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Classic German Pound Cake (Sandkuchen)

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks plus 2 tbsp250 gunsalted buttersoftened. German butter is unsalted and has about 82 percent fat. In the US use unsalted butter (European-style unsalted butter is closest); in the UK, unsalted butter.
  • 1 ¼ cups250 ggranulated sugar
  • 4 tspvanilla sugar or vanilla bean seeds2 packets = 4 tsp (16 g). Vanilla sugar is sugar flavored with vanillin (artificial vanilla), sold in small packets of about 8 g. In the US use 1 tsp vanilla extract plus 2 tsp sugar for each 8 g packet; in the UK, vanilla sugar sachets, or 1 tsp vanilla extract plus 2 tsp sugar per sachet. Vanilla bean seeds are the tiny seeds scraped from a vanilla bean (US and UK: seeds from a vanilla bean or pod, or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste).
  • 1vanilla beanA whole vanilla pod; the seeds are scraped out and used. In the US use a vanilla bean, or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste per bean; in the UK, a vanilla pod, or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste per pod.
  • salta pinch
  • 4large eggs
  • 2 cups250 gall-purpose flourIn German recipes plain flour means soft wheat flour Type 405. In the US use all-purpose flour; in the UK, plain flour.
  • 2 tspbaking powderGerman baking powder is sold in 15 g packets, each meant for about 500 g (4 cups) of flour. Regular baking powder works in the US and UK.

Method

  1. Beat the butter, sugar, vanilla sugar or vanilla bean seeds and salt until creamy.

  2. Add the eggs one at a time.

  3. Add the flour and baking powder and stir everything together briefly.

  4. Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes, until baked through.

From German Pastry Chef. Full recipe with photos: germanpastrychef.com/recipes/classic-german-pound-cake/