Professional Baker Teaches You How To Make POUND CAKE!

Summary

In this video, the creator demonstrates the art of making a classic lemon pound cake, beginning with the basics and progressing to more advanced techniques. They showcase a simple lemon glaze, followed by individual marble bundt cakes with chocolate ganache, and culminate with a professional fondant-covered heart cake. The video emphasizes the importance of ingredients like butter, eggs, and sour cream, as well as techniques like properly mixing, folding, and baking. Viewers learn the subtle nuances that make pound cakes both dense yet delicate, with a focus on achieving the perfect texture and flavor balance.

Takeaways

• 😀 A pound cake is known for being rich, moist, buttery, and having a golden-brown crust, making it a bakery favorite.
• 😀 The tutorial begins with a classic lemon pound cake recipe, followed by marble bundt cakes and a professional fondant-covered heart cake.
• 😀 Pound cakes are traditionally made by mixing butter, sugar, eggs, and flour, with a focus on technique for the perfect texture.
• 😀 Beating butter and sugar together is essential for structure and texture in a pound cake. The butter should be slightly cool (about 60°F), not room temperature.
• 😀 Adding lemon zest to the butter-sugar mixture helps release oils that infuse the cake with an even lemon flavor.
• 😀 The classic pound cake recipe uses five eggs, which provide lift without the need for baking powder or soda, aligning with its origins.
• 😀 Sour cream is added as a secret ingredient for extra richness and to enhance the tanginess of the lemon flavor.
• 😀 A combination of all-purpose flour and cake flour is used to create a delicate texture in the pound cake.
• 😀 To prevent tunneling in the cake, it's important to mix the dry ingredients gently and finish the batter by hand.
• 😀 The batter should be tapped before baking to release trapped air bubbles, and the cake should be baked at 325°F for 65-70 minutes.
• 😀 After baking, a simple lemon glaze is added while the cake is still warm to create a shiny, tangy crust that soaks slightly into the cake.

Q & A

Why is room temperature butter not recommended for making pound cake?

Room temperature butter is too soft and lacks the right structure needed for pound cake. The ideal butter temperature for making pound cake is slightly cool, around 60°F, which helps create the perfect texture by allowing the butter and sugar to beat together effectively.

What is the significance of adding lemon zest to the butter and sugar mixture?

Lemon zest is added to the butter and sugar to extract the oils, which helps distribute a consistent lemon flavor throughout the pound cake. The friction from the sugar helps release the oils from the zest, infusing the cake with bright lemony notes.

Why does the recipe use five eggs for the pound cake batter?

The original pound cake recipe called for a pound of eggs, and in modern recipes, this translates to about five eggs. The eggs provide structure, richness, and lift to the cake, eliminating the need for additional leavening agents like baking powder or baking soda.

What role does sour cream play in the pound cake recipe?

Sour cream adds a rich, slightly tangy flavor to the pound cake, enhancing the overall taste and texture. The tartness complements the lemon, and the creaminess contributes to the cake's moist and tender crumb.

How do the two types of flour used (all-purpose and cake flour) affect the pound cake's texture?

All-purpose flour provides structure, while cake and pastry flour, with its lower protein content, ensures a delicate and tender texture in the pound cake. This combination gives the cake the perfect balance of sturdiness and softness.

What is 'tunneling' in cake batter, and how can it be avoided?

'Tunneling' refers to the creation of large air pockets inside the cake, which happens when the batter is over-mixed. To avoid tunneling, it is recommended to fold the batter gently by hand and to allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes before baking if over-mixing is suspected.

Why is it important to tap the loaf pan before baking the cake?

Tapping the loaf pan helps release any trapped air bubbles in the batter. This ensures an even bake and a smooth, uniform texture throughout the cake.

What should you do if the skewer test shows visible crumbs in the pound cake?

If the skewer test shows visible crumbs, it means the cake is not fully baked. You should return it to the oven and continue baking until the skewer comes out clean, indicating that the cake is done.

How does the glaze soak into the warm pound cake, and what is its effect?

The glaze, made from lemon juice, water, and sugar, is spooned over the warm pound cake. Poking holes with a bamboo skewer allows some of the syrup to soak into the cake, giving it a tangy lemon flavor throughout, while the rest forms a glaze on top that sets into a shiny, sweet crust.

Why is it recommended to slice the pound cake with a bread knife?

A bread knife, with its serrated edge, is ideal for slicing pound cake because it gently cuts through the dense, moist cake without squashing it, ensuring clean, even slices.