Pound Cake

By Peggy O'Mara

Since my children were babies, I've been making pound cake the day before Christmas. I've made this recipe with many different kinds of flour—from whole wheat berries I grind myself to spelt and gluten-free flours. It always works.

2 cups sifted flour

3/4 teaspoon tartrate baking powder

1/4 teaspoon vegetable salt

1/4 teaspoon mace

1 cup butter

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar

4 well-beaten eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9-by-12-inch pan with parchament paper and oil the paper. Blend together first four dry ingredients and set aside.

Cream together butter, lemon rind, and extracts. Gradually add brown sugar, creaming well after each addition. Add eggs in fourths, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add dry ingredients in fourths, beating well as you do so.

Pour batter into prepared pan. With a spatula, draw batter from center toward edges of pan. Bake for 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and remove from pan. Peel paper off and store cake in plastic or waxed paper bag.

Makes 12-14 servings.