American Kitchen Classic Basic Pound Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 cup unsalted butter, slightly firm
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups superfine sugar
• powdered sugar, for dusting

Recipe

• 1 position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325 degrees f. using a pastry brush, thoroughly coat an 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-3/4-inch loaf pan with 1 tbsp softened butter. line the bottom with a rectangle of parchment.
• 2 in a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt and whisk thoroughly.
• 3 using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs on medium-high speed until thickened and lightened in color, 3 to 4 minutes. transfer to a medium bowl and set aside. clean the bowl of the stand mixer and fit it with the paddle attachment.
• 4 beat the butter on medium-low speed until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. add the vanilla extract and mix 1 minute longer. add the sugar 1 to 2 tbsp at a time, taking about 4 minutes to add it all and scraping the bowl as needed.
• 5 still on medium-low speed, slowly add half of the beaten eggs, taking about 2 minutes to add them. scrape the bowl as needed and beat for 30 seconds more.
• 6 reduce the speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the remaining eggs (divide the flour into 3 parts and the eggs into 2 parts), mixing just until each addition is incorporated. scrape the bowl and beat on medium low for 10 seconds more.
• 7 spoon the batter into the prepared pan. smooth the top with the back of a large soup spoon, making sure to reach well into the corners. bang the pan on the counter two times to remove any air pockets.
• 8 bake the cake until the top is golden-brown, the sides begin to pull away from the pan, and a thin wooden skewer inserted slightly off center into the cake (not into the crack) comes out clean, 1 hour and 20 to 25 minutes.
• 9 during the last 15 minutes of baking, lightly spray a 12-inch strip of aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray and rest it loosely on top of the cake. transfer to a wire rack and let cool for at least 20 minutes before removing from the pan.
• 10 dust the top with confectioners’ sugar and use a serrated knife to cut the cake into 1/2-inch slices.