this page is dedicated to National Pound Cake Day.
When is National PoundCake Day?
National Poundcake Day is always - March 4
Are there other related holidays? Yes!
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What is National Poundcake Day?
National poundcake day is a day we honor the old time favorite cake called the poundcake. On National Poundcake Day, it's traditional to celebrate by baking the flavor of your choice, slice it up and share it with your family until it's all gone. The most popular way to eat a slice of poundcake is with fresh fruit and cream on top. Similar to a strawberry shortcake.
Poundcakes are traditional cakes in the way of "Bake a pound Give a pound" which means usually when someone bakes a pound cake they bake two and give one of them away to a neighbor, church friend or buddy. On National Poundcake Day this is a very common thing to do. To tell the truth about the bake a pound give a pound tradition is like this.... A traditional poundcake recipe will make enough mix for 1 large cake that's made of 1 pound of every ingredient (hence the name poundcake). An average size cake is 1/2 the size so splitting the recipes and giving one of them away is common fair. In the southern United States it is traditional to cook many poundcakes during the Christmas season and give them away. Everybody loves poundcake!
Pound cake is popular in many different flavors such as vanilla, lemon, coconut cream, buttermilk poundcake(recipe at bottom of page), sour cream poundcake and brown sugar poundcake. Many cake shops and bakeries will honor cake holidays and you can always find poundcakes because there so popular. If you don't have the time to bake it yourself just go down to your local bakery and pick you out one. Enjoy it plain in the morning with a nice hot cup of coffee. Enjoy it as a dessert full of topping with a nice cold glass of milk.
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Traditional Pound Cake Recipe
A traditional Pound Cake recipe would specify one pound each of the following ingredients. These quantities are too great for most modern families, but an excellent cake can be made with half quantities. It is usual to weigh the eggs first and then use the same weights of the other ingredients; with a traditional pair of kitchen scales, the eggs are simply used instead of weights.
1 pound flour
1 pound butter
1 pound eggs (8 eggs)
1 pound sugar
1 pound assorted dried fruit (currants, sultanas, and raisins, with perhaps a lesser quantity of glacé [maraschino] cherries).
Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
Beat in the eggs.
Gradually sift in the dry ingredients.
Transfer to a greased and floured baking pan.
Bake at 175 °C (350 °F), until a skewer inserted shows no moist crumbs when removed. Many times the top of the cake will form a nice crusty surface.
Resources for poundcake recipes:
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Let's Learn about the Poundcake
There are literally millions of cake recipes (some are bread-like and some rich and elaborate) and many are centuries old. Cake making is no longer a complicated procedure; while at one time considerable labor went into cake making (particularly the whisking of egg foams), baking equipment and directions have been simplified that even the most amateur cook may bake a cake. If you would like to see a list of the many different types of cake, visit our cake page where we give you examples of types of cakes.
Southern style
A traditional American pound cake would contain one pound each of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. This recipe is quite popular in Southern states and is usually a staple at picnics and potlucks. American pound cakes are lighter but often contain an abundance of butter to provide a rich taste and are considered a staple in the cuisine of the Southern United States.
British style
"Pound cake" is also the American English name for a type of fruitcake. Its name, "Pound cake", originated from the ingredients used in quantities of English pounds. 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.
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). (These quantities are too great for most modern families, but the cake can be made with half quantities or less.) It is usual to weigh the eggs first and then use the same weights of the other ingredients; with a traditional pair of kitchen scales, the eggs are simply used instead of weights.
French style
Pound cake (named "quatre-quarts", which means four-quarters) is a traditional and popular cake of the French region of Brittany and as its name implies use the same quantity of the 4 ingredients, but no added fruit of any kind. Some variants however are made by adding chocolate, or a bit of lemon juice for flavor.
Mexican style
In Mexico the pound cake is called panqué. The basic recipe of Mexican panqué is much like the traditional U.S. recipe. Most common variants are panqué con nueces (pound cake with walnuts) and panqué con pasas (pound cake with raisins).
Colombian style
Ponque is the Colombian version of the Pound Cake: the term ponque is itself a Spanish phonetical approximation of pound-cake. The Ponque is essentially a wine-drenched cake with cream or sugar coating, and it is very popular at birthdays, weddings and other social celebrations.
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Buttermilk Poundcake Recipe
1 cup shortening
2 1/4 cup sugar, divided
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
6 eggs, room temperature, separated
3 cups sifted self-rising flour (measure after sifting)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk
sifted confectioners' sugar
Using an electric mixer, cream shortening with 1 1/2 cups sugar. Blend in vanilla, lemon juice and zest. Add egg yolks, one at a time, blending just until smooth after each addition.
Stir baking soda into the buttermilk.
To the first mixture, add sifted flour alternately with buttermilk , blending well after each addition.
In a glass or stainless steel bowl, beat egg whites until frothy, then gradually beat in the remaining 3/4 cup sugar; beat until egg whites form stiff peaks (this will take a few minutes). Fold egg white mixture gently into batter until well incorporated.
Spoon batter into a generously greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 75 minutes, or until cake tests done. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
Cool on rack; carefully remove pan and transfer to cake plate. Sift confectioners' sugar over cake top; serve as is or with a fruit or lemon sauce.
Serves 16.
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