Ultimate Pound Cakes

The pound cake originated in Europe during the first half of the 18th century and received its weighty name because the recipe called for a pound of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. This was a time when most people could not read so it was a simple way to remember the recipe. Over the years, bakers have transformed the cake to make it lighter and more suited to a typical family’s needs, however the name stuck. 

Having lived in New York for fifteen years, I grew accustomed to eyeing the Jenga-like stacks of plastic cling-wrapped pound cake slices on the deli counters and like others often have the misconception that this type of cake is bland and boring. Phyllis Hoffman Depiano says “nay, nay” to that stereotype – the pound cake has been reborned in her new book, Ultimate Pound Cakes: Classic Recipe Collection. Nearly 100 recipes that will rock your pound cake dreams are shared in various flavors and sizes.

One of my favorite pound cakes is the Ultimate cream cheese vanilla bean pound cake. I have made a version of this cake so many times, always to rave reviews and it is truly one dangerous cake to make without having friends and family nearby to consume it. Don’t make the cake without helper eaters because pound cake will have a new meaning and you’ll have to lie down on the bed and pray that your jeans will zip up the following day. The cake is addictive and that good.

Ultimate Pound Cakes is presented in the same beautiful style as the Bake from Scratch magazines and cookbooks – stunning photographs, well written recipes that will surprise and delight any baker.  The cake recipes are organized by Tube Cakes, Bundt Cakes, and Loaves & Mini Cakes. Peach season will be all the more special with the Fresh peach pound cake and any dessert table will shine with the Vanilla Bundt cake with caramel sauce. The individual cakes are perfect for gift giving – who wouldn’t smile when presented with a Honey-orange loaf pound cake? The recipe we are sharing today for Jo’s whipping cream pound cake requires six simple ingredients and a few garnishes, whip it up and you will win dessert. 

Julia Child said, “A party without cake is just a meeting” and I always say “A wake without cake is is even more depressing” so let’s bake cake. Special thanks to Hoffman Media for sharing the following recipe with our members as well as providing two copies of this book in our giveaway below.  Stay tuned for our promotion for Bake From Scratch Volume Two.   

Jo’s whipping cream pound cakes
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Makes 12

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 5 large eggs
  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • Garnish: confectioners’ sugar, sliced fresh strawberries

Preheat oven to 325°. Spray 12 (1½-cup) ramekins with baking spray with flour.

In a large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add flour to butter mixture alternately with cream, beginning and ending with flour, beating just until combined after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Divide batter among prepared ramekins.

Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Garnish with confectioners’ sugar and strawberries, if desired.

The publisher is offering two copies of this book to EYB Members in the US. One of the entry options is to answer the following question in the comments section of this blog post.

Which recipe in the index would you try first?

Please note that you must be logged into the Rafflecopter contest before posting or your entry won’t be counted. For more information on this process, please see our step-by-step help post. Be sure to check your spam filters to receive our email notifications. Prizes can take up to 6 weeks to arrive from the publishers. If you are not already a Member, you can join at no cost. The contest ends at midnight on May 14th, 2018.

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78 Comments

  • smartie101  on  April 7, 2018

    Red Velvet Pound Cake

  • MadMom  on  April 7, 2018

    I love Jo's Whipping Cream Pound cakes. I have to make some soon!

  • Danie  on  April 7, 2018

    I would love to try Buttery Champagne pound cake recipe!

  • jmay42066  on  April 7, 2018

    Carrot pound cake

  • jhallman  on  April 7, 2018

    Chocolate Pound Cake!

  • misabella  on  April 7, 2018

    Original pound cake, of course!

  • Amdona  on  April 7, 2018

    Ultimate cream cheese vanilla for sure!

  • Nancith  on  April 7, 2018

    Chocolate Amaretto pound cake sounds delightful.

  • jr0717  on  April 7, 2018

    The ultimate cream cheese pound cake would be a must!

  • marymc  on  April 7, 2018

    Chocolate amaretto <3

  • kmn4  on  April 7, 2018

    Rum raisin pound cake

  • lauriesk  on  April 7, 2018

    I would try the Pumpkin-chocolate swirl bundt cake.

  • chawkins  on  April 7, 2018

    Cream cheese pound cake.

  • hae1123  on  April 7, 2018

    White Chocolate, Brown Sugar, or Vanilla Bean! Hard choice!

  • finnsmom64  on  April 7, 2018

    Cranberry swirl poundcake

  • eileen2015  on  April 7, 2018

    Carrot pound cake

  • Scotsman61  on  April 7, 2018

    Buttery Champagne pound cake

  • JBruser  on  April 7, 2018

    Tres leches pound cake looks incredible!

  • ksmith47406  on  April 7, 2018

    The cinnamon roll pound cake sounds good.

  • Anno  on  April 7, 2018

    The ultimate cream cheese poundcake satisfies 2 kind of cake lovers at once! Got to try it!

  • RoseMGenuine  on  April 7, 2018

    Rum raisin pound cake

  • leilx  on  April 8, 2018

    Browned butter and spiced pear sounds fabulous!

