After dinner tonight, I was in the mood to bake. It always seems like I remember the camera and the blog at dessert time but not dinner......this is why my blog is all about the sweets and there arent a lot of actual "meals" on here yet. I will work on it. Back to this yummy dish. I have always wanted to try making a pound cake. I have great memories of visiting my Grandma & Grandpa when they lived in Alabama...... They lived in this Fantastic old house with a wrap around porch. Very southern. My Grandma made the BEST pound cake ever. At least that is how I remember it. So....in honor of her, I decided to make my first one. I humbled myself before the recipe of the greatest Southern cook today..... Paula Deen. I love watching her shows on Food Network. Yum. So, this recipe was taken from "The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook" by Paula H. Deen. We decided that it would taste really great with some Vanilla Bean ice cream and some homemade caramel sauce (which also came from the same cookbook!)....because the pound cake isnt fattening enough by itself! Yeah! Here is the recipe:
Mama's Pound Cake
1/2 pound of butter (2 sticks)
1/2 cup of Crisco shortening
3 cups of sugar
5 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter and shortening together. Add sugar, a little at a time. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Sift together dry ingredients and add to mixture alternately with milk starting and ending with the flour. Add vanilla. Pour into greased and floured tube pan (I used a bundt pan which worked great). Bake for 1 1/2 hours (90 min). I only baked mine for about 80 minutes.....I live in a high altitude and I dont like to overbake my treats!
Caramel Sauce
1 stick butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla
melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar and milk and stir well. Continue stirring over medium heat until mixture starts to bubble. Continue cooking and stirring for 2 - 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Make sure you cook the full 2-3 minutes or your sauce will end up grainy!
