CAKES - HIGH RATIO POUND CAKE

2 ½ cup bleached all-purpose flour

1 ¾ cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup milk

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

One 12-cup tube or Bundt pan, butter and floured

Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a heavy duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, and beat on the lowest speed for about 2 minutes, or until the ingredients are well combined.

Meanwhile, whisk all the remaining ingredients together in a mixing bowl until well combined.

Incrase the mixer speed ot medium, add one-third of the liquid ingredients, and mix for 2 minutes.  Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beater.  Add another third of the liquid, beat for 2 minutes, and scrape again.  Finally, add the remaining liquid and beat and scrape as before.

Use a large rubber spatula to give the batter a final vigorous stir, then scrape it into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake halfway between the side of the pan and the central tube emerges clean.

Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert onto the rack to finish cooling.

From Perfect Cakes by Nick Malgieri.