The Quarter Pound Cake

I can get really frustrated about pound cakes. Logically and traditionally it uses one pound flour, one pound sugar, one pound butter, several eggs and occasionally baking powders and flavourings. Yet there are loads of recipes with double the amount of butter, or double the amount of sugar, half the eggs or three quarters of the flour. No, actually, I dare you to find one recipe that uses pounds. Guys, the point of a pound cake is to use pounds!

You think people forgot? Or don't know what a pound is? Well, let me explain.

Ahem, a pound is 500 grams. (Don't stare at me like that! I'll get embarrassed..) Let me then tell you that with 500 grams of each of the ingredients you can make around 4-5 cakes. So then I'll have to admit that the recipe I'm sharing is not an actual Pound cake. I took the recipe and halved it, then halved it again and ended up with 1 cake: The Quarter Pound Cake.
(I know what you're thinking, but did you really want me to call it the 500/5x1,5 Pound Cake?)

(Quarter) Pound Cake
makes 1 cake

150 grams butter
150 grams sugar
3 eggs
150 grams flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon flavouring

1. Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add the eggs one by one and whisk until fully incorporated before adding the next.
3. Add the flavouring and mix again.
4. Sift the flour with the baking powder and stir this into the batter. *
5. Spoon the batter into a greased tin and leave in a preheated oven of 160 degrees Celsius or 320 degrees Fahrenheit until the crust is golden brown and a skewer comes out clean (around 40-50 minutes).

* This is the perfect time to test what milk can do for a recipe. Add 3-5 tablespoons milk and be amazed at how much softer and fluffier it gets! 

This is the most versatile of cakes. I'm serious. Not only can you adjust the recipe to your liking; like adding flavours, spices, nuts, dried fruits, glazes, icings, fondant or whipped cream with sprinkles. You can also use the cake in different ways: think of plain slice of cake with your tea, or sliced through a trifle, or topped with custard and strawberries, as a base for petit fours or layered cakes, etc. Along with Madeira cake this is what you'll want to use for a fondant-covered birthday cake as it has a strong crumb.

Mom's Quick Pound (Cup)Cakes
12-15 cupcakes or 1 cake

150 grams butter
150 grams sugar
3 eggs
150 grams flour
1 tablespoon vanilla

1. Turn the oven to 150-160 degrees Celsius or 300-320 degrees Fahrenheit.
1. Place your kitchen machine on the counter top and plug it in. Put the butter and the sugar in the machine and turn it on until the butter and sugar are thoroughly mixed and fluffy.
2. Add the eggs one by one, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Add the vanilla and mix again shortly.
3. Dump the flour into the mixer as well and mix until it is incorporated. Try not to overbeat, but you'll doubt there'll be a difference if you do.
4. Make sure your oven is hot enough, quickly grease a tin or fill a pan with cupcake cups, spoon the batter into the tin and shove it into the oven.
5. Walk away and come back after 15 minutes if youre making cupcakes and 50 if you're making another cake. The (cup)cakes will be golden brown and a skewer will come out clean: they're perfect!

My mom's a very fast and practical baker. I tried to write the way she actually cooks. "Shoving into the oven" is something shes does. And then she walks away, she doesn't even set timers! AND she manages to do this whole cake baking thing in less than half an hour. That includes the baking time. I thought the kitchen machine was the magic ingredient, but I still can't beat her.

Happy Birthday Special Person!

You'll also notice theres no baking powder in her recipe. And her cakes look exactly the same as mine so I really wonder why I use baking powder in my recipe. It should do something, but it just doesn't. I'm blaming the eggs.

Always blame the eggs.