Feb 08, 2005
Superb texture and flavor! The tang imparted by the
yogurt is the perfect foil for the spices. I've made
this twice now. As written, it needed a bit of
tweaking. So this time, which was far more successful
than when I followed the recipe verbatim, I added 1/2
tsp baking powder to lighten it, 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon,
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg, 1 tsp allspice, 3/4 tsp
ground cloves, 1/4 tsp mace, as flavor was a bit pale
the first time. Baked it in a greased and floured
bundt pan for one hour at 350. Also, I
agree with previous poster not to "beat for 2 minutes"
after adding the flour. This will encourage excessive
gluten development, which will result in a tough
product. All the beating should be in the creaming
process, with the sugar/butter/egg mixture. After
that, once dry ingredients have been added, only a
minimum of gentle mixing (on the lowest speed) is
necessary, only to incorporate the dry ingredients
fully. If you follow these steps, your pound cake will
be dense yet tender, with a crumb that's moist yet
fully baked. The aroma as it bakes is delightful, and
the cake is irresistible. Finished with a glaze made
from 1Tb soft butter, 1-1/2 cup powdered sugar, and 1
Tb milk drizzled on the warm cake. No trouble removing
from the generously greased and floured pan, when done
15 minutes after removal from the oven. A recipe to be
handed down to following generations in your family -
it's that good!
—Baricat
