POUND CAKE WITH BLUEBERRY TOPPING

POUND CAKE WITH BLUEBERRY TOPPING - STEP BY STEP PICTURES

A traditional pound cake is a cake which is made of a pound of each of the four ingredients that is butter, sugar, flour and eggs. 

So basically any cake in which we use all the four ingredients in the same proportion by terms of weight will yield almost the same results as a pound cake.

Pound cakes have a nice buttery texture and usually do not need any icing on it.

I had made this for a birthday and so I have used whipped cream and topped with blueberry topping which I've made at home with black raisins. I've made this topping many times and trust me when you can not lay your hands on blueberries this is the best alternative.

I've used regular salted butter here, if unsalted white butter is easily available near you, you can surely use it.

INGREDIENTS

100 gms all purpose flour ( maida)

100 gms powdered sugar

100 gms butter (softened)

2 eggs

3/4 tea spoon baking powder

1tea spoon vanilla essence

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven at 160 degrees.

2. Sift the flour and baking powder together and keep aside.

3. Take the eggs in a bowl and beat them till light and fluffy.

4. In a bowl take butter, sugar and vanilla essence and beat well.

5. Grease a cake tin and line it with butter or parchment paper and keep aside.

6. To the butter and sugar mixture add half of the beaten eggs and half flour. Beat well.

7. Add the remaining flour and beaten eggs to the butter sugar mixture and beat well again.

8. Pour the batter into the greased cake tin and bake at 160 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes. Each oven behaves differently so keep an eye on the cake after about 25 minutes.

9. Insert a knife or a skewer in the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, switch off the oven.

10. Remove the cake from the oven after 5 minutes. Let it cool in the cake tin for 10 - 15 minutes then invert the cake on a wire rack and let it cool completely.

If you try to remove the cake from the cake tin when it's hot it might break, so be careful while removing the cake from the cake tin.

HOME MADE BLUE BERRY TOPPING

INGREDIENTS

Black raisins 1/2 cup
Grape juice 1 cup
Corn flour 2 tea spoons
Blueberry/Strawberry/Mixed fruit jam 4 table spoons
Water 1/4 cup

METHOD

1. Take a heavy bottomed pan, add the black raisins and the grape juice to it.
2. Boil and simmer on low heat till it reduces to 3/4 cup.
3. Add the jam, you can use any of the mentioned above, I used mixed fruit jam as I had it at home. Cook till it dissolves.
4. Dissolve the corn flour to 1/4 cup water and add it to the boiling raisin mix. Stir on low heat till it thickens. Let it cool and then use as topping.  

PREPARING THE SUGAR SYRUP

Sugar 1/4 cup

Water 3/4 cup

Boil water and sugar for 2 minutes. Switch off the gas and keep aside to cool.

ASSEMBLING THE CAKE

1. Keep the cake in the fridge for a few hours before icing it. It makes the process of cutting and icing the cake easier.

2. Take chilled heavy whipping cream in a bowl and beat it till you achieve stiff peaks. Keep it in the fridge till further use.

Heavy whipping cream already has sugar added to it and hence there is no requirement of adding sugar to it. It takes 8-10 minutes to beat the cream to stiff peaks at high speed, depending upon the quantity. Amul cream does not qualify as heavy whipping cream and it is difficult to attain stiff peaks in it. 

3. Divide the cake into two round halves. If the cake has an uneven top just cut it lightly from the top to get a flat surface.

4. Place one half of the cake on a cake board or a flat plate and soak it with the prepared sugar syrup.

5. Take the required amount of whipped cream and cover one half of the cake all over with it.

6. Take a spoon of cooled blueberry topping and apply it on the iced half.

7. Now place the other half of the cake on top of it and soak it with sugar syrup.

8. Apply the whipped cream on it and cover it nicely all over. Using a palette knife smoothen it from all the sides. Keep in the refrigerator to chill for about half an hour.

9. Take an icing bag, I've used the star shape nozzle here you can use whichever you want. Fill the piping bag with some whipped cream and make a border around the cake.

10. Take the remaining blueberry topping and fill it in between the border using a piping bag or a spoon. Spread it nicely all over. It's perfectly fine if a little bit drips from the edges. Chill the cake in the fridge till serving time.

PICTORIAL GUIDE

1. Preheat the oven at 160 degrees.

2. Sift the flour and baking powder together and keep aside.

3. Take the eggs in a bowl and beat them till light and fluffy.

4. In a bowl take butter, sugar and vanilla essence and beat well.

5. Grease a cake tin and line it with butter or parchment paper and keep aside.

6. To the butter and sugar mixture add half of the beaten eggs and half flour. Beat well.

7. Add the remaining flour and beaten eggs to the butter sugar mixture and beat well again.

8. Pour the batter into the greased cake tin and bake at 160 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes. Each oven behaves differently so keep an eye on the cake after about 25 minutes.

9. Insert a knife or a skewer in the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, switch off the oven.

10. Remove the cake from the oven after 5 minutes. Let it cool in the cake tin for 10 - 15 minutes then invert the cake on a wire rack and let it cool completely.

HOME MADE BLUE BERRY TOPPING

1. Take a heavy bottomed pan, add the black raisins and the grape juice to it.

2. Boil and simmer on low heat till it reduces to 3/4 cup.

3. Add the jam, you can use any of the mentioned above, I used mixed fruit jam as I had it at home. Cook till it dissolves.

4. Dissolve the corn flour to 1/4 cup water and add it to the boiling raisin mix. Stir on low heat till it thickens. Let it cool and then use as topping.  

ASSEMBLING THE CAKE

1. Keep the cake in the fridge for a few hours before icing it. It makes the process of cutting and icing the cake easier.

2. Take chilled heavy whipping cream in a bowl and beat it till you achieve stiff peaks. Keep it in the fridge till further use.

Heavy whipping cream already has sugar added to it and hence there is no requirement of adding sugar to it. It takes 8-10 minutes to beat the cream to stiff peaks at high speed, depending upon the quantity. Amul cream does not qualify as heavy whipping cream and it is difficult to attain stiff peaks in it. 

3. Divide the cake into two round halves. If the cake has an uneven top just cut it lightly from the top to get a flat surface.

4. Place one half of the cake on a cake board or a flat plate and soak it with the prepared sugar syrup.

5. Take the required amount of whipped cream and cover one half of the cake all over with it.

6. Take a spoon of cooled blueberry topping and apply it on the iced half.

7. Now place the other half of the cake on top of it and soak it with sugar syrup.

8. Apply the whipped cream on it and cover it nicely all over. Using a palette knife smoothen it from all the sides. Keep in the refrigerator to chill for about half an hour.

I had covered the sides with some crushed praline that I had with me. This is just optional you can also crush the chikki that you have at home and use or can just leave the sides as it is covered with whipped cream. 

9. Take an icing bag, I've used the star shape nozzle here you can use whichever you want. Fill the piping bag with some whipped cream and make a border around the cake.

10. Take the remaining blueberry topping and fill it in between the border using a piping bag or a spoon. Spread it nicely all over. It's perfectly fine if a little bit drips from the edges. Chill the cake in the fridge till serving time.

                                                  HAPPY BAKING!! 😊