Mama's Poundcake
This cake will stay moist in an airtight container for up to one week. I've had lots of questions over the years about the use of shortening. I have tried it with all butter, and it's just not the same cake. What Is shortening? Shortening, by definition, is any fat that is solid at room temperature and used in baking. Shortening is 100% fat whereas butter is fat and water; it impedes the formation of gluten and makes for a delicate and delicious crumb -- and an incredible cake. If it's not broken, don't fix it.
Servings: 1 10-inch cake
Calories:
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour preferably White Lily
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup Crisco vegetable shortening room temperature
- 2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature, more for the bundt pan
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 cup whole milk room temperature
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 1 vanilla bean split and scraped or 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 300 °. Grease a large bundt pan with butter. Set aside. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the Crisco, butter, and sugar until light and fluffy.
- In a large liquid measuring cup combine the milk, eggs, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter sugar mixture, alternating between the dry and wet ingredients in 3 parts, starting and ending with dry. Fill the prepared bunt pan with batter, no more than 2/3 full.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 325 ° and bake and additional 45 minutes until the cake is warm golden brown and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove to a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto a rack to cool completely.