Eat Together, Make Life Delicious...

For the last 70'some years my grandmother Monga has been making rich buttery pound cake. Monga's original recipe was loaded with butter, sugar, cream, and eggs. It's an over the top indulgence that you could only reasonably eat once a month (unless of course you don't mind packing on the pounds!)

When it comes to sweets, I am a big believer that they are best enjoyed every day and that "speciality sweet treats" that would normally be reserved for a once-a-month-celebration because of their richness can be and even should be reinvented for the every day healthy consumption. And so I adjusted her originally recipe and created the Skinny Pound Cake. But don't worry, I did keep some of the butter-because after all I don't think it would be pound cake without it.

This recipe can also incorporate fresh fruit or little bits of shelled nuts such as pistachio before baking for more flavor. For kids, chocolate chips work nicely to coax them to try a bite. Skinny Pound Cake is a basic recipe -made for the every day- with lots of possibilities.

Skinny Pound Cake
Makes 8 to 10 servings

For the Cake:
4 ounces unsalted butter (could use yogurt butter for less fat)
4 ounces cream cheese (can be low fat)
3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 cup whole or skim milk
½ teaspoon salt
olive oil cooking spray

For the Orange Icing:
½ cup confectionery sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon orange juice

Set an oven rack placed in the center. Do not turn on the oven yet.

In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the butter, cream cheese, and sugar on high speed until it turns a pale yellow. Reduce the speed to medium and carefully add in the eggs one at a time. Beat until the mixture is well combined. Reduce the speed to low and add in the oil and vanilla. Add ½ cup of the flour into the butter mixture. Interspersing it with ¼ cup of the milk. When all the flour and milk has been added, increase the speed to medium and beat until everything is well combined. Reduce the speed and beat until the batter is smooth. Lastly sprinkle in the salt.

With the olive oil spray, lightly coat the inside walls of a bunt pan. Carefully pour in the cake batter and gently tap it on the counter so the batter settles.

Place the bunt pan in the oven and turn on the heat to 300 F. Bake the pound cake for approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes, rotating half way. The cake is done when a toothpick or cake tester is placed in the center and comes out clean.

While the cake is cooking, prepare the icing. Combine the sugar, orange zest, and juice in a small bowl and mix until well combined and smooth. Drizzle the icing over a cooled cake and serve.

Labels: Comfort Food, Easy Desserts, pound cake