Editor-in-Chief Brian Hart Hoffman shares his excitement for his mother’s new book, Ultimate Pound Cakes: Classic Recipe Collection.
What a perfect day to announce the arrival of Phyllis Hoffman DePiano’s latest cookbook! My mother and founder of Hoffman Media, the publisher of Bake from Scratch, loves pound cake. As an avid home baker and editor-in-chief of a baking magazine, I’ve baked dozens of desserts in my life. But pound cake will always hold a special place in my heart, not only because it’s an outstanding dessert—there’s just something beautiful about its simplicity, tenderness, and rich, buttery taste—but also because I baked it with my mom growing up. I can still remember pulling a pound cake fresh from the oven and sitting down with her at the kitchen table to enjoy a warm slice. Since it is one of her favorite cakes, it has become one of mine, too.
With more than 100 recipes, Ultimate Pound Cakes features a robust collection of, and variations on, the classic pound cake. Did you know the pound cake dates back to the 1800s? The traditional recipe we all know today includes one pound each of flour, sugar, eggs, and butter—hence the name pound cake. In this cookbook, you’ll find everything from tube cakes to loaves to mini cakes. My mom even includes pound cakes baked in a Bundt pan! Now, is that a Bundt cake or a pound cake? Any recipe or flavor combination can be a Bundt cake, just as long as it is baked in a Bundt pan. But not just any recipe can be a pound cake. Here at Bake from Scratch, we absolutely love Nordic Ware’s beautiful Bundt pans. Try baking your pound cake in their 70th Anniversary Crown Bundt Pan. It’s one of our favorites.
Pound cakes are special because they’re so versatile. You can twirl them up in any shape or flavor desired. Because of its simple and traditional palate, the pound cake is a great foundation for mixing things up and trying different variations of the oh-so-delicious heirloom recipe.
Stay tuned for an amazing pound cake feature coming up in the May/June Southern baking-themed issue of Bake from Scratch, which goes on sale in late April! The brilliant cookbook author and Mississippi native Ben Mims will be twisting up some fresh must-bake takes on the classic pound cake.
Ultimate Pound Cakes would be a wonderful addition to any Bake from Scratch reader’s collection. Plus, it’s on sale! From now until the end of the week, get your copy for under $20 plus shipping.
Happy baking!
Brian Hart Hoffman
Editor-in-Chief
