I found an old cookbook from 1938 at an antique shop this weekend — compiled by the Home Institute of the New York Herald Tribune. America’s Cook Book, it’s called. And it’s kind of wonderful, if the typography alone is a judge. 

I cook and bake for lots of reasons, but mostly to share with other people — events, comforts, celebrations, sorrows, just-becauses and random Tuesdays — and tomorrow’s my Gram’s birthday. This seemed like just the sort of cookbook you could open and flip through and find something lovely to mix up and wrap up and send across a few states to someone who’s pretty fabulous.

So I tried the Old-Fashioned Pound Cake. And for the first time, I realized why it’s called Pound Cake: Calls for a pound of cake flour, a pound of butter, a pound of sugar and a pound of eggs. (I can’t believe I’ve traveled this far through life without realizing that. The things you learn…)

I halved the recipe, and tweaked a few things. All in all, though, it smells delicious. Here’s hoping it marks a year of sweetness and light.

“Luck plays a negligible part in cake making. The woman who consistently turns out perfect cakes approaches her job with critical hand and mind.” - America’s Cook Book

… what you need …

1 pound (4.5 cups) flour
1 tsp baking powder
2.5 tsp. nutmeg
1 pound (4 cups) butter, room temperature
1 pound (2.25 cups) sugar
2 Tbs. almond or vanilla extract (or 0.25 cup lemon juice)
1 pound (10) eggs, separated

… what you do …

Preheat oven to 325*. Grease 2 loaf pans with butter or shortening, line the bottom with parchment, and coat with flour.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and nutmeg.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, set aside.

In a third, smaller bowl, beat the egg yolks well, set aside.

In the bowl of your mixer, cream the butter until it’s soft and smooth. Add the sugar gradually and cream together until it’s very fluffy and lighter in color.

Add the lemon juice/vanilla/almond extract and mix. Then slowly add the beaten egg yolks (you might need to whisk them briefly before adding to the sugar/butter mixture). Mix thoroughly on medium-high speed.

Take your bowl out from under your mixer and fold in the stiff egg whites until they’re fully incorporated.

Mix in the flour by hand, folding gently, then mixing with your spatula till the whole batter is incorporated. 

Pour the batter into two (or three, depending on how large you’d like the cakes to be) loaf pans and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden on the outside and done on the inside.

Should make 2-3 pound cake loaves or a full bundt cake. Serve with fresh fruit, compote, powdered sugar or freshly whipped cream.