Pound Cake Memories

Pound Cake Memories

Years ago, I spent lots of time with my grandparents. My grandpas spoiled me rotten, and I know it. I was the only grandchild on one side of the family, and the only granddaughter on the other side. I count myself fortunate that I spent so much time with my grandparents.

Each of my grandmothers had her own style in the kitchen. Grandma Mac was a housewife. She had her schedule down pat, each day had its own event. Grandpa Mac came home for lunch every day. She cooked three meals every single day and her big treat after Grandpa retired was going to Hardee’s for a milkshake. That was a real treat for Grandpa since he was a diabetic and my grandma kept him on a short tether with what and how much he ate.

Grandma Phillips, on the other hand, worked in the mills. She burled, and could pick out a miniscule fault in a speeding roll of fabric. She also worked on the sales floor at Sears. She never learned to drive, and walked just about everywhere she went. She worked hard then came home and took care of her home. It was a different life from the other side of the family. Grandpa Phillips had to retire early. He had retinitis pigmentosa and was at work when they finally told him to go home. He could tell light against dark, but that was about it. He was independent, and walked to the shopping center every day. He always knew what was in his wallet, and paid cash for everything. It always amazed me; he said each denomination of money felt a little different. You couldn’t prove it by me.

I learned a lot about taking care of a home, from both of these women. Unfortunately, the housekeeping part wasn’t really high on my list of likes. On the other hand, put me in the kitchen with either of them and I was a sponge soaking up everything I could learn from them.

I remember the first time Grandma Phillips and I baked a pound cake together. I thought my arm was going to break off. I was so short, and her kitchen counters were fairly high (because she was tall and she had them made that way), let’s just say beating the batter was awkward. But that hard work turned into a delicious pound cake, and it was back before the days when people decided licking the bowl was bad for you, so we made sure there was enough left in the bowl to hold us until the cake came out of the oven.

So I’d like to share with you that special recipe, the one that I still make, the one that my children expect at all special holidays, the one that about had my arm falling right off before I finished stirring in all of the milk and flour.

Grandma Phillips’s Pound Cake

Preheat the oven to 325°

Prepare all of the ingredients first!

½ c shortening

½ lb butter

3 cups sugar

5 eggs

* 3 cups plain flour

*1/8 teaspoon salt

*½ teaspoon baking powder --- * Sift the dry ingredients together twice.

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon extract

Cream shortening and butter until light. Gradually add sugar then “Beat the devil out of it.” (Grandma’s directions)

Add one egg at a time, continuing to “Beat the devil out of it.”

By hand, (“The devil’s been beaten out by now.”) gently fold in the flour mixture alternately with the milk. Grandma always said start with liquid end with liquid. Mix in about ¼ cup of milk first, then about 1/3 of the flour mixture folded in until well mixed. Continue until you get to the last of the milk and then add the extracts to the milk.

Pour into a well greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 325° for 90 minutes.





Now my son loves Chocolate Pound Cakes- The method is the same.


The changes are made to the dry ingredients.

½ teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

And the extracts change to 2 teaspoons of Vanilla.




Frosting for his Chocolate Pound Cake

1 stick of butter

2/3 cups of cocoa

Powder sugar

Milk

1 teaspoon vanilla (or more)

Cream the butter, add the cocoa powder.

Add 1 Tablespoon of milk

Stop the mixer and add 2- 3 cups of powdered sugar, add milk and sugar until it reaches the desired consistency.