Pound Cake is an All-American Classic

Are you ready for the first big party weekend of the summer?

It looks like the weather may actually cooperate for a Memorial Day cookout -- woo-hoo! -- so get the grill ready, call some friends and start making out the grocery list!

Burgers, hot dogs, potato salad ... the savory is covered. But what about something sweet?

I've got a dessert that is easy to do, can be made ahead of time and will satisfy even the fussiest of eaters. Pound cake!

Sure, you could buy a pound cake in a store. But why, when it's so easy to make it fresh? There are no exotic ingredients, no expert techniques. You get homemade goodness, and the smell while it's baking sends contentment wafting throughout the house. Make an extra pound cake to freeze, and have it on hand for weeknight indulgence.

Pound cake is a great blank-canvas dessert. Slice it and top it with ice cream, or some of the fresh berries coming into season. Later in the summer, when peaches are in season, lightly brush slices of pound cake with melted butter and grill them (the butter's so the cake won't stick to the grill). Top the grilled pound cake with grilled peaches and fresh whipped cream, then grate some fresh nutmeg on top.

Here's my pound cake recipe. You can do it in two 9-inch loaf pans, which is great if you're going to use one and freeze the other, or in one bundt cake pan, which gives a great presentation.

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) softened butter
• 3 cups sugar
• 8 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour your pan(s). If you're using loaf pans, you can line them with parchment, letting some hang over the sides  to create a sling for easy removing of the cakes. If you're using a bundt pan, try Baker's Joy spray. It's really good at getting into all the corners and kinks.
2. Using a wire wisk, gently sift together the flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter until nice and fluffy. Keep the mixer on, gently pour in the sugar and keep creaming until it becomes a light yellow.
4. Keep the mixer on, and add the eggs one at a time, letting each egg become fully incorporated before adding the next one. A little tip: I crack each egg onto a saucer or small fruit cup. If any shell gets in, you can pick it out before it goes in the batter.
5. Combine the milk and vanilla in a liquid measuring cup.
6. With the mixer on a low setting, alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk mixture into the butter mixture. Only mix until everything's just blended. Do not overbeat the batter.
7. Pour the mixture into the pan(s). Bake for 55-65 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for at least an hour before trying to remove the cake from the pan.