My daughter asked why pound cake is called pound cake. I admit, I hadn’t given this much thought until recently and even when I knew the answer it didn’t sink in until I started making pound cake. The pound signifies ingredient amounts and should simplify things. What occurs to me is excess. A pound is butter 4 sticks, flour 4 cups, and sugar 3 cups plus and 10 eggs. All this produces a large tube shaped cake.

My second pound cake came out better than the first. It’s not really a hard technique, although I’ve yet to master it. Maida says that every time she bakes this one, the chocolate creates different patterns in the lighter batter and she is always excited to see the result. This tells me something I already knew. Maida makes these cakes over and over, which of course naturally elevates her to master. She sure must have kept a huge supply of eggs, butter, sugar, and flour.