A pound of pleasure

We've come a long way since the days of the first pound cakes. Originally made in England of equal amounts -- 1 pound each, to be precise -- butter, sugar, flour and eggs, the pound cake has slimmed down.

DISH: deconstructing pound cake This heavy, moist vanilla cake is a product of England, where it was created in the early 1700s. Its name comes from the amounts of the ingredients: 1 pound each of flour, butter, sugar and eggs.

Still, this compact, dense cake is a slice of buttery heaven. The cup or so of butter in one golden loaf is enough to elevate the fat content to about 20 grams a serving.

That said, pound cake is easy to make and can be dressed up for a fancy dessert. This time of year, when Florida strawberries are coming into season, a slice of pound cake topped with sliced berries and whipped cream is an obvious treat.

If the strawberries aren't particularly juicy or sweet, add a few tablespoons of orange juice and sweetener, sugar or artificial, to a bowl of sliced fruit.

Pound cake can be made in a bundt, tube or loaf pan. Bundt and tube pans make a fancier presentation if you're setting out the whole cake. Loaf slices make a good base for toppings.

Pound Cake

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 5 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8x4-inch loaf pan. Sift together flour and baking powder.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter. Beat in the egg yolks. Beat in flour mixture. Stir in the vanilla and lemon extracts.

In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain. Bake for 1 hour. Makes 12 servings.

Source: www.allrecipes.com.

Key Lime Daiquiri Pound Cake

• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 cups white sugar
• 5 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons rum
• 1 tablespoon grated key lime zest
• 2 teaspoons key lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons key lime juice
• 3 tablespoons rum
• Key Lime Daiquiri Glaze (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Mix together the flour and baking powder.

In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup butter, 1/4 cup shortening and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Stir in 2 tablespoons rum, key lime zest, 2 teaspoons key lime juice, vanilla extract and lemon juice.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 90 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn it out onto wire rack. While warm, prick top of cake with toothpick. Pour Key Lime Daiquiri Glaze over warm cake. Cool completely.

Makes 16 servings.

Source: www.allrecipes.com.

Key Lime Daiquiri Glaze

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons key lime juice
• 3 tablespoons rum

In small saucepan, combine sugar, butter and key lime juice. Bring to boil. Continue to boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in rum.

Source: www.allrecipes.com.

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

• 1 18.25-ounce package yellow cake mix
• 1 3.4-ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 3 1-ounce squares semisweet chocolate, grated
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.

In a large bowl, stir together cake mix and pudding mix. Make a well in the center and pour in oil, eggs and milk. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl, and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Stir in grated chocolate and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool. Serves 12.

Source: www.allrecipes.com.

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