This might be a weird/dumb question but it's something I've often wondered - Why aren't pound cakes the norm for cake decorating, or at least for carved cakes? It seems like everyone wants a dense, sturdy, yet moist cake that will stand up to the weight of fondant/carving. Isn't that what pound cake gives you? Is it just too rich? Too heavy, poundage wise? Does it not bake well in a cake pan? I notice they're usually in a bundt or loaf pan.
I thought maybe it's because it doesn't go well with frosting, but if it was covered in fondant and filled with a fruit type filling, I think that would be tasty (w/the fondant peeled off).
Does anyone here use pound cakes for decorating?

About 25 years ago, pound cake was a popular choice around here for wedding cake. Beautifully decorated and delicious. I was pricing wedding cakes then, and the pound cake option was more expensive. Back then.

I offer a pound cake option, but a lot of people don't go for it...I think its the texture. People like "soft" cake. (I think everyone is just use to mixes) I do kind of like a in the middle cake..its not as dense but can stand up to carving. Pound cake is also a lot more expensive to make.

I love pound cake but they always turn out very dry. I hate a dry cake. Do you have any tips on making a pound cake moist???

That's what I've heard too - that some people find some pound cakes dry. That seems to be the turn-off.

We had an almond pound wedding cake with chocolate hazelnut filling and it was fabulous.

Heather
Oh....off topic: tracey 1970.....my baby has the same birthday as yours, one year earlier....Oct 4, 2005. Hope you are making fun plans.

I think people have gotten used to the mix cakes over the years. I would love it if people would go back to the pound cake type of cakes. They taste so much better to me.

Does anyone have a good pound cake recipe to share?

I guess because I live in the south, I still have a lot of customers who like pound cake. Most recipes are basically the same. What I do is bake mine at 335 degrees. It takes a little longer, but the outside doesn't dry out before the inside is done. Then once it is done I turn it out onto a cardboard round covered in foil and immediately cover with saran wrap. This makes the steam from the cake go back into the cake. It works well for me and I have a lot of fans for the pound cake.

The first time around, I had a pound cake that was yummy! I think pound cake is a southern thing.
Leslie

Pound cakes are usually pretty moist, but we can always brush it with some syrup, and they slice wonderfully well.

I used the Butter Vanilla Pound Cake recipe I found here for my son's thomas the train cake. It was excellent! Very moist and tasty. It tasted very good with the bc icing. It was also very dense and perfect for carving and shaping. It held up so well, that I didn't even have to dowel the cake. I will absolutely use it again.

Here's the most delicious pound cake recipe that I've ever found:

Sour Cream Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a (8- by 4-inch) loaf pan or any other (6-cup) pan; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine sugar and butter, and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated before adding the next.

Sift together cake flour and baking powder, then add, a little at a time, to sugar and butter mixture, alternating with the sour cream. Add vanilla and beat to combine thoroughly.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a tester inserted into center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before inverting onto a greased wire rack.

Interesting.... I've never had a dry pound cake. But I've yet to make my own. sarah0418, I will have to try that recipe - thanks for the tip.
I wonder what would happen if I combined a cake mix with that scratch pound cake recipe. See, I would want something in between, too - or maybe leaning a little bit more towards pound cake consistency. There are cake mix extending recipes that claim to be dense like pound cake but I don't see it! Maybe it's just been a while since I've had plain ol' fluffy cake mix cake.

I actually do have a White Chocolate Pound Cake that I use quite often. It's not dry at all, but is a sturdy cake. Lately I have mainly used it for cakes such as stand-up doll cakes, a cap cake, and other 3-D cakes. It actually would work well as a wedding cake.

When I bake a Duncan Hines Yellow or Devil's Food cake, I always use the pound cake recipe found on the side of the box, which includes adding a box of pudding mix. Granted, it is a box mix, not a "true" pound cake, but people just rave about how moist and flavorful they are. (I live in the south if you're wondering). It does result in a dense cake, but people here tend to like it.

I do have my grandmother's scratch pound cake recipe, which is probably 50 - 60 years old - maybe older. I've never tried it, but probably should. I usually bake cakes for others so I rely on what I know works. I guess I'll just have to break down and bake a cake for my family. Unlike many of you who have families who are no longer interested in cake, mine complains constantly that I never bake for them!

I have tried some of the recipes that call for a box mix to be added with the pudding mix as well. They are very moist and dense.

I have an order for a sheet cake next week, they want pound cake with cream cheese icing. The cream cheese icing is wonderful with pound cake but I am trying to decide what pound cake to use. I make a sour cream and cream cheese pound. What about a vanilla? Any one got a suggestion? or recipe? This customer is an older women and she always did business with a lady here that made cakes but that woman has got out of business a year or more ago (due to age). This lady has been doing business with me for several months, she is very nice and has been very pleased with all the cakes I have done. But she order this cake for next week and she told me that the other lady always did these cakes for her and wanted me to do one (pound cake with cream cheese icing). I just don't want to disappoint her.

I have wondered about using pound cakes myself... After watching a lot of the cake shows on tv, especially the newest one on WE.. Amazing Wedding Cakes.... it looks like many of them are using pound cakes. Does anyone know what type cake they are using?

I am in the south and a lot of wedding cakes are pound cake here. I personally do not like the heaviness of a pound cake but I guess for stacking the dense cake works good. I do prefer the WASC to a pound cake, thats just me.

But when you find a good moist pound cake, lemon is the best to me, it does make a pretty cake.

prpllead - isn't that funny? Yes, I am in the process of planning Colette's 2nd b-day cake. I have high hopes for it, but I am not a pro baker. I will do the best I can, but if you don't see any pics of it after next weekend, you'll know it didn't turn out! Fingers crossed!

I made my first pound cake last week. The couple wanted a 12" strawberry shortcake. I used frozen strawberries because I wanted the juice to soak into the cake. Then I used SMBC, and covered in MMF. They absouletly loved it. The cake was for a outdoor rehersal dinner. The SMBC locked in all the juice from the strawberries, and I got no leakage. I will defientely do this again.