AMERICAN CAKE

I made this cake for our last quarterly party. Yes, its true usually at keg parties there is not cake provided, but I always hate being disappointed by the fact that cake and keg sound vaguely familiar...therefore, the america cake!

Vanilla Lime Poundcake: adapted from here

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 limes, zest and juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease and flour a standard 9-inch loaf pan. Set aside. Or, if you want to make the flag cake, use a rectangular pan that's a little bit bigger.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the lime zest, lime juice, and vanilla extract.

Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir until the dry ingredients are just incorporated. Note, you can add baking soda (1/2 tsp) if you want it to be a little bit fluffier. However, this makes it pretty poofy at first, so do not be alarmed.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake for 60 – 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (or with a few wet crumbs). Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 – 10 minutes. Then, take the cake out of the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.