For as long as I can remember, my mother or grandmother would prepare this dense, fancy-looking bundt cake, which is easy to prepare from pantry staples. The name is derived from the ingredients: one pound each of butter, sugar, and flour. My mother would serve it to guests plain, or with a variety of light glazes for flavor. I thought I’d share this recipe in the story because it is such a fond family memory.
When I was a young girl, my grandmother taught me how to make this deceptively simple, delicious cake that we called Aunt Imogen’s bundt cake. Imogen was my grandmother’s sister-in-law, so this recipe has been in my family since at least 1952, when my grandmother sent the recipe to my mother, and probably longer.
The glaze is entirely optional, and we usually enjoyed the cake from the oven. My mother also used this recipe as a base for a chocolate marble cake by dividing the final mixture and adding
These days, I often use less sugar than called for in many recipes, so I’ve found that less sugar is just as tasty in this cake, too. Adjust to your taste.
Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, softened
2 cups sugar or (scant, 1 ½ cups)
5 eggs
2 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract if desired
Instructions:
Pound Cake
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. To prevent sticking, prepare a bundt pan by greasing the interior with softened butter or cooking oil and dust with flour. Shake out excess flour. May also use a flour baking spray as a substitute.
3. In a large bowl, blend softened butter and sugar using a mixer.
4. Add eggs, one at a time and mix well.
5. Add baking powder and salt to flour and sift. Mix into wet ingredients a little at a time.
6. Pour into the prepared bundt pan.
7. Bake for one hour. Let cool before removing from pan.
Optional Lemon Glaze
1. In a medium bowl, combine lemon juice and confectioners' sugar.
2. Beat in the melted butter and 1 tablespoon water.
3. Poke small holes in the top of the cake with a toothpick or fork, and pour glaze over the top.
Optional Chocolate Marble
1. Divide cake mixture into two bowls.
2. Melt 4 to 6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate and add chocolate to one mixture.
3. Pour a little of the original mixture into the bundt pan, then add a little of the chocolate mixture.
4. Alternate layers, ending with the original mixture on top.