Grandma’s Classic Pound Cake with Champagne Glaze

Ugh, moving is such a pain and it’s never easy! I have moved so many times, I could be a professional. That’s why we need things like Pound Cake with Champagne Glaze in our lives.  Last week I received an email from Roxana from Roxana’s Home Baking inviting me to attend a virtual housewarming party for Ashton of the Something Swanky blog. Ashton moved into a new house this week and since we can’t be there in person, we are throwing her a virtual housewarming party!  Welcome to your new home, Ashton!

Although I have never met Ashton in person, I am a huge fan of hers (blog stalker). Besides creating amazing desserts (I swear by her poke cake recipes), Ashton provides her readers with extremely helpful and easy to follow design tutorials. I have learned so much from her already; I am hoping to get the chance to meet her in person someday!

To welcome Ashton to her new house, I made my grandmother’s classic pound cake with a champagne glaze. After all, champagne is the best way to celebrate, right?! My mom raves about this pound cake and now I know why. It’s dense and full of vanilla flavor. My Grandmother always baked with margarine, so I figured she must have done that for a reason. My mom says it’s “the best pound cake she has ever had.”

Grandma’s Pound Cake

1 C (2 sticks) Margarine- at room temperature

1/2 C Crisco

3 C Sugar

5 Large eggs- at room temperature

3 C All-purpose flour

1/2 tsp Baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 1/4 C Milk- at room temperature

1 tsp Vanilla

• Preheat oven to 325°. Prepare a generously greased and floured bundt pan.
• Allow margarine to come to room temperature. Cream together the margarine, and Crisco until smooth. Beat in sugar and cream until well blended. Don’t rush this step; allow to beat for at least 5 minutes.
• Slowly add eggs 1 at a time and make sure each one is well mixed.
• In a separate bowl, sift flour first and then measure out 3 cups. Sift an additional 2 times. Yes, that’s 3 rounds of sifting, your hand might not like it, but just do it! Add baking powder and salt.
• Add half of the dry ingredients and then half of the milk. Add the second half of your dry ingredients, followed by the remaining milk. Continue to beat until all ingredients are well combined. Add vanilla last.
• Bake at 325° for 55-60 minutes. Do not open oven door while baking. Check to see if your cake is done by inserting a toothpick into the middle. If it comes out clean, your cake is done. Baking times may vary by oven. Allow cake to cool for at least 30 minutes before attempting to remove from the pan.

Champagne Glaze
Makes 2 Cups

1/2 C Butter

1/4 C Water

1 C Granulated sugar

1/2 C Champagne

Powdered sugar for dusting

• Melt butter over medium heat in a sauce pan.Stir in water and sugar, bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes on medium-high while stirring constantly. Mixture will become bubbly and thick.
• Remove from heat and stir in champagne, continue to mix till smooth.
• Once the cake is done (and while still warm), leave it in the pan. Use a toothpick or fork to poke holes on the bottom. Pour half of the glaze on the bottom of the cake and allow it to absorb. Save the other half and drizzle over the top of the cake once you remove it from the pan.
• Remove after 30 minutes to 1 hour. Careful not to let it sit for too long as it will become very difficult to remove from the pan.
• Once you remove the cake from the pan and your glaze has set, finish it off with powdered sugar on top!

One of the best parts about reading blogs is getting to know the authors and finding new blogs to follow. I can’t tell you how many amazing blogs I have found in the past 6 months. Please check out the other bloggers who joined the party! I wish I could try all of these tasty treats!

Kate at Food Babbles – Raspberry Lemon Coffee Cake

Anna at Crunchy Creamy Sweet – Glazed Vanilla Donut Muffins

Loretta at A Finn in the Kitchen – Caramelized Almond Nougat Mousse Ice-cream

Joanne at Fifteen Spatulas – Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake

Ashley at Kitchen Meets Girl – Blueberry Muffins

Amber at Bluebonnets and Brownies – Lemon Drop Cookies

Dorothy at Crazy for Crust – Reese’s Fudge

Joan at Chocolate Chocolate and more – Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese Quiche

Roxana at Roxana’s Home Baking – Banana Sheet Cake

Julie at White Lights on Wednesday – Mocha Cupcake Milkshake

Hayley at The Domestic Rebel – Banana Split Poke Cake

Tanya at Lemons for Lulu – Lemon Muffins

Natasha at The Cake Merchant – Nutella Layer Cake

Jocelyn at Inside Brucrew Life – Butterscoth Banana Muffins