Regular Pound Cake

No baking powder. No baking soda. No milk. This pound cake rises entirely on the air beaten into six eggs and well-creamed shortening. It’s about as stripped-back as baking gets, and the technique is everything.

Cream the sugar and shortening thoroughly before anything else. This step traps air bubbles that expand in the oven and give the cake its lift. Rush the creaming and you get a dense, heavy brick. Take your time and you get a tight, even crumb with a velvety texture.

The eggs go in three at a time, alternating with the flour. This gradual addition prevents the batter from breaking. Add one egg, beat it in fully, then the next. Flour goes in between the two batches of eggs to stabilize the emulsion.

Both vanilla and almond extract flavor this cake. The almond adds a subtle, sweet fragrance that makes it taste more interesting than vanilla alone.

Grease the tube pan but skip the flour. A floured pan creates a dry crust on the outside that pulls away from the cake.

Pro Tips

• Use room temperature eggs. Cold eggs can cause the shortening to seize up and the batter to curdle.
• Don’t open the oven door during the first 40 minutes. The cake relies on trapped air for structure, and a draft can cause it to fall.
• Test for doneness with a skewer inserted in the center. It should come out clean with no wet batter.
• Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack.

Variations

• Swap shortening for butter for a richer, more traditional flavor with a golden crust.
• Add lemon zest and replace almond extract with lemon extract for a citrus pound cake.
• Fold in fresh blueberries tossed in a tablespoon of flour to prevent them from sinking.