Pound Cakes & ‘Plain’ Cakes

Though there isn’t anything uninteresting about this type of cake, it is frequently referred to as a ‘plain’ cake. Pound cakes and ‘plain’ cakes are usually not iced, except for perhaps a drizzle of glaze, so they depend on their intrinsic flavour and texture rather than on a rich accompaniment such as ganache or buttercream. The cakes in this chapter are all mixed according to a fairly recent innovation called the high-ratio method. The name refers to the high ratio of sugar to flour. Developed in the late 1940s by American food chemists for commercial and industrial bakeries, the method ensures a perfectly smooth and emulsified batter - essential when hundreds or thousands of pounds of batter are being mixed at the same time. Fortunately, the method works well even in a recipe for a single cake and results in a moist and tender crumb.