Star Spangled Pound Cake
Patriotic, yet gourmet, this cake is a perfect ending to your 4th of July BBQ. Sweet and fresh, it's a summer time must-have. *This recipe has been adapted from Paula Deen
Equipment
- Bundt Cake Pan
Ingredients
Pound Cake
- 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 3 Cups Sugar
- 6 Eggs
- 1 Cup Salted Butter
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable Shortening
- 1 Cup Half & Half (Can use milk or heavy cream)
- 3 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Fine Salt
Glaze
- 1 Cup Fresh Strawberries blended to a smooth juice
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 2 tsp Cornstarch
- 1 TBS Water
- 3 Cups Powdered Sugar
Toppings
- 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream Whipped & ready, with little sugar. Shouldn't be very sweet at all.
- 1 Cup Blueberries
- Silver Star Sprinkles
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour (generously) a bundt pan.
- Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, only adding the next egg when the last one was fully incorporated.
- Alternately add the half and half and flour. Mix in the vanilla.
- Bake for 60-90 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Glaze
- Blend the strawberries until they become a juice/liquid texture.
- In a medium sauce pan, combine the 1/2 cup white sugar with the strawberry blend and bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly.
- In a small cup or container, make a slurry with the cornstarch and water. When the mixture comes to a boil, add the slurry in, whisking vigorously until entirely blended. Turn heat to medium, and continue whisking until the mixture becomes a thick reduction (about 7-10 minutes). Take off heat and let cool completely.
- When the strawberry mix has cooled, pour it into a mixing bowl and blend it together with the powdered sugar. Mixture should be thick, but pourable. You can test it by Pouring a bit out on the counter or a plate, and waiting to see if the top of it gets hard and glossy. If it doesn't, slowly add powdered sugar until it does. Icing should be thin.
Putting Together the Cake
- When both cake and glaze are completely cooled, place the cake on the dish you will serve it on.
- Using a gravy boat or a glass measuring cup, slowly pour the glaze over the very top of the cake. Be careful not to get too much pooled in the center. When you've glazed the entire top, use a spoon to control the glaze on the naked parts.
- Top with blueberries and silver stars. When serving, top with a generous dollop of whipped cream and more fresh blueberries.
Notes
This glaze can be made with any berry. For a fancy kick, add in a squeeze of lemon or lime. The glaze is supposed to be very thin, and just add a tiny bit of sweetness to the dense, moist cake sponge.