Susie Bryant’s Pound Cake by Way of Joe Roy Pendarvis
About the recipe
This recipe was submitted by Southern Kitchen reader Joe Roy Pendarvis, who adapted the cake from his great grandmother’s recipe. He uses butter, instead of his great grandmother’s Crisco, and swapped in half and half for milk. He also likes to dribble in a couple tablespoons of peach brandy for a little bit more decadence. But the techniques — starting in a cold oven, beating in the eggs slowly, and cooking the cake low and slow — remain the same. They’re tried and true, and produce a cake that is dense and buttery in the best kind of way, a real-deal poundcake that stands the test of time.
Make sure to work with butter that’s at a cool room temperature, plus room temperature eggs and half and half for the best results. The center of the cake bakes very slowly, so stick your toothpick tester deep into the cake to check for doneness.
Serves: 12 to 15
Hands On Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours and 0 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons brandy, such as peach brandy (optional)
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
10 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup half and half or egg nog, at room temperature
Instructions
Generously butter a bundt or Marianne pan, or use nonstick oil spray to generously grease the pan.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the brandy, if using, and the vanilla and salt until combined.
Reduce the speed to low and mix in 1/2 cup of the flour. Mix in two of the eggs. Continue to mix in the flour and eggs in the same amounts until completely incorporated. Mix in the half and half. Pour the batter evenly into the pan. Bang the pan on the counter several times to release any air bubbles.
Place the pan on the center rack of a cold oven and turn the heat to 275 degrees. Bake until the cake edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serve.