Vanilla Bean Pound Cake

It is hard to believe that a month has gone by and it is time for another recipe from Lick the Bowl Good by fellow Food Blogger Monica Holland.  This month's recipe choice is a Vanilla Bean Pound Cake, and I've been looking forward to this one.

Pound cakes are one of my favorite things to bake.  They tend to be rich and buttery, and keep for quite some time if kept well wrapped.  In addition, you can freeze it for up to two months which means you can always have cake on hand when you need it.  I use pound cake as a base when making a trifle, and it also makes a great summer-time dessert when grill thickly cut slices and serve with fresh berries and a little whipped cream.  I saw a great recipe recently that used it as a take on French Toast, which sounds like a delicious idea too.

I am a big fan of vanilla, so I punched up this recipe a little by adding a whole vanilla bean and vanilla bean paste rather than vanilla extract - um, yeah big fan of vanilla. It is quick to prepare and has a nice texture, and really hits the spot with a cup of tea.  The next time I make it I would probably lessen the quantity of sugar in the recipe by ½ a cup, but this is just a matter of taste. Also, I would make a double batch because this was gone in the blink of an eye - thank goodness I managed to score one piece.


Vanilla Bean Pound Cake
(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup butter, softened
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise with seeds scraped out
• ¾ cup buttermilk

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325℉
2. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan (I used Baker's Joy).  Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Whisk to combine
4. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until very creamy.
5. Gradually add the sugar and beat until it is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
6. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition (scrape down the bowl as necessary).
7. Beat in the vanilla extract and seeds of the vanilla bean.
8. On low speed, gradually add ⅓ of the flour mixture followed by ½ of the buttermilk.  Just as soon as the liquid is absorbed, add another ⅓ of the flour mixture, and then the remaining buttermilk.  Add the remaining ⅓ of the flour mixture, and beat until just combined.
9. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
10. Bake for 75 to 80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
11. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning it out onto a rack to cool completely.
12. Store at room temperature.

Recipe from Lick the Bowl Good by Monica Holland