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Velvet Pound Cake
This pound cake — a rich dark brown outside, with a fine, golden crumb — is the perfect base for sliced fruit and a dollop of whipped cream.
Ingredients
- 14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons cream cheese
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 5 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the center position. Lightly grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan.
- Using an electric or stand mixer, beat together the butter and cream cheese at high speed until they're very light and fluffy.
- Add the salt, sugar, flour, and baking powder, and mix to combine; the batter will be stiff.
- Add the extracts and 1 egg. Beat well. Continue to add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; the finished batter should be extremely light and fluffy.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake the cake for 85 to 90 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven, and after 5 minutes turn it out of the pan to cool on a rack.
- Serve the cake warm or at room temperature; dust it lightly with confectioners' sugar just before slicing, if desired.
- Store the cake, well-wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.
