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1
Soften the butter in a microwave.
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2
Microwave at 500 W for about 15-20 seconds.
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3
Preheat the oven to 160C.
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4
In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric handheld mixer until it's pale.
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5
1-2 minutes should be enough.
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6
Add the eggs and continue mixing with the electric mixer.
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7
The butter and eggs may separate, but do not worry!
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8
Sift in the flour and fold it in with a wooden spatula.
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9
If you are adding baking powder, add it at this point.
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10
Pour the batter into the parchment paper-lined pound cake pan.
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11
Drop the pan on to the table to remove any trapped air.
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12
Make the center of the batter a little lower than the rest of it, and make sure to fill all 4 corners.
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13
Bake it at 160C for about 40 minutes.
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14
If you make a slit in the middle of the batter with a knife when the surface begin to brown, the pound cake will split at the top beautifully!
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15
Insert a wooden skewer and if it comes out clean, it is done!
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16
Drizzle in some rum into the crack if desired.
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17
Take it out of the pan and cool it off.
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18
It tastes better the next day or later as the flavor permeates though the cake.
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19
Variation - Sake lees pound cake: The flavor of the sake lees and the butter is a perfect match!
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20
Variation - Raisin pound cake: After Step 5, add the same weight of rum-soaked raisins as the weight of the eggs.
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21
Dark cherry chocolate pound cake: At Step 5, add some rum-soaked dark cherries and 20 g pure cocoa powder!
