Recipe Tester

A while ago I signed up to test some recipes for Cook's Illustrated. This was a WHILE ago. Since then I don't even have a subscription to CI anymore. Regardless, last week I received an email with a very detailed recipe and a link to a survey for after I accomplished my recipe. My assigned experiment was simple Pound Cake. Below is the first paragraph of the email:

"The objective of this recipe is to make a great pound cake in the traditional style, that is to say one with a plush, fine-pored texture and a tight, velvety crumb, It should be dense but tender, and though it shouldn't be as moist as a layer cake, it certainly shouldn't be dry. The cake should be richly flavored and taste like what goes into it; butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. "

I knew those people at CI were a tad anal, but good grief. Now, get this paragraph. It was a little daunting, thinking about "optimal emulsification" :

"Note on Temperatures: Emulsification of butter and eggs is crucial to producing a pound cake with proper texture. For optimal emulsification, both the butter and eggs should be at around seventy degrees. At this temperature, the butter will be just firm enough to come cleanly away from the wrapper; the beaten eggs will feel lightly cool when you dip a finger in. Butter that has become too warm should be returned briefly to the refrigerator. Since eggs separate best when cold, leave them in the refrigerator until just before you use them, then, as you beat them, immerse the bottom of the cup in tepid water. If you kitchen is very hot, use butter the consistency of firm clay (around sixty degrees) and distinctly cool eggs."

I didn't get that anal about the temperature of my butter and eggs. I let them both sit out on my counter for maybe an hour or two. That seemed to me to be the right amount of effort for a pound cake. I even separated the eggs at room temp - I know, scary!

Pan prepared (very prepared) for batter

Classic Pound Cake
Serves 8 to 10

Though best when freshly baked, the cake will keep reasonably well for
up to 5 days.

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 1/3 cups (9 1/3 ounces) sugar
3 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) plain cake flour

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 9 by 5-inch loaf pan (7 1/2-cup capacity). Fold 12-inch length of foil or parchment to measure 8 1/2-inches wide. With folded sides down, fit foil (or parchment) widthwise into bottom of greased pan, pushing it into corners and up sides, allowing excess to overhang pan sides. Fold 18-inch length of foil or parchment to measure 4 1/2-inches wide. With folded sides down, fit this second sheet of foil (or parchment)
lengthwise in pan (perpendicular to the first) in same manner.

2. Beat butter in bowl of standing mixer at medium-high speed until smooth and shiny, about 15 seconds. With machine still on, sprinkle sugar in slowly, taking about 30 seconds. Beat mixture until light, fluffy, and almost white, 4 to 5 minutes, stopping mixer once or twice to scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula.

3. Stir together eggs, yolks, vanilla, and water in 2-cup liquid measuring cup. With mixer running at medium-high speed, add egg mixture to butter and sugar in very slow, thin stream. Finally, beat in salt.

4. Place 1/2 cup of flour in sieve and sift it over batter. Fold gently with rubber spatula, scraping up from bottom of bowl, until flour is incorporated. Repeat twice more, adding flour in 1/2-cup increments.

5. Scrape batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with spatula or wooden spoon. Bake until toothpick or thin skewer inserted into crack running along top comes out clean, 70 to 80 minutes. Let cake rest in pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto wire rack. Place second wire rack on cake bottom, then turn cake top-side up. Cool to room temperature, remove and discard foil, and serve. If not serving immediately, wrap cake in plastic, then in foil. Store cake at room temperature.



Verdict? It was pretty good pound cake. Would I go through all that again for a pound cake? Probably not. Compared to the effort to results ratio from say, a plain old bundt cake, I say the pound cake loses. Plus, my illustrious husband pronounced - "Not as good as Sara Lee." I happen to think Sara Lee pound cake is gummy and under-cooked but he likes that "moist" feel. whatever.