Hans Craig's Southern Pound Cake

[dysonman1]

Let's try this again. I forgot that VacuumLand turns I-phone pictures sideways.
Now I'm on the computer.

Hans Craig gave me his recipe for Southern Pound Cake, and William Clayman gave me the 1956 Dormeyer Silver Chef mixer. Unused. For the holiday at my in-law's house, I made his cake, and served it with a strawberry puree.

First, to assemble the ingredients and let them come to room temperature. That's a super important part. Grease and flour the tube pan. Set the oven at 325 degrees.

 

[dysonman1]

Cream together the crisco, butter, and sugar. You can let this cream at least five minutes if not ten in the Dormeyer.

 

[dysonman1]

Add the eggs, one at a time, and let the mixture get all airy and light.

 

[dysonman1]

Add the self rising flour, the regular all purpose flour, and the cake flour - along with the Pet Milk (Hans says that's the secret). Add them in steps, and give it one final go at high speed. Add the flavorings (vanilla and lemon). The Dormeyer has really done its job.

 

[dysonman1]

Turn into the tube pan and bake at 325 degrees for one and a half hours.

 

[dysonman1]

All finished. This is a beautiful cake that's super moist. Never dry.

 

[dysonman1]

All wrapped up and ready to go to my in-laws home for Christmas. The strawberry puree is macerated strawberries with sugar, to be spooned on to the cake slices. As always, Hans Craig's southern recipes never let me down.

 

[human]

Lovely...

And I bet the house smells wonderful as it bakes. The recipe is much like my grandmother's but she used vanilla and almond extracts, not lemon, which isn't to say lemon pound cake isn't divine.

 

[dysonman1]

Hans said you can use any flavor you want. He's made almond before. And even chocolate.

Yes, the house did smell wonderful. It was also very nice to use that vintage Dormeyer.

 

[luxflairguy]

But Tom! Where's the recipe? Greg

 

[kirbyklekter]

Wow what a beautiful mixer

I have a white Dormeyer of same vintage.That cake batter is about the smoothest, creamiest I've ever seen and I worked as a bakers helper for a while! I was concerned when you said "Cream together the crisco, butter, and sugar. You can let this cream at least five minutes if not ten in the Dormeyer." I was always told that the butter would separate if I overworked it while creaming too long, but you've convinced me otherwise,that's as smooth as pudding.Thanks for sharing!

 

[vacuumlad1650]

Hans got me making this one a few years back! Always a hit at a party...

 

[dysonman1]

The recipe is so easy. Hans says to always let your butter and eggs come to room temperature. It's one of the most important steps. Then, measure out the ingredients and sift the fours together.

Take two sticks of room temp butter and 1/4 cup crisco. Begin to cream them together for a minute, then add 3 cups of sugar. Scrape the bowl and let the mixer do the work (speed 7 for the Dormeyer).

Once well creamed and fluffy, add 6 eggs one at a time. After each egg, let the mixer fully incorporate it before adding the next. Scrape the bowl.

Sift 1 cup self rising flour with 2 cups all purpose and 1 cup cake flour. With the mixer at a moderate speed (like 4 on the Dormeyer), alternate adding the flour with one can of Pet evaporated milk. As soon as mixed, stop the mixer and add the flavorings. 1 tablespoon of lemon and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. You can use almond or any other flavoring you wish.

Bring the mixer up to high speed for about 30 seconds, scraping the bowl. Be careful NOT to over beat the mixture. You're now done mixing. Turn into tube pan, and bake for 1 1/2 hours at 325 degrees.

It comes out perfect every time.