Perfect Pound Cake with Crunchy Nuts Topping

150th post... I don't know what to feel. Blogging seems to be all about numbers - the years you stay, the hits you get, the posts you publish, the followers you make, the comments that pour... each number indicates something about your blog. But whatever said and done, though I get excited by every hit, every comment and every activity on the blog, nothing can beat the feeling of beautiful relationships that I've got as a part of blogging. I only hope that I can keep moving on with what I feel for blogging now. As of now, I take it as a pass time to unleash myself in between my otherwise tight schedule. I know many of you have kept putting in comments as to how I am able to manage work, home and the blog. By Allah's Grace, it is happening now, but it may not be the case in the future. However, I want it to go on at the pace it is moving now and not really worry about the future! But yes, I hopefully want to keep going as long as I have the energy and zest to keep it going! :) Blogging comes to me a serious stress-buster as much as cooking is to me now, so both seem to go hand in hand!

Today, I thought I will share with you the cake that I had baked for my D's birthday. OK, it was not yesterday or last week, but it was in May! :) This has been in my drafts for too long now I suppose!!! OK, just like any other lady who is mad about cooking, my cookbook shelf is overflowing with books! One such purchase that I made while my crazy browsing on Book Depository was this particular book which is known to be the best book in cake making by Rose Levy Bernbaum. One thing I was disappointed with the book is the lack of pictures. It has loads and loads of cake recipes, but the amount of pictures is very limited. However, one thing I really like about the book is that for each recipe, it shows which all pans can be used to bake that cake and for each pan, the temperatures and the time for baking. Isn't that really convenient?

This was the first cake I baked form it and I was really satisfied with the results. It also marked the first time my oven gave me a properly baked cake, thanks to the tip from Jehanne darling to preheat the oven for at-least 20 minutes. I always thought that preheating was 10 minutes and I always used to get craters in between my cakes! So now, I so faithfully follow her suggestion and get well baked cakes... OK, so off to the recipe now...

Perfect Pound Cake with Cruncy Nuts Topping
Makes a 26 cm cake
Recipe Courtesy: The Cake Bible
Recipe for Topping adapted from BBC Good Food ME


Ingredients:

200 gm butter
3 tablespoons milk
3 large eggs
1-1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1-1/2 cup sifted all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
For the crunchy nut topping:
200 gm mixed nuts (I took 50 gms each of almonds, cashews, pistas and walnuts), slightly pounded
2 tbsp flour
100 ml golden syrup
100 ml milk

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees. Grease and flour a 26 cm springfoam pan and set aside.

Melt the butter. Measure out 13 tablespoons and keep aside for the cake. Use the remaining butter for preparing the topping.

In a medium bowl, lightly combine the milk, eggs and vanilla essence. In another large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and whisk till well combined. Add the butter and half the egg mixture. Using a hand beater, mix on low speed till the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to high speed (medium speed if using a stand mixer) and beat for a minute to aerate the mixture.

Scrape down the sides. Add the remaining egg mixture in 2 batches, beating each time for 20 seconds  to incorporate well. Scrape the batter from the sides well. Slowly scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake the cake for 30 to 40 minutes until almost done.

While the cake is getting baked, we can make the topping. Heat a saucepan, add in the remaining butter. Add in the nuts and toast for around 5 minutes. Add in the milk and flour and mix well till there are no lumps. Finally add in the golden syrup and keep stirring continuously till the golden syrup encompasses the whole mixture. Keep the topping on low flame till ready to use, to ensure that it keeps a flowing consistency, and does not become like candy!!!

Once the cake is done for 30 minutes, pull out the pan, spread out the topping and keep it back into the oven for a further 8 minutes. Please ensure to check the doneness of the cake before spreading the nuts, the last bit of baking is only to brown the topping.

Take out the springfoam and allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. You can see the cake shrinking from the sides of the pan. Remove the side of the pan, and slowly slide the cake onto a rack. Cool completely before slicing and serving.


My notes:

1. The original recipe asked for cake flour and 3/4 tsp of baking powder. Since I didn't have cake flour, I used all purpose flour and increased the baking powder by 1/4 tsp.
2. I should have reduced the sugar levels even more - the topping was really sweet and the cake was sweet, so it was double sweet while having!!!
3. Store it at room temperature if not having on the same day - do not make the mistake of putting it into the fridge!!! Hehe...

Before I sign off from the post today, a big "Thank You" from my side to Sona and Ambreen for giving me the Leibster and ABC awards... I really wish I could pass it on to my dearest blogging friends, but then I am so time pressed that I will not be able to do that... :(

So just to keep myself satisfied, I am dedicating this to all my buddies who have been so kind to keep visiting my space and leaving their lovely comments, that boost me up day in and day night... Without all of you, I would have never been able to achieve what I have done till date... For me, do visit the pages of these two lovely ladies and I guarantee you, you will be amazed... Sona for her out-of-the-box ideas and Ambreen for her wide variety of Pakistani (my favorite food by the way, if I could take off all the oil!!! I know Ambreen you don't cook with that much of oil, for sure... hehe...) and international cuisine....

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