Pound Cake

It took 20 tries to make this pound cake successfully without adding chemical leavening. The only aeration this cake gets is the air beaten into the butter at the beginning, so the secret to success is not to scrimp on this step. In other words, don’t stop even when the butter looks fluffy and ready to go. If you do it correctly, the cake will still be dense, as pounds are by nature, but it will also be wonderfully buttery. A stand mixer is almost essential for making this cake successfully