You Say its My Birthday or some other excuse to eat cake

On a few occasions I have had the good fortune to be the recipient of a Cakes by Jane pound cake as a gift.  Cakes by Jane is a local business that makes pound cakes and ships them almost everywhere.  This last Christmas I complained to Karen that I had not had a CbJ cake lately so we started looking at what makes her cakes so special.  Naturally, her recipes  are a closely guarded secret, but the CbJ web site does tell you that the cakes are made with cream cheese.

Cream cheese pound cakes abound on the internet, but if you don’t care about the calories, Southern Living is a good place to start.  That is where the cake part of the recipe below comes from (with just a few modifications).  The caramel icing has a longer history.  Karen found it in a 70-year old recipe book that she borrowed from her grandmother – it is a Rumford cookbook.  Putting the two together makes a delicious combination.

You will notice that you freeze the cake immediately after it is cooked.  I believe this helps the cake retain its moisture.  It also contributes to the icing hardening when poured on the cake.  Finally, although I learned this only because I was too hungry to wait – the frozen iced pound cake is wonderful, almost like an ice cream cake.

Give it a try that way and let me know what you think.

Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2  cups butter or margarine, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

3  cups all-purpose flour (use a softer flour like White Lilly)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1  tablespoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Bring all ingredients to room temperature.
2. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer  until creamy.
3. Gradually add sugar, beating well.
4. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.
5. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at  low speed just until blended after each addition.
6. Stir in Vanilla
7. Spoon batter into a light-colored 9 inch Bundt or tube pan that has been coated with olive oil spray.
8. Bake at 300˚ for 1 hour and 35 minutes or until a long wooden pick  inserted in center comes out clean.
9. Wrap and place in freezer as soon as you are able.
10. After the cake is frozen, add icing as desired; then serve or put back in the freezer.

Caramel Icing

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

3/4 cup light cream

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Cook sugar, cream and butter together until a little dropped into  cold water forms a very soft ball (234˚ F.).  (You really should use a candy thermometer.)
2. Cool, add vanilla and beat until of spreading consistency.
3. Pour over the frozen cake.