Pound Cake

One Sunday night, some friends and I gathered at my house to watch a scary movie, enjoy each other's company, and indulge in some good food. My darling friend, Mary Ann, brought over some peaches from her yard, and we grilled them (remove the flesh & pit, cut into halves, roll in cinnamon and sugar, and grill until warmed through--yummy!), and served them over pound cake with vanilla ice cream. Super easy recipe. Bake, eat, love!

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs, slightly cool
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Position a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan or an 8-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper cut to fit. Butter the paper, then dust the bottom and sides of the pan with flour.

Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder onto a sheet of parchment paper or onto a plate. Set aside.

BY HAND: In a large, deep bowl, combine the butter and granulated sugar. Using a sturdy wire whisk, beat vigorously until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. The mixture may look slightly curdled, but this is normal. Whisk in the vanilla.

BY MIXER: In a large bowl, combine the butter and granulated sugar. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla. Remove the bowl from the mixer.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in one-half of the dry ingredients until almost fully incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and, using a light lifting motion and turning the bowl continuously, fold in until the batter is smooth and the dry ingredients are incorporated. Do not fold the batter too vigorously, or the cake will be tough.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with the rubber spatula. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 60-70 minutes. Watch the time closely at the end so that the cake does not over bake.

Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Place a rack on top of the cake and invert them together. Lift off the pan and peel off the parchment. Turn the cake domed side up and let cool completely on the rack. Cover the cake with a clean, slightly damp kitchen towel so that the outside does not dry out as it cools.

Serve with a light dusting of powdered sugar over the top, or your favorite accoutrement*

Berry Coulis

2 cups fresh or thawed frozen raspberries or strawberries
Sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon, strained

If using fresh strawberries, remove the hulls. Using a food processor or blender, puree the berries until smooth. Strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Season to taste with sugar, then stir in the lemon juice to heighten the flavor of the berries.
Makes about 1 cup

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

BY HAND: In a large bowl, combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla. Using a balloon whisk, beat until medium peaks form.

BY MIXER: In a large bowl, combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment or a hand mixer, beat on medium-high speed until medium peaks form.
Makes about 2 cups