
LAURA LEE ALICE
COOKS
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One of my fondest memories as a child in elementary school was the Fall Festival
put on by the PTA. It was the way they raised money for the little extras for the classrooms such as Kleenex, colored pencils, and the like. There were the obvious games where you "fished" for toys and pin the tail on the donkey, but my favorite was the Cake Walk.
After buying a ticket and while the music played, you would walk around in a circle where there were numbers taped to the floor. When the music stopped, they would choose a number out of a bag and that person would win a cake of their choosing. The cake that would most always be chosen first was Mama's Southern Pound Cake.
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This recipe has a pound of butter, 8 eggs (about a pound) and a pound of confectioner's sugar, so you know it has to be good. This was her go-to recipe for many functions, including those at church and family reunions.
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Facts about this recipe from mom's kitchen:
​​• The confectioner's sugar came in a one pound box (like it does now) so there was no waste. That was one of the many things that my mother liked about this recipe​ and so do I.
• Butter and milk were delivered from the Biltmore Dairy. The milk came in glass bottles (returnable) and the butter in one pound packages like it does now, although then it was just wrapped in waxed paper.
• She loved her Sunbeam Mixmaster and used it to combine all the ingredients of this cake recipe. Second only to the toaster, it was probably used more than anything else in her kitchen.
• The vanilla she used and maybe the baking powder came from the Jewel Tea Company. They were like a general store on wheels. I still have her Autumn Leaf Pattern China that she collected piece by piece from that company. I know some of you are probably familiar with that pattern.
• Although she didn't have a decorative pan to bake her cake, she did have a large tube pan with a removable bottom and feet for support. (also used for her angel food cakes). It was similar to this one â–º
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Southern Pound Cake Recipe (1950's)
Ingredients
• 3¼ cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp nutmeg
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• 1 lb butter
• 1 lb 10x (confectioner's) sugar
• 8 large eggs (or extra large)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp almond extract
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Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a bundt or tube pan then dust with flour.
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Instructions
1. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg together 4 times.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter until it is like whipped cream; slowly add the sugar and beat until it's light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one by one, beating well after each one.
3. On low speed, mix in half the flour mixture, then the extracts and finally the rest of the flour. Pour into the prepared pan; cut through the batter with a paring knife several times to reduce the bubbles.
4. Bake for 1 to 1¼ hours. Test for doneness by using a toothpick.
Let sit in pan for no longer than 5 minutes; remove and cool on rack.
Wrap and/or put in an airtight container to keep fresh.​
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​About the ingredients:
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• Flour: All-purpose flour has a neutral taste and fine texture. It produces a tender
crumb. Use unbleached flour for better taste,
• Baking powder: It's use to increase the volume and lighten the texture.
• Sea Salt: Minimally processed and enhances the flavor of the cake.
• Nutmeg: Add a warm, earthy flavor to the batter.
• Butter: This recipe demands butter for its' richness and flavor.
• 10x sugar: Gives great flavor and texture to this recipe.
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• Eggs: As with most recipes, eggs are used to bind the ingredients of this recipe
together and also to give stability.
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• Vanilla: Enhances the flavor of other ingredients and balances the sweetness.
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• Almond extract: I also like to use Amaretto. Definitely adds flavor and fragrance.
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Tips & Options
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• Adding citrus zest will add a fresh flavor to this cake.
• Creaming the butter and sugar is essential to creating a fine crumb structure.
• Be careful to not overbake; start testing with a toothpick 20 minutes before the
time is up.
• A crack on the surface of the cake is normal; usually seen as a sign that it has
been baked correctly.
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• Unlike most pound cake recipes, this one calls for one teaspoon of baking
powder. Don't know why, but I'm not changing it.
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• Do cut through the batter with a knife before baking; this releases the large
pockets of air so the cake stays moist.
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