Where Caramel Meets Pound Cake

...and make beautiful music! Where, you may ask? In my kitchen of course. This dessert is unbelievable and I was pleasantly pleased with the outcome.

It is a dense, moist and tender cake with a delicate butterscotch flavor (thanks to the brown sugar). My husband said I should rename it the "five pound cake" because it was quite heavy. The icing was sweet, thick and luscious. It had a deep, caramel flavor (thanks to more brown sugar) that was just incredible.

I followed the recipe exactly, because I had read a review that was very adamant about following it down to the T. I was afraid if I didn't, it would be a "five pound" tragedy. Well, obviously it wasn't, but I'd tweak the icing. It is THICK and SWEET and I didn't even use as much confectioners sugar as called for. So next time-I'll use less. I am submitting the original recipe, so you can follow it or tweak it-whatever satisfies that sweet tooth. Regardless, I hope this dessert makes it onto your holiday table this year. It deserves to be featured!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and is gearing up for Christmas. I am running so behind this year! I still need to finish decorating the house. I've made sugar cookie dough, spice cookie dough and found Log House Cherry Morsels for Cherry Mash (yeah!)

Caramel Pound Cake
10-12 servings
Source: Saveur Issue #109

For the cake:
3 sticks butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
3 1/2 cups flour, plus more for pan
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. fine salt
2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups whole milk, at room temperature

For the icing:
1 stick butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1. To make the cake: Heat oven to 325º. Butter and flour a light-colored 10-inch fluted tube pan, making sure there are no clumps of butter or exposed areas in pan; set aside.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into large bowl and set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer with a paddle set on medium speed, cream 3 sticks of butter until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the light brown and white sugars and mix, stopping and scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula occasionally, until lightened and smooth, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and add eggs, one at a time, beating for about 15 seconds after each addition and scraping down the bowl occasionally, until well blended. Do not overmix. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture and 11/2 cups milk alternately, in 3 batches, beginning and ending with flour; beat until smooth, about 3 minutes total.

3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Let cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Loosen edges with a small knife, then turn onto rack to let cool completely.

4. To make the icing: Melt remaining stick of butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add dark brown sugar and whisk constantly until mixture is bubbling and smooth and butter is completely incorporated, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in remaining 1/2 cup milk. Let mixture cool. Stir in the vanilla, then gradually add the confectioners' sugar and stir until well blended and smooth. Transfer cake to a cake plate and ice with frosting. Let stand for at least 2 hours before slicing.