  • RSW  on  April 8, 2018

    Rum raisin pound cake

  • clairew137  on  April 8, 2018

    Chocolate Pound Cake

  • sequoia55  on  April 8, 2018

    Cranberry swirl poundcake

  • contest718  on  April 8, 2018

    Ultimate cream cheese-vanilla bean pound cake. I could eat pound cake all day long. My favorites is a sour cream or marble pound cakes. Eh probably not a good idea to eat cake all day long since I am a type 2 diabetic lol.

  • rchesser  on  April 8, 2018

    Candied sweet potato bundt cake .

  • sgump  on  April 8, 2018

    I'd try something "plain" (for starters), like the sour cream pound cake.

  • sipa  on  April 8, 2018

    Citrus pound cake

  • hillsboroks  on  April 8, 2018

    I would love to make the lime buttermilk bundt cake.

  • mcrimmins  on  April 8, 2018

    Carrot Pound Cake

  • mpdeb98  on  April 8, 2018

    Cinnamon and chocolate swirl pound cake

  • Lepa  on  April 8, 2018

    I have recently rediscovered pound cakes and was excited to get this book. So far the Italian Cream cake has been our favorite (pound cake with coconut and pecans!)

  • ebs  on  April 8, 2018

    Tres leches pound cake

  • Alleycat  on  April 8, 2018

    Strawberry swirl — perfect for spring.

  • sarahawker  on  April 9, 2018

    Caramel apple pound cake

  • LaurenE  on  April 9, 2018

    Cranberry swirl poundcake

  • dmass  on  April 9, 2018

    It's a toss up, but the Buttermilk pound cake sounds tasty.

  • ltsuk  on  April 10, 2018

    peanut butter and honey pound cake

  • ket06e  on  April 10, 2018

    Carrot pound cake sounds delicious!

  • ktwalla  on  April 10, 2018

    Chocolate Amaretto Pound Cake

  • heyjude  on  April 10, 2018

    Delta Pound Cake

  • ravensfan  on  April 11, 2018

    Original pound cake

  • verorenee  on  April 11, 2018

    sticky buns

  • Teruska  on  April 13, 2018

    Black Forest Pound Cake ~ Cherries and Chocolate!

  • lgroom  on  April 14, 2018

    Citrus pound cake.

  • jluvs2bake  on  April 15, 2018

    Sweet tea poke pound cake with lemon glaze

  • allthatsleftarethecrumbs  on  April 15, 2018

    The sweet tea poke pound cake with lemon glaze sounds interesting.

  • RNJessicaK  on  April 17, 2018

    Brown Sugar Pound Cake AND Brown Sugar Glaze!

  • matag  on  April 17, 2018

    coconut pound cake

  • AnnaZed  on  April 19, 2018

    Buttery Champagne pound cake

  • MiMi60  on  April 20, 2018

    Delta pound cake

  • t.t  on  April 20, 2018

    Tres leches pound cake

  • EmilyR  on  April 23, 2018

    Lemonade pound cake

  • Siegal  on  April 24, 2018

    Tres leches pound cake sounds great

  • msblazes  on  April 25, 2018

    Tres leches pound cake

  • Katiefayhutson  on  April 27, 2018

    Tres leches

  • juazella  on  April 27, 2018

    Black Forest pound cake

  • Dannausc  on  April 28, 2018

    Carrot pound cake

  • Laura1  on  April 28, 2018

    lemonade pound cake

  • marsmomma  on  May 1, 2018

    fresh peach pound cake

  • JuneHawk  on  May 1, 2018

    Lime buttermilk bundt cake!

  • sdg8trgrl  on  May 1, 2018

    White chocolate pound cake

  • stepspior  on  May 1, 2018

    Ultimate cream cheese-vanilla bean pound cake

  • Julia  on  May 4, 2018

    Chocolate amaretto pound cake

  • ktowle  on  May 4, 2018

    The citrus pound. I want to see if it's better than mine.

  • JJWong  on  May 4, 2018

    Tres Leches pound cake sounds delicious and moist!

  • Luly  on  May 5, 2018

    Rum raisin

  • Bolerorkm  on  May 5, 2018

    Everything sound so good – but the honey or coconut sound amazing!!

  • linmin  on  May 6, 2018

    Buttery Champagne Pound Cake

  • Shelley.b  on  May 6, 2018

    Citrus pound cake

  • KarenDel  on  May 8, 2018

    Browned butter and spiced pear cake

  • auntietina  on  May 9, 2018

    Caramel apple pound cake

  • Wojtanowski  on  May 10, 2018

    rum raisin pound cake

  • amferrer  on  May 10, 2018

    honey almond pound cake

  • catmommy9  on  May 13, 2018

    Ultimate cream cheese-vanilla bean pound cake

  • orchidlady01  on  May 15, 2018

    Almond-sour cream bundt cake

  • KatFisher  on  September 10, 2019

    I was disappointed by a couple of recipes in this book which call for butter-flavored shortening and another calling for vegetable oil.

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