Vanilla 'Surprise' Pound Cake

A hidden heart within the cake

 

A fluttering butterfly within the cake

A hidden number '5' for the 5th anniversary of my cell group

Last week, I celebrated my milestone birthday. Age became just a number, once it passes 21 years old. A number that I usually lose track and only comes to mind till the next birthday. LOL! 

To celebrate my birthday, I baked 3 cakes. Not for myself but to share some of the happiness with people whom I hold dear. 

It is a simple looking cake, just a plain looking pound cake. But hidden within, is a surprise that can only be revealed when the cake is sliced. 

As the cakes were given as gifts, I can only receive pictures of them when my friends slice into them to enjoy. It is a joy to know that my baked goods were well received  (that made my day) and more so how the cake turned out. This cake is so fun to make and it uses only 4 main ingredients. The idea for the cake came from here.

All Butter Vanilla Pound Cake (makes a 20cm x 10cm x 7 cm cake)

(Adapted from Martha Stewart – The perfect pound cake)

Ingredients:

227g unsalted butter, softened 

284g organic unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted

198g granulated sugar 

4 large eggs 

2 tsp pure vanilla extract 

1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius and grease and line a 20cm by 10 cm by 7 cm loaf pan.

2. Using a mixer, fitted with a ‘k’ beater, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition.

4. Stir in vanilla and salt, and then fold in the flour.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

6. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least ten minutes before inverting it onto a cooking rack.

How to assemble the cake with a number '5' hidden inside:

1. To make the colorful number ‘5’ hidden within the cake, first make a recipe as of above and divide the batter into 5 equal portion, each in a small bowl. In each bowl, add 2 drops of the following food coloring – orange, yellow, green, blue and pink. Stir the coloring gently through the batter in each bowl and pour the colored batter each into one piping bag. 
   
2. You should have 5 piping bags in total. 
   
3. Then piped the batters in squiggles throughout the pan until all the batters are used up. 
   
4. Give the pan a few taps on the counter top and bake according to the recipe. 
   
5. After the cake is baked and cooled, sliced the cake to the thickness of the cookie cutter. 
   
6. Cut out the number '5' with the cookie cutter and freeze the cut outs.
   
    
7. Make another pound cake batter and layer a little of the cake batter at the bottom of the pan, line up the cookie cutouts and insert the cutouts into the batter and pour the rest of the batter over the cut out to totally cover the colorful cutout. 
   
8. Bake as per mention by the recipe above.
   

   
    
   
   

   Isn't this a very fun cake to make? I totally enjoyed the process of making it. Hope that you can try your hand at making it and share the simple joy of food sharing.
   
   
   

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