Sinful Pound Cake

This pound cake is so delicious that it doesn’t need fruit, whipped cream, or powdered sugar. The recommended way to make it is in a bundt pan but I make mine in a loaf pan. Its very high in calories, fat, and cholesterol. You could probably try making it with Splenda but I don’t know how the taste would be.

1 stick unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for buttering pan

1 ½ cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising) plus additional for dusting

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup heavy cream

Put oven rack in middle position, but do not preheat oven.

Generously butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour.

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour, then all of cream, then remaining flour, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down side of bowl, then beat at medium-high speed 5 minutes. Batter will become creamier and satiny.

Spoon batter into pan and rap pan against work surface once or twice to eliminate air bubbles. Place pan in (cold) oven and turn oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in middle of cake comes out with a few crumbs adhering. In a loaf pan it takes me 45 minutes, it might take longer in a bundt pan.

Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around inner and outer edges of cake, then invert rack over pan and invert cake onto rack to cool completely.