baking in the name of science

[kareina]

My normal Pound cake recipe calls for 1 lb butter, 1 lb sugar, 1 lb eggs, 1 lb flour, and nothing else. Today archinonlive said that he was hungry for "fluffy pound cake". I commented that normal pound cake is fluffy enough for me even though it has no baking powder. However, this made us wonder, just what happens if you add some.

Off to the kitchen we went...

In the name of science we mixed up a half batch (just over 1/2 pound each, since 4 eggs from that box were just over 1/2 pound--we don't really need a full batch in the house if there is no one but us to eat it!), then divided the batter in half and added 3/4 a teaspoon of baking powder to one loaf before baking.

My hypothesis was that even if the goal was "fluffy pound cake" that the baking powder isn't really needed, that it will taste better without it.



Result: Both are good, but the one with baking powder (the taller one in the photo, on the left side) has a slight metallic after taste. The one without is light and fluffy enough to suit me, but people who are used to modern fluff cakes might like the one with better. I don't think I will bother with baking powder next time I bake pound cake.

Comments

[corvideye.livejournal.com]

Sounds like he's after something more like angel food cake...

[kareina.livejournal.com]

Perhaps, but he was very happy with what we baked--both versions in fact.

[aylwen.livejournal.com]

I love adding fruit to pound cakes - generally mixed fruit or currants. Sometimes carraway seeds to get a flavour we don't often come across these days.

[eliskimo.livejournal.com]

Fluffy pound cake just sounds contradictory to me. Pound cake is supposed to be dense compared to other cakes.

[kareina.livejournal.com]

Well that was part of why I formed my hypothesis. But hey, any excuse to go play in the kitchen, really...

[jillwheezul.livejournal.com]

Have you ever tried this Featherweight Baking Powder?
http://www.hainpurefoods.com/products/product.php?prod_id=1842
It's sodium free so it is my go-to for leavening for quick breads and pancakes. It doesn't seem to have that metallic aftertaste I find in the standard type of baking powder.