Vanilla Bean Poundcake With Muscat Macerated Fruit Recipes

MUSCAT-MACERATED FRUIT

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients with 3/4 cup water. Bring mixture to a simmer, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to dissolve sugar.
• Turn off heat, and let mixture cool. Remove vanilla bean and spices before serving.

VANILLA POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 6-cup (8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch) loaf pan; set aside.
• Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla and salt. With mixer on low, gradually add flour, beating just until combined (do not overmix).
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour (tent with aluminum foil if browning too quickly). Let cool in pan 15 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack, and turn upright to cool completely.

VANILLA BEAN POUNDCAKE WITH MUSCAT-MACERATED FRUIT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a loaf pan. Using an electric mixer, cream butter, shortening and sugar until very fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk together eggs, vanilla extract and vanilla bean scrapings (reserve bean for fruit sauce). Gradually add egg mixture to butter mixture, beating well.
• Sift together flour and salt. Add half the flour mixture to batter, and beat to combine. Add remaining flour, gently folding it in with a spatula. Scrape batter into prepared pan, and smooth the top.
• Bake cake until a tester inserted into middle comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. If top of cake seems to be getting overly browned before center is set, cover with foil, and continue baking. Let cool on a rack before inverting.
• Serve slices of poundcake topped with macerated fruit.