In Search of: THE PERFECT POUND CAKE

I may not have it in me to make the perfect pound cake but I haven't given up yet. As I have talked to great cooks, here are some of the suggestions I have gotten:

1. Start with a cold oven.
2. Start with a preheated oven.
3. Use only unsalted butter.
4. Any butter will do. Don't use margarine.
5. Margarine will do.
6. Start with all ingredients at room temp.
7. It doesn't matter what temp the eggs are.
8. Spray the pan.
9. Never use spray in the pan. Always grease and flour the pan.
10. Only use an old tube pan. Never use a bundt pan.
11. Only use a bundt pan - the cheaper, the better.
12. Use only cake flour.
13. Use only plain flour.
14. Don't over-beat the batter. Just beat it until it looks right.
15. Beat the hell out of the batter.
16. Undercook it just a bit to get the "sad streak."
17. Never undercook your cake. You will get that nasty sad streak.
18. Don't walk in the kitchen while the cake is baking.
19. Don't open the oven door while the cake is baking.
20. Nothing really matters but how much LOVE you put in the cake.
    

Great cooks use terms like "looks right" and "little bit." They use definites like always and never. They know when it "smells done."

I think I should now keep trying and quit asking. Then one day when I have found my way to do it just the way I want it, I'm going to find me someone who just bought a new KitchenAid mixer and confuse the hell out of 'em!