SHARMAN'S FAVORITE POUND CAKE
We Southerners are real serious about our pound cakes. So, when mine began to fall, I became truly distressed. I tried blaming it on my oven, but unfortunately, the cake fell in whatever oven I cooked it. I did, however, become the Queen of Trifles. Cut up the cake in squares, mix up a batch of REAL whipped cream, and layer it in a trifle bowl with strawberries (sliced and marinated in sugar) or chocolate icing, and folks will beg for your recipe. It is just too humiliating to admit that my brilliant trifle begins with a fallen pound cake.
So, I set out on a quest to discover the secret to a successful pound cake.
PREHEAT OVEN TO 275. SPRAY PAN WITH BAKERS JOY.
1. Set out the ingredients hours before you plan to cook -- in time for the ingredients to be ROOM TEMPERATURE. I use cream cheese for my pound cakes. (You can also use sour cream, but add sour cream between adding flour 1/3 at a time.)
2. CREAM AT HIGH SPEED 2 sticks of butter AND 1 package of cream cheese, CONTINUE TO CREAM AND ADD 3 cups of sugar. CONTINUE TO CREAM AND ADD six eggs BEATEN TO A FROTH. Add 1 teaspoon of Vanilla.
3. SIFT TOGETHER 3 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and a dash of salt. AT LOW SPEED blend in flour mixture. It is VERY IMPORTANT to do this at LOW SPEED so as not to beat out the air the Creaming has created. This last step is to be GENTLE.
BAKE CAKE FOR 1 1/2 OR 2 HOURS depending on your oven. Keep small boys from running through the house and husbands from slamming doors. Stick a toothpick in and if it comes out clean, the cake is done.
DO NOT OVERCOOK. Our family LOVES cakes with "sad streaks." And IF IT FALLS THERE'S ALWAYS HOPE OF A TRIFLE.
Remove cake from oven and let it sit on wire rack for 10 minutes before removing the cake from the pan.
This cake is delicious plain. My daughters fight over the batter and my father LOVES the cake (IN WHATEVER STATE)
WHIPPED CREAM FOR STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE:
1 carton of HEAVY whipping cream
BEAT WELL UNTIL STIFF.
ADD 1/2 cup of sugar
STRAWBERRIES
Cut up the strawberries and add sugar. Smush a little to get some good juice. Save a couple of whole strawberries just for decoration.
Or turn it into a chocolate trifle if strawberries are not in season. Every southern lady needs a trifle bowl in addition to a pound cake pan.
THE BEST CHOCOLATE ICING
1 box confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup of cocoa
1/2 stick of butter (softened)
Add milk (depends on the consistency of icing you want)
Mix together and enjoy the spoon and beater. On all of the above.
Layer pound cake/chocolate icing or strawberries/whipped cream and wind up with whipped cream for trifle.
