I used a recipe from foodnetwork.com this week, which you can find here!
Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups cake flour
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons lemon extract
Berries, for garnish
Special equipment: a 10-inch bundt pan, greased and floured
Directions
In a large bowl, using a mixer, combine the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour and milk alternately, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir in the lemon extract. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
Place the pan in a cold oven and set the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake cake for 1 hour. Increase the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for 30 minutes more.
*Cook's Note: Do not open the oven door while baking.
Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups cake flour
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons lemon extract
Berries, for garnish
Special equipment: a 10-inch bundt pan, greased and floured
Directions
In a large bowl, using a mixer, combine the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour and milk alternately, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir in the lemon extract. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
Place the pan in a cold oven and set the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake cake for 1 hour. Increase the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for 30 minutes more.
*Cook's Note: Do not open the oven door while baking.
Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
The result was definitely a step up from last week. I was really surprised by the amount alone of each ingredient, seriously five eggs is a lot, plus three cups of sugar and flour all in one bowl, I was having trouble with the amount of splatter form the electric mixer.
There isn't much to say really about the process of mixing the ingredients and such, because all I did was pour everything in the mixer:
Baking took 90 minutes, which is the longest thing I've ever had to bake. I was holding back the urge to open the oven and take a peak like every 20 minutes.
When it came out of the oven my entire house literally smelled like heaven. The top of the cake was almost crispy because of how dense the cake turned out. After ten or fifteen minutes I decided to try and pop the cake out of the pan, but it was seriously stuck in there. I figured I should give it another ten. Finally almost thirty minutes after the cake was out of the oven I tried to take it out again and it was still stuck.
I ended up getting it out by taking a plastic knife and sliding it into every little crack where the cake touched the pan. A tedious task, but it worked!
I really think it turned out great, it was really soft but dense at the same time. I think my favorite part is that you can taste the tiny bit of lemon extract in it, it's like a little something extra. Julia Klugherz's birthday is actually Wednesday of this week (HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULIA), so I brought some of the finished product in for her (except she wasn't in school so...), and I dressed it up a little with some berries.
Yay! Success!
Hey Jenna, I really enjoy reading your blog. I think that the amount of graphics goes really well the background that you chose. I think that this blog was very well written. In other words, I think that it's written in a way that people can understand. There's not like so many details that would make the recipe confusing. Also, the use of pictures makes making this very fun! I also liked how you said it was just something that you came across, you didn't have much prior intention on making this. I can't wait to see what else you have in store.
ReplyDeleteGood Job, Amber
HI!! I LOVE YOUR BLOG SO MUCH! The only reason I don't like it is because I get so hungry after reading it. The pictures definitely add to your blog, and they make it more interesting to read. I plan on keeping up with your blog just to see what you make next! The crepes looked SO GOOD, and same with the pound cake. Your steps are so well written, but I'm wondering what your final product might be? I would suggest doing some kind of breakfast pastry, like a cinnamon roll or something like that. GOOD LUCK JENNERZ!
ReplyDeleteYeah Jenna! I'm crying that I missed school today because then you could have given me some! But what region of the world did pound cake originate from I don't think you mentioned that? But its pretty awesome that you made something pretty much perfect as your second recipe. However I think you should work on how you display your final results because just throwing a bunch of whole strawberries and blueberries on top of it is not working for me. Also wait, isn't this like a bundt cake because of the type of pan its on or something? Or is it just a pound cake in a bundt shape? Or are they same thing or what? You're going to have to explain that to me later.
ReplyDeleteAhhh this pound cake looks sooooo delicious!!!!! It looks like you're really keeping up with the plan that you set at the beginning of the project! What region of the world are you going to do next week? I'm excited to see how everything turns out. Also, I don't blame you for using the "No Fail" recipe because the only food I can make is toast, and I still have trouble buttering the toast so I don't even know if I can consider that as being able to make it. So props for being able to make something like this! Good luck on the rest of your project!
ReplyDeletePS- I loooooove the background of your blog
So hey Jenna, I'd just like to let you know first off that I will TOTALLY be a willing participant in the tasting/ eating process of your project. Seriously. You are making AWESOME progress and keeping to your timeline well (unlike this girl, whose timeline wasn't exactly planned out to match the process) which is good. In addition, it looks like you are making great food too and everything is going well. To avoid sticking to the pan, I recommend using PAM spray. It works wonders. Oh, and if you have any cake left, you know where to go ;)
ReplyDeleteGosh, I kinda regret not cooking for my project. I also love Ally's idea, we should all have to test your finished products. I mean how else are you truly able to bet an unbiased opinion? No but seriously your cake looks supper good. And the entire documenting of your process is really good, your photos turned out really well. The only thing I don't like is that your background is a lie. Why advertise maccarons if your not even going to try to make them. I just feel cheated. But seriously i love your blog
ReplyDeleteWow, that pound cake looks good! The only thing I'm worried about for your project, however, is how you will show progress and your final product. You obviously are already good at baking, so maybe you should find a way to really show your progress. Maybe find recipes that are widely known as difficult, or make more recipes that would take up more and more time each week.
ReplyDeleteGood luck! And make sure to give me some of the cake! :)
I congratulate you on the attractive looking pound cake. It really seems that you are good at baking and you are doing a very good job. Did you have any past experience with baking? I like how you added not only the ingredients and the directions. You also like the fact you added photographs of the ingredients. By the way, the title is great. Kudos to Brooke for coming up with it. I like the look of that cake. Could you bring in some for me please? Last question: How are you going to go a symposium? Just something to think about.
ReplyDeleteJenna, good job! The pound cake looks delicious! I wish I could have some!!! My one suggestion for you is that before you make your yummy treats, try them at a restaurant so you have a basis for comparison. For example, at Maggiano's Little Italy, they have an amazing pound cake that you should try.
ReplyDeleteJENNA! Your pound cake looks soo good! (Why didn't you bring me any?) Anyway, I really like how when you make your food, you document your process through pictures. It seems like you have found your "voice" through the way that you write your blog. I really like how you not only make the food, but take the time to garnish it and make it look presentable. I can't wait to see what part of the world you choose to make a dish from next week!
ReplyDelete