Sunday, May 06, 2007

Inspired by Fresh Rhubarb Cake over at Gardener Girl's and fresh strawberries in the produce section, here's one of our favorites. This practically evaporates once it's out of the oven.





The Pound Cake of Bellemaison



(with all praise and glory to Millie)



1 1/2 cups unsalted butter at room temp

3 cups all -purpose flour

8 ounces cream cheese at room temp

3 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

6 large eggs at room temp

Position rack in lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 10-inch tube pan with non-stick spray. I use a long loaf pan that I purchased at a garage sale. It's perfect.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set on high speed, beat together the 1 1/2 cups butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat until incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides using a rubber spatula, and then beat on high speed for 1 minute longer. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour 1 cup at a time, beating after each addition just until the flour disappears. Do not overmix. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly with a rubber spatula.

Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the top comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove from the over and let the cake rest in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert a rack on top of the cake, invert the cake and rack, and then lift off the pan. Let cool slightly.


JBelle
Bellemaison
The 'Kan EWA

15 comments:

Christy Woolum said...

It sounds like a keeper! Let's see-things to do on Sunday: eat other cake so I can make the pound cake. Sounds like a plan!:)

raymond pert said...

Good lord. No wonder this cake melts in the mouth....all that butter and cream cheese has me in an ecstatic state just thinking about it!

The Fool said...

Strawberies are 2 for 1 at this time...I'll have to try this recipe out on the boys. It looks like a keeper.

JBelle said...

Lord Foolishness: or Ford, as the Chows refer to you: This is a great recipe and as soon as my imaging software works again I'll photo my pound cake pan that I bought for 50 cents at a garage sale. I love this thing. I feel powerful when I fill it up with batter, batter it up if you will, and bake it. This cake will last, about, I'm thinking, 1 hour 10 minutes between the 3 of you.

Raymond: They didn't call it Pound Cake because they were referring to A Pound of Sense or A Pound Lost when you eat it....

GG: I KNOW. Get after the rest of that raspberry/rhubarb cake and get back to me. I was going to wander around the neib this afternoon for errant rhubarb so as to steal it. And make a cake. :) I gotta get it somewhere. Like Rosauer's sells rhubarb?

Idaho Dad said...

Can't let my wife see this. Whenever I mention to her that I need to lose weight, she starts baking delicious things. Guess she wants to keep me fat to keep the playground moms away. :)

JBelle said...

Phil, If I was married to you, I'd stop at nothing to keep the playground moms away!

MarmiteToasty said...

All purpose flour? WTF lol is that what we would call 'plain flour'....... cripes even your recipes are strange LMFAO.......

x

MarmiteToasty said...

AND...... you measures things by cups? and not by grams?..... you lot is well weird LOL

we would call that 'cut and come again cake' :)

x

JBelle said...

I might call YOU a Birthday Ho'. But I don't have the full details.


And if you want a nice piece of baked goods, try this, Queen Melody. I think it will suit your British sensibilities just fine. ;)

MarmiteToasty said...

If I was married to Phil, I would be baking pound cakes with cement instead of flour and lobbing at them playground mums lol that would keep them away...... :)

JBelle you Queen Doodle, Im gonna make that cake tomorrow, was gonna do it today BUT couldnt be arsed to go down the shops and buy cream cheese.....cos I feel as old as you today LMFAO - now I wonder how many grams one cup equals LMFAO..... cant you doodles do anything right? ;)

xx

MarmiteToasty said...

ps......... Im well chufted you nipped over to ukbobs blob, aint he got the most bestest job in the world....... dam him lol

x

JBelle said...

Freakin' Bob. I think we should visit him. Someone's gotta inspect his work.


;.>

Carla said...

Sounds fabulous. If I have a minute to myself this week, it will be treat to self. Actually, it inpires me to have a tea party. Thanks.

... said...

Ok.. this pound cake is to kill/die for. I love it with the fresh strawberries. The only thing that could be added to it, along with the strawberries? Fresh whipped cream.

The kids keep getting into this as well. We've had pound cake for two nights running now, for desert. We're out of the strawberries already, so we've just started putting the jello on top of it to replace the strawberries...THAT's good too!!

Christy Woolum said...

Thank you so much! ThePound Cake of Bellemaison was the signature dessert at my Mother's Day dinner for Mom and Sis Saturday night. More info and pictures on blog some time this week. It is the most incredible dessert. Mom came home with me and we had more with a bit of ice cream tonight. Yummy!