ORIGINAL POUND CAKE

Take a pound of butter, beat it in an earthen pan with your hand one way, till it is like fine thick cream; then have ready twelve eggs, but half the whites; beat them well, and beat them up with the butter, a pound of flour beat in, a pound of sugar and a few carraways. Beat all well together for an hour with your hand, or a great wooden spoon, butter a pan and put it in, and then bake it an hour in a quick oven. For change you may put in a pound of currants, cleaned, washed and picked.

This recipe appeared in “Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy,” 1747

POUND CAKE

One pound sugar, one pound butter, one pound flour, ten eggs, rose water one gill, spices to our taste; watch it well, it will bake in a slow oven in 15 minutes.

This recipe appeared in “American Cookery,” 1796.

COLD OVEN POUND CAKE

2 sticks butter
½ c. Crisco
¼ tsp. salt
3 c. sugar
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
3 c. flour
5 eggs
6 oz. ca...