Yield: 16 servings.
For the pound cake:
3 cups cake flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
3 sticks salted butter, softened
3 cups sugar
6 eggs at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, warmed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
For the vanilla cream cheese frosting:
6 ounces unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the pound cake: Grease and flour a 9-inch tube cake pan. Mix together flour and baking powder; set aside. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture a little at a time, alternating with buttermilk and ending with flour. Add extracts. Pour into prepared cake pan and place in cold oven. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from oven, cover with aluminum foil, and let sit until cool.
For the frosting: In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
Why does this Haywood County town have some of the cleanest water in the state? It’s the result of the community’s efforts to keep the forests in its watershed pristine.
The spectacular views in North Carolina’s High Country aren’t just inspiration for writers, painters, and sculptors. Those landscapes — the rugged gray face of Grandfather Mountain, the vibrant fall leaves, the deep green meadows — are brushstrokes on Earth’s own canvas.
The sprawling vineyards and wide-open skies that stretch for miles across seven North Carolina counties offer relaxing getaways — not to mention some of the state’s finest wines — for Sunday drivers aching to escape the rush of city life.
Nothing lasts forever — and that’s what makes many of our cherished moments so special.
