Six Flavored Pound Cake

Delicious and Tender

Six Flavored Pound Cake

When I don’t have a certain extract that this cake recipe calls for, I exchange the flavor for another. My cousin, Renee, makes a five-flavored pound cake that’s out of this world delicious. I’ve seen flavored pound cake recipes that call for as many as seven different flavors of extract. I’ve seen recipes that call for four, three, two, and of course, one flavor of extract—everything in life, really does depend on what you like…from pound cakes to men.

This is a delicious cake, with a tasty, crusty top, and a moist and tender crumb. People won’t know what combination of spices you’ve put in the cake; the extracts meld together nicely, and form one amazing flavor.

For The Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup vegetable shortening
3 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon rum flavored extract
1 teaspoon butter flavored extract
3 cups sifted cake flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup evaporated milk

For The Six Flavor Glaze
¼ cup water
½ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon coconut extract
½ teaspoon rum flavored extract
½ teaspoon butter flavored extract

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube or Bundt pan. Tap out the excess flour. Set the pan aside.
To make the cake, in a large bowl, combine the unsalted butter and vegetable shortening, Cream the mixture together, until it is smooth and creamy. Beat in the granulated sugar until the ingredients are light and fluffy. Add the large eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla, lemon, almond, coconut, rum, and butter extracts, blending well, after each extract addition. In a separate bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together the ingredients until they are thoroughly combined. Gradually, add the flour mixture alternately with the evaporated milk, to the unsalted butter mixture. Begin with the flour mixture and end with it. Mix well. Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan. Place the pan in the preheated 325-degree oven. Bake the cake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the cake is cooked through, and the top of it springs back when you lightly touch it with your fingertips. Remember, every woman’s oven cooks differently. Take the cake out of the oven. Let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Take the cake out of the pan. Place it, right side up, on the wire rack. Put a sheet of waxed paper beneath the rack to catch the glaze drippings. Prick the top of the cake with the tines of a fork. Carefully spoon the Six Flavor Glaze on top of the warm cake. Let the glaze soak in, and drizzle down the sides of the cake. Let the glazed cake rest for about 15 to 20 minutes, before carefully moving it to a cake platter. Let the cake cool completely before serving.

To make the six flavored glaze, while the cake is baking, in a heavy saucepan, combine the water and granulated sugar over low heat. Stir constantly, until the granulated sugar has dissolved. Add the vanilla extract, lemon extract, almond extract, coconut extract, rum flavored extract, and butter flavored extract. Over low heat, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, until the ingredients are combined and fragrant. NOTE: Some cooks prefer to glaze their six flavored cakes while they are cooling in the pan. When the cake is completely cooled—in the pan—they remove the cake, glazed side up—and transfer it to a cake platter. Also, the glaze is an important component of the deliciousness of the cake. I know the addition of all of those extracts sounds a little bizarre, but they really do come together nicely. You can omit some of the flavorings, or change them to lesser amounts, but do not omit them altogether.

Makes One 10-inch tube or Bundt cake