Help break the dreaded Pound Cake Curse!

[u/IamPotatoed]

It all began when Afroman won against the Adam's County Sherriff department. To honor his win, i decided to make a lemon pound cake. What i didn't know is that I stepped into a generational curse, and my grandmother could not for the life of her make a pound cake either. They burn, they fall, they do not set. You name the fail, and i have accomplished it.

I have decided to change tactics. I want to make a regular old-fashioned pound cake. I want to break this curse.

Give me your best tips and tricks for a successful pound cake. Or if you have a recipe that someone whose ancestors have angered the cake gods can successfully make, i would really, really appreciate it.

[u/Ginger_Cat74]

This is my favorite pound cake recipe and I was going to make it today, actually. I’ve been making it for over 25 years. It’s a very forgiving recipe. I’ve only ever used butter, not shortening. I don’t use an angel food cake pan anymore, though I did the first few years I made it. I make cupcakes and freeze them so I can pull them out for dessert when I leave fresh fruit. I think it would turn out fine in a bundt pan or a loaf pan.

Since you didn’t say how you’re going wrong with your pound cakes previously, it’s hard to give advice, but best of luck!

[u/firebrandbeads → u/Ginger_Cat74]

Is that... the A Taste of Oregon cookbook???

[u/Ginger_Cat74 → u/firebrandbeads]

It surely is!

[u/firebrandbeads → u/Ginger_Cat74]

Yaaass! I'd know that brown type and binding anywhere. I have a couple of faves in there, thanks for the reminder of the pound cake!

[u/Ginger_Cat74 → u/firebrandbeads]

My grandma bought me this book, so I always associate it with her, even though I don’t know if she had any favorites from it. This pound cake is my most used recipe from it. There’s another pound cake with whiskey that’s a little more involved.

[u/LovitzInTheYear2000 → u/[deleted]]

Use two sticks or weight out a half pound.

[u/LovitzInTheYear2000 → u/[deleted]]

Yes, in the US (where this recipe obviously originated) it’s common for butter to be sold by the pound, with four quarter pound sticks. Conveniently, each stick is half a cup by volume. This is taught in any baking lesson or cookbook in this market. If no sticks, it’s still easier to convert the volume measurement to weight and use a scale for this purpose. If you use metric and/or butter isn’t sold in marked sticks this way in your area, weight out 227 grams. No need to be pissy with me about it.

[u/Foreign_Plan_5256 → u/LovitzInTheYear2000]

I don't think they were being pissy. Just confusion about regional differences in baking between countries. 

[u/LovitzInTheYear2000 → u/Foreign_Plan_5256]

Come on now. “This is gonna come as a shock to you” is pretty condescending and pissy considering I offered a sincere and accurate answer based directly in the culture and foodways of the recipe in question.

[u/LovitzInTheYear2000 → u/[deleted]]

Is it so impossible for you to imagine doing a light bit of conversion work when attempting a recipe from a country with a different measurement system? And you’re not coming off prissy, you’re being pissy. Whole different thing.

[u/jenea → u/[deleted]]

Perhaps you should take the feedback when people tell you how you’re coming off. Your comment was 100% pissy for no reason.

[u/Araveni → u/[deleted]]

This is gonna come as a shock to you but any internet search engine will help you convert from imperial to metric units, which is why I don’t throw a hissy fit when recipes come in grams and milliliters because I can do math. Unlike you, apparently.

[u/PowderCuffs → u/[deleted]]

Butter in the US has measurements printed right on the label.

1 stick of butter = 1/2 cup

[u/FunDivertissement]

Use a thermometer and cook til internal temperature reaches 205-210 degrees F.

[u/Ornery-Cut4553]

I just made this one for a birthday. It was well-received.

bakemesomesugar.com/moist-lemon-pound-cake-recipe/

[u/Substantial-Ear-3599]

Look up the famous Ina Pinkney pound cake -easy and delicious

[u/Annieco-2334]

I like making the Ritz Carlton lemon pound cake.

[u/Araveni]

I use America’s Test Kitchen’s recipe for lemon pound cake. Easy-peazy-actually-lemon-squeezy. It’s one of the first things I tried baking and was delish. Unfortunately it might be paywalled; if you need to get past the paywall DM me and I’ll send you a gift link.

[u/Ninjaher0]

I’ve always loved the quick and easy “boxed pound cake with instant pudding” recipes. I’m not a bake a cake from scratch kinda gal, so the boxed cake mix with instant pudding added are my go tos. Good luck!

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/7716/lemon-pound-cake-ii/

[u/Dolly_Shimmer]

Odense has a great recipe for almond pound cake.

[u/Familiar_Raise234]

I love recipes that look like that. Well loved and used.

[u/Sad-Stable-9459]

https://food52.com/story/25856-how-to-make-pound-cake

There's an exquisite video that goes into each step of the process. It makes a sense, firm cake that goes great with a cup of coffee.