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The Perfect Cream Cheese Pound Cake B Y H ELEN H ERNDON E VERY SOUTHERN FAMILY NEEDS A GOOD POUND CAKE RECIPE ! ur family recipe was originally passed down from my grandmother (who probably got it from her mother and so on) and is most often referred to in our family as “Mama Lu’s Pound Cake.” However, my mother, who was herself an exceptional cook, used her creativity to try and improve upon the original. My mother was definitely serious about her pound cakes. At one point, when going through a pound cake slump — meaning every single cake did not turn out perfectly — she replaced an oven in pursuit of pound cake perfection. Her pound cake slump became the fam- ily’s pound cake jackpot as she baked and baked to make sure every cake lived up to her standards. The original recipe, along with a couple of my mother’s changes, became known as “Mimi’s Pound Cake Recipe.” As exceptional as Mimi’s Pound Cakes were, the adjusting and experimenting did not end with my mother’s generation. My oldest brother, Buddy, himself never satisfied with less than perfect recipes, continued making adjustments to satisfy his own exacting pound cake standards. Buddy, along with the help of his wife, Margie, now carry the “pound cake mantle” in the family. They are expected to provide pound cake at just about every family gathering. It only took three generations, but I’d say we finally have the perfect recipe! I NGREDIENTS • 3 cups cake flour or all-purpose flour • 3 sticks of butter, room temperature • 1 8oz package of cream cheese, room temperature • 3 cups of sugar • 6 large eggs, room temperature • 1 tablespoon of vanilla (or to taste) • 1 tablespoon of lemon extract (or to taste) D IRECTIONS Grease and flour a bundt pan. Sift your cake, or self rising, flour prior to measuring. With a mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese well. Add the sugar a half cup at a time and beat well again. Add the eggs one at a time and beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and lemon extract. Gently fold in the flour without over working the mixture and pour into a greased and floured bundt pan. Place in a cold oven. Turn the oven on to 300 degrees. It will take around an hour and a half to cook. You may have to adjust your cooking time or temperature depending on how hot your oven gets. Serve it straight up or with macerated strawberries and whipped cream. Enjoy! n 18 AL/ Metro 360 www.almetro360.com THE DISH.............................................................................................................................................. O