======================================================================== Pound Cake for Two 2.5lb Loaf Pans (Grand Gourmet) ========================================================================

- Use unsalted butter, large eggs, pure Madagascar vanilla (not artificial) - Bring 6 eggs out of fridge, to room temperature - Gather pans and ingredients except butter, grease and flour loaf pans - Take butter out of fridge ~20 mins, do not oversoften, then cut in cubes - Preheat oven to 345F, and put an oven thermometer in it - In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt - Carefully cream with electric hand mixer in a large steel mixing bowl: Whip butter for about 1 to 1.5 mins (periodically free butter stuck in the whip heads with a butter knife), then gradually add sugar, a little at a time, pressing the hand mixer against the bowl a little, check consistency with fingers and scrape from the sides of the bowl a few times, total ~6--8 mins of creaming, no overbeating - Gently beat in 6 eggs one at a time, first 5 whole then 1 egg white - Remove electric hand mixer - no more use! Stir in vanilla gently - Fold in flour mixture and buttermilk alternately dry-wet-dry-wet-dry VERY GENTLY using a spatula, no electric mixer beating!

+-------------------------------------------+ | 3 + 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted | | 1 + 3/4 tsp bakin powder + 3/4 tsp soda | Sift together, set aside | 1/2 tsp salt | +-------------------------------------------+ +-------------------------------------------+ | 1 + 1/4 cups (2.5 sticks) unsalted butter | Cream to light & fluffy ~ 7min | 2.15 cups white sugar | Whip first, start at LOW speed +-------------------------------------------+ | 5 large eggs + 1 egg white | Beat in one at a time GENTLY +-------------------------------------------+ | 1.5 Tbsp pure Madagascar vanilla | Stir in GENTLY +-------------------------------------------+ +-------------------------------------------+ GENTLY FOLD IN flour mixture | 1 cup + 1 Tbsp lowfat 1% Kemps buttermilk | alternately with buttermilk +-------------------------------------------+ (dry-wet-dry). Do not beat!

- Bake at 345F for 50 mins uncovered + 18 mins covered with two loaf pans - Cool on wire rack before removing from pan - Key points:

- CAREFUL CREAMING as above, with butter softened only slightly

- 6 eggs (5 whole, 1 egg white) - no overmixing after eggs are beat in

- CAREFUL FOLDING IN of flour and buttemilk with a spatula, alternately in a dry-wet-dry-wet-dry pattern, GENTLY, NO ELECTRIC MIXER BEATING!

References: Joy of Cooking, p.626 Pound Cake, p.623 White Cake I