I’m not sure why I crave this cake in the spring. My grandmother used to make it all year round and it was a favorite of everyone. Maybe its the bright, simple flavors. Almond and lemon lightly scent this sweet, dense cake. Its heartiness is comforting enough when spring still feels more like the dead of winter. Summer is ahead and swimsuit season is threatening. We’d better have one last hurrah.
Whatever the reason, I always want to make this cake around Easter. Its presence begs to be accompanied by a ham dinner and brightly colored eggs.
As with most of my grandmother’s delightful recipes, the handwritten card is somewhat vague. If I didn’t get it right here, its ok because what came out is wonderful. The edges are crisp and the inside is soft and dense. I’m partial to the crispy edges. Maybe you’re a soft innards kind of person. To each his own.
This cake is sweet and flavorful by itself, but you could have fun a million different ways dressing it up. Create a glaze out of powdered sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice, drizzle it over the top of the cooled cake and sprinkle it with finely chopped almonds. Dust the whole cake with powdered sugar. Drizzle it with a chocolate sauce. Cover slices with fresh strawberries and sweetened whipped cream for a strawberry shortcake. I think you get the idea.
I hope you’ll try my grandmother’s cake this spring. Be sure to let me know how you would eat it!
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 sticks butter
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup milk
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon extract
- 5 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a large bunt pan and coat it in flour, shaking out the excess.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in ½ cup milk and both extracts. Add alternately the flour mixture with 1 egg at a time. When well beaten, add the remaining ½ cup milk.
- Bake 90 minutes or until golden in color and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cake will keep well wrapped at room temperature for 3 days.
Nutrition
This post was sponsored by Frigidaire. When you check out Suzanne Goin’s springtime recipes at www.maketimeforchange.com, Frigidaire will donate $1 to Save the Children’s U.S. programs. Plus, you’ll be entered for a chance to win the new Frigidaire Range with SymmetryTM Double Ovens – featuring two large ovens (that can each fit up to a 28 pound turkey!), providing the flexibility to cook multiple dishes at the same time at different temperatures, so you can get more on the table at the same time. Recipe and opinions are my own.
Jaime thegermangranddaughter says
Grandma recipes are always the best! This looks simply delicious. Looks like a ‘must try’!
Kenneth Aaron says
I baked this cake using this exact recipe and it was delicious the texture the frosting down to the last crumb it was delicious. I ran into one small problem, the 90 minutes baking time. After baking 55 minutes the top started to look completely and well done so I went ahead and took it out of the oven at 55 minutes and it was completely done.
Perhaps there’s something going on with the thermostat in my gas oven. Has anyone else had that problem? Is anyone else able to bake for the full 90 minutes? I would have burned the cake baking it for 90 minutes. I noticed other simular recipes call for 90 minutes of baking time as well so perhaps there is something wrong with the thermostat in my oven. I wanted to share that bit of information just so that others well at least be aware and keep an eye on the cake after the first 55 minutes. Is is one of the best homemade pound cakes that I have ever made. Never again will I pay another Cake Lady to bake me a delicious homemade cake again. I too am a delicious cake baker now.
Lindsay Moe says
That’s super interesting! It could definitely be an oven temp thing, but this is also an old family recipe so there’s a chance my grandma was an overbaker, haha. I’ll have to test this again and check for doneness around one hour. The outside definitely gets a little dark by 90 minutes, but I’ve found covering it with aluminum foil helps. I’m so glad you had success and enjoyed it, this cake is definitely a favorite around here too!
KAREN P AARON says
This is the best recipe ever. I notice that i can only bake it for 55 to 60 minutes and it’s completely done. Any time longer would have burnt the cake. This was the first homemade pound cake I’ve ever made in my life and I’ll never use any other. I love this recipe.
Karen Aaron says
This is a great recipe for a delicious pound cake. Even add lemon flavor for a Delicious lemon pound cake. Be cautious with the time setting my cake are done in 55 to 60 minutes. Anytime longer the cake would have been burnt. A recipe for life