RSSAs TRB was digging out of the snow – and leftover cookies from the last few days of Christmas celebrations – a dilemma arrived from faithful reader, Laura:
I baked a pound cake and followed the recipe – I thought to the letter. The directions said 325 degrees and not to turn oven on until the cake was placed in it; and not to open the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. When I took the cake out it looked okay – the top was golden brown and crusty; then, I turned the bundt pan over on a cake dish and the top was all that cooked. The rest of the cake was batter. What did I do wrong? Do you think the recipe was incorrect; it called for baking powder and the other pound cake recipes I have seen call for baking soda. What happened? – Laura
Well, Laura, without seeing the recipe, TRB is just going on a hunch on what went wrong here. You could be right about the baking powder / baking soda issue. Typically, pound cake recipes call for a 1/2 tsp of each. Other potential causes for your “not-so-cooked” result:
* The oven temperature – was it set to 325 degrees?
* Too much liquid – did you add the correct amount of milk called for in the recipe?
* The type of flour you used – self-rising or cake flour will yield a different result than regular flour, especially when
leavening agents such as baking powder and/or baking soda are added.
However, all is not lost. TRB is sure there’s a delicious pound cake in your future! Why not whip up a tried and true favorite from Land O’Lakes? (Note: This recipe calls for buttermilk, but if you don’t have any handy, you can simply substitute a 1/2 cup of regular milk OR add 2 tsp of vinegar to 3/4 cup of regular milk).
TRB has had great success with this recipe – it’s definitely a crowd pleaser!
A few additional tips: try not to use a dark Bundt pan – it tends to make the outside too “crispy;” also, test the cake with a toothpick before removing from the oven. If it doesn’t seem “done” by the time indicated in the recipe, leave the cake in the oven for another 10 minutes and check again. If it still doesn’t seem to set up, turn the oven off and let the cake sit for 10 more minutes.
Hope this helps, Laura. Please let us know how your next pound cake turns out!
Did you find this tip helpful? Post a comment below.
AWESOME! Thanks for this post. This is great for a novice baker.
Glad you enjoyed it!