Pound Cake

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat the bottom and sides of the loaf pan with cooking spray.

   Step 2

   Place the butter in a small saucepan or skillet with a light-colored bottom to make golden butter. Warm the butter over medium heat until it melts and begins to bubble, swirling the pan occasionally. Cook the butter, swirling often so it cooks evenly, until it is golden and the milk solids are caramel colored, 3 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat. Working quickly so the butter doesn’t continue to cook, weigh out 250 grams (or measure about 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons) of the butter and transfer it to a bowl; set aside to cool to room temperature. (Reserve the remaining butter for another use.)

   Step 3

   Stir the flour, milk powder, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.

   Step 4

   Separate the eggs, dropping the yolks into the bowl of a stand mixer and the whites into a small bowl. Set the whites aside.

   Step 5

   Add the vanilla and 200 grams (1 cup) of the sugar to the bowl with the egg yolks. Place the bowl on the stand, fit with the whisk, and beat on medium speed until the mixture is pale yellow and thick enough so that it creates a ribbon-like pattern that doesn’t immediately melt into the surface, 3 to 5 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula whenever ingredients are accumulating. With the mixer on medium- low speed, drizzle in the butter, making sure each addition is incorporated before adding more. (At this point, the mixture will look goopy and wrong; it’s not. Forge ahead!) Stop the mixer, remove the whisk and bowl from the stand, and wash and dry the whisk. Scrape the batter into a large wide bowl and wash and thoroughly dry the bowl of the stand mixer. Add one-third of the flour to the bowl with the batter and stir with a rubber spatula to combine. Add another third of the flour and fold it in. Add the remaining flour and stir with the rubber spatula until no flour is visible, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

   Step 6

   Place the egg whites in the clean stand mixer bowl and fit the mixer with the whisk. Beat the whites on medium speed until they are foamy, 1½ to 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until soft peaks form, 1½ to 2 minutes. Increase the speed to high, and with the mixer running, gradually add the remaining 50 grams (¼ cup) sugar and mix until the peaks are stiff and shiny but not dry, 1½ to 2 minutes. Stop the mixer, remove the whisk and bowl from the stand, and tap the whisk against the bowl to remove the egg whites.

   Step 7

   Using the rubber spatula, scoop two-thirds of the egg whites into the bowl with the batter and vigorously stir them into the batter, turning the bowl with one hand while quickly and aggressively stirring the whites into the batter with the other. Add the batter back to the stand mixer bowl with the remaining egg whites and fold them into the batter until no streaks of egg whites remain. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.

   Step 8

   Bake the cake on the center rack of the oven until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 60 to 70 minutes, rotating the cake from front to back halfway through the baking time. Remove the cake from the oven and set it aside to cool slightly.

   Step 9

   To remove the cake from the pan, place a cake round on top of the pan. Invert the cake onto the round and set aside to cool completely. Wrap the pound cake in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature until you’re ready to serve it, ideally until the following day. (You can serve the pound cake immediately, but I think it is at its best after it’s rested overnight wrapped in plastic wrap.)