Purely Pound Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter 2 (6-cup) loaf pans and line them with parchment or waxed paper.
• In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter until very light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Add the sugar and mix. Working 2 at a time, add the egg yolks, mixing well between each addition. The mixture should be very fluffy. Add the brandy, rose water, nutmeg and salt and mix to incorporate. Working in 3 batches, add the flour, mixing just until combined and scraping down the bowl between additions. In a clean dry bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Add to the batter and mix well, until no streaks of egg white remain. If necessary, fold in the last few streaks by hand. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake until golden brown and split on the top and a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay), 70 to 80 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Knock the cake out of the pan and let cool (do not remove the parchment paper; it helps the cake stay moist).

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 12-cup fluted tube pan (such as Bundt®).
• Place sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl. Cream together using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or a hand mixer, on medium speed, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 45 seconds after each addition. Add vanilla extract and beat for 30 seconds.
• Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Add 1/2 of the dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture, mixing on low speed, until just blended. Add 1/2 cup milk and beat on low speed until just blended. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula between each addition. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients and milk.
• Pour batter into the prepared baking pan, filling no more than 2/3 full. Smooth the top with a spoon or a spatula.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 1 hour and 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes before inverting onto a plate. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 900g loaf tin with parchment paper (mine was 19cm x 9cm x 6cm). Put all of the ingredients except those for the icing into a large bowl and beat together, either using an electric hand whisk or a wooden spoon until smooth and combined. Pour the mix into the loaf tin and spread evenly with the back of spoon. Bake for 40 - 45 mins.
• Once out of the oven, leave to cool and make the icing. Combine the icing sugar and vanilla paste with three tbsp of water - you may need more but add it gradually to get a thick icing. Spread it over the top of the cake; it's fine if it drips down the edges. Allow to set and then slice.