Cake Slice - Pound Cake

I am super late on this, but better late than never and I am glad I made it, as it is a very nice cake.  This month the chosen cake for the Cake Slice group was a Cold Oven Cream Cheese Cake.  It is a really nice pound cake, the cream cheese makes a very smooth and rich cake.  I didn't have lemons or ginger so I altered the flavor and used orange zest in place of the lemon.

I served the cake with roasted strawberries.  I recently discovered the blog Shutterbean and this wonderful recipe for roasted strawberries.  Roasting the strawberries makes them very juicy and incredibly flavorful.  I love the combination of strawberries and pound cake, they are a great combination of textures and roasting them really brings the combination up a notch.

As always the Cake Slice group produced lots of beautiful yummy looking cakes, so go check them out.

Cold Oven Cream Cheese Pound Cake
(Recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman)


Ingredients

3 cups cake flour
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2½ cups sugar
6 eggs, at room temperature
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1½ tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp grated lemon zest

Method
Adjust the oven rack to the lower – middle position. Grease a 12 cup Bundt pan and dust with flour. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Combine the butter, cream cheese and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl when necessary.
With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla, ginger and lemon zest.
Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, half a cup at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Then mix of 30 seconds on medium speed.
Spread the batter into the Bundt tin and place the cake in a cold oven. Turn the oven to 325F and bake, without opening the oven door, until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 65 to 80 minutes.
Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert it onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing and serving.
Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Roasted Strawberries

1 pint Strawberries, hulled and halved
4 Tbs. Maple Syrup
2 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbs. Olive Oil

Preheat oven 350
Mix maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and olive oil together.  Toss with strawberries.  Spread strawberries in a single layer on a baking sheet or pan.  Bake for 40-45 minutes.
Use immediately or store in refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Chocolate Cream Pound Cake

Another month has flown by and it is time to reveal what the Cake Slice bakers have been working on.  This month we made Lauren Chattman's Chocolate Cream Pound cake.  It was a nice cake, nothing exceptional, but since my family managed to devour it in about a day I will probably be making it again.

I made a couple of minor changes.  First I added a tablespoon of coffee to the cocoa heavy cream mixture.  I love the combination of coffee and chocolate, the coffee makes the chocolate much richer.  I sometimes make the coffee a little too strong, but I love coffee, so I am fine if there are coffee undertones.

The second change was the pan.  I received a beautiful min-bunt pan a few years ago and have never had luck with it.  I break it out about once a year hoping it will finally produce beautiful little cakes, but it has yet to work for me.  Most of cakes get stuck and the ones that do come out never look like I hope they will.  I had the same results this time.  The daisy cakes came out fine, one of the sunflowers was a success and the roses were a big mess.  I am beginning to think this pan would be better used as a decoration.

I say give this recipe a try if you are in need of a quick easy snack.  Check out the other Cake Slice bakers for more ideas.

March’s Cake: Chocolate Cream Pound Cake
(Recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman)

Ingredients
6 tbsp unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
¼ cup heavy cream
1 cup plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup (1stick) unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method
Heat the oven to 325F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and dust with flour.
Sift the cocoa powder into a heatproof bowl. Place the cream in a microwavable bowl and heat for 30-60 seconds until just boiling. Pour the hot cream over the cocoa and stir and mash with a spoon to make a thick paste. Set aside to cool.
Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bow once or twice as necessary. Beat in the cocoa powder paste until smooth.
With the mixer on medium-low speed add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, ½ cup at a time, scraping down the sides after each addition. Add the last addition, mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake the cake until it is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Invert it onto a wire rack and then turn it right side up on the rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.
Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.