Let Them Eat Cake!

Last Friday I baked a chocolate pound cake, trying to get a step ahead for our family gathering at the lake on July 4th. You cake bakers know that it is standard to alternately add the dry and wet ingredients as you mix. But in between each addition, I had to go make toast, or slice an apple, or pour juice, or wipe up the spilled juice, or ..........

So each time I got back to the mixer, I couldn't remember where I was in the process. Fingers crossed that we will indeed have dessert on July 4th. (I have bought cookies as a back-up.)

Well...all things considered, it turned out okay. A little lopsided, but at least it looks like cake. It is safely in the freezer for our celebration.

CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1/2 cup Crisco
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoon cocoa, sifted
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cream butter and shortening. Add sugar and cream together thoroughly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each egg.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa. (I sift the cocoa straight into the flour.) Add flour mix and milk alternately, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
Add vanilla.
Pour into a greased and floured tube pan.
Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Cool on rack for 15 minutes. Then turn cake out and let it cool completely.


One tip–I so rarely have whole milk on hand, that I more often use a small can of evaporated milk to bake this. Just mix the canned milk and water half and half to make one cup.