pound cake

What goes better together than lemon and poppy seed? Ericairis has a suggestion: lemon, poppy seed, and blueberry sauce.

The homemade blueberry sauce was a perfect complement to the bright flavors of the lemon-poppy seed cake. 

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Although it can be enjoyed all year long, I crave pound cake during the warmer months. Thick slices are transformed into a spectacular dessert when caramelized on the grill. Thin pieces become moist when smothered with fresh berries and fluffy whipped cream. Chunks can be layered with custard and stone fruit in a trifle or simply topped with ice cream and sauce in a sundae. With classic pound cake, the dessert possibilities are endless! Traditionally a pound cake was made with a pound each of flour, sugar, and butter, but nowadays, the recipe is a little different. Once you've mastered the technique you can experiment not only with the final preparations, but with mix-ins as well. Stir in fresh citrus zest, different flavored extracts or liqueurs, chocolate chips, etc. But first: here's the basic recipe.

I love pound cake, and ever since I've been old enough to eat it, I've wondered: where did it get that name?

In my childhood I speculated if it weighed a pound, or whether it would cause me to put on a pound or two. But that's actually not where the name comes from. Pound cake, which originated in Europe in the first half of the 18th century, initially weighed four pounds. That's because it called for a pound of each of four ingredients — flour, butter, eggs, and sugar — hence the name.

The recipe produced something far larger than what a modern-day family would consume — an amount over twice the volume of most loaf pans. Traditional recipes, therefore, preserve the simple ratio, but serve a much smaller quantity than the original recipe; in contemporary times, most have modified the recipe for a lighter, richer dessert with a prominent butter flavor. In France, where some argue the pound cake originated, the name of the original cake has stuck as well. There, it's called quatre-quarts, or "four quarts," a quart referring to a pound.

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Source: Flickr User asha susan

On Sunday evening, the stars in attendance at the Governors Ball, the official afterparty to the Oscars, will be enjoying baked Alaska with espresso glace, Guittard L’Etoile du Nord chocolate sorbet and toasted meringue for dessert. Although it sounds incredibly fancy, a baked Alaska is quite simply an ice cream cake topped with meringue. Take some help from the grocery store and you can serve this elegant treat to friends at your Oscars viewing party. All you have to do is follow this easy — yes, easy — recipe for individual baked Alaskas. Use your favorite flavor of ice cream, or to be authentic, a rich chocolate sorbet. Sound delish? Here's the recipe.

Just because they don't eat meat or diary, doesn't mean vegans don't enjoy sweets. When hosting a vegan dinner — like the one I'm making for my detoxing sister and friends this weekend — do serve dessert.

Instead of using eggs, this easy vanilla pound cake with lime glaze, calls for silken tofu. It's a good substitute for vegan baked goods that results in a moist, soft-textured cake.

The recipe is adaptable, if you don't have limes on hand, simply use lemons or orange as any citrus goes well with pound cake. To look at the make-in-advance recipe, read more