas Cookies to Sweeten the Season, 18 Spicy Korean Recipes That Showcase Gochujang Chile Paste, call for a pound each of sugar, eggs, butter and flour, How to Make the Best Butter Cakes and Pound Cakes. Pound cake first came about during the early 1700s in Britain. That makes enough batter to fill about two one-loaf pans. Why is it Called Pound Cake? Originally, the creation of the pound cake in the 1700s started with one pound each of sugar, butter, eggs, and flour. Pound Cake History Pound Cake History – The name (Pound Cake) comes from the fact that Report. As you can imagine, the richness of that recipe was beyond decadent. Why is Pound Cake Called a Pound Cake? Rather, it’s a hint at the ingredient list, a relic of a time when recipes were largely passed along orally. They’ve been around since as early as the 1700s, and the term traditionally referred to a cake that weighed four pounds. of each of the ingredients. (In that scenario, such a pound cake would weigh the same as its name). That’s because a classic pound cake consisted of 1 pound of each of the following FOUR ingredients, Butter; This guide to cooking roast beef will help you create a flavorful, moist, and tender roast. Add comma separated list of ingredients to include in recipe. The proportions are right there in the name! Most recipes don’t actually call for a pound each of eggs, flour, sugar and butter. A pound cake is a "pound cake" because the original recipe, from the early 1700s, called for one pound each of butter, sugar, eggs and flour. Cream butter and sugar well. mfeagan Posted 24 Nov 2013 , 12:33am. (Tube pans have straight, high sides, while Bundt pans are more shallow and fluted.) Of course, modern pound cakes can be dressed up in ways that the desserts originators likely wouldn’t have dreamed. The great thing about a pound cake is you don’t even need a recipe. 4 hours ago | 0 view. (These quantities are too great for most modern families, but the cake can be made with half quantities or less.) If so, you’ve been understandably tricked by this strangely named … At that time, the average person was unable to read or write, so recipes that could easily be spread by word of mouth tended to be the most popular. A cooking oil(typic… Follow. This was a time when many people could not read; thus, the recipe was easy to remember. 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