A great dessert recipe

Winter is a season where I like to bake. I don't feel guilty about heating up the house to work on cakes, as I do in the summer.

Recently, I made an old family favorite for my great uncle's birthday. It is an old Imperial pound cake recipe. I'm not absolutely certain how it got into the family recipe box, however, my grandmother Loretta Summers and her best friend Mary Nelson made this recipe a lot. My mother, Dorothy Berding, improved its delivery and moistness by coating with powdered sugar when hot and immediately wrapping in heavy duty foil, which creates a crunchy, sweet topping. No icing is needed.

Tips:

While there is no anecdotal evidence that I can find that says you can't make a pound cake without one, I use a stand mixer (my mom's late 50s-early 60s Sunbeam Mixmaster) for this. My mother and grandmother wouldn't make a pound cake without one!

I also beat the batter for what may seem like a long time to some folks. My real criteria for completion is that the batter have a rich, thick, creamy smoothness that sticks well to the spatula.

Imperial pound cake

Ingredients:

6 large eggs
1 pound Imperial margarine sticks*
3-5 cups Swans' Down cake flour, sifted ^
1 pound powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Additional sifted powdered sugar for topping (about 1 cup)

*Note: Do not use whipped tub margarine as water or other ingredients are added to make it smoother.
^ Any other brand of cake flour can also be used if Swans' Down is not available.

Equipment required:

1 tube cake pan, well greased with shortening
Mixer, bowl, spatula, butter knife

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
Let the margarine soften before you cut the quarters and add these to the bowl of your mixer.
Add your eggs and mix slowly until margarine is creamed.
Slowly mix in your pound of powdered sugar. Mixture will become smoother.
When sugar is all mixed in, add sifted cake flour and vanilla.
Mix well until all ingredients are mixed well and batter has a creamy, fluffy consistency.
Add batter to well-greased tube pan.

Baking:

Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes at 350.
Cake is done when cake springs back when touched lightly and inserted toothpick comes out clean.

When baking is complete, take a butter knife between the pan and outer edges, as well as the inner tube, and gently loosen.

Flip cake onto heat-safe plate.
Sift powdered sugar on top.
Wrap tightly with aluminum foil and allow to cool before eating.

This cake keeps really well and also freezes nicely.

Serving:

Serve alone with coffee, tea or other drinks.
It is also a great base for strawberry shortcake (add strawberries and whipped cream) or a trifle.