COLD OVEN POUND CAKE WITH FRESH WHIPPED CREAM AND BERRIES

We have been anticipating the beginning of the 2012 Summer Olympics!  Last night was the opening ceremonies, so I decided to cook an American meal to kick it off!!

Sometimes, I want to do more than I actually have time to do and yesterday was one of those days.  We just got back from a spectacular vacation to Estes Park, Colorado and the final night was spent at Red Rocks Amphitheatre seeing the amazing James Taylor!  Going to see a concert at Red Rocks was on my bucket list and the fact that James Taylor was playing there just made it perfect!!

Rocky Mountain National Park

Great Friends

Red Rocks Amphitheatre View of the Stage from the top

Before the concert

You know how it is when you get back from vacation.  The laundry needed to be done, bags needed to be unpacked, then the extra to-do things that come up and of course, I had to go to the grocery store because there was nothing to eat in the kitchen.
I knew I wanted to make something American but there was so many different directions to go.  I could go the hamburger-hot dog route, brisket-baked bean route but I decided to go southern comfort route!  Final menu....Fried Chicken, Homemade Creamy Mashed Potatoes with Cream Gravy, Fresh Purple Hull Peas, Cornbread, and Cold Oven Pound Cake with Fresh Whipped Cream and Sliced Strawberries and Blueberries! 

American Dinner for Olympic Opening Ceremonies!

But then I had, what I thought, was a really good, time-saving idea!!  Since I was running short on time, I decided to cheat!!  I bought the Fried Chicken!  Haha!  If I would've bought it myself...I think I would've put it in a pretty basket lined with a red and white checked cloth and passed it off as mine butttt I had James (my husband pick it up for me) and it was yummmmy!  I'll tackle Fried Chicken another day!!

Today, I am only going to post the recipe for the Cold-Oven Pound Cake and share how easy it is to make Fresh Whipped Cream.  I will post the recipes for Homemade Mashed Potatoes and Purple Hull Peas later this week.  

I have made this pound cake recipe for years and it is really easy and sooo good!!  And with the White of the Whipped Cream and the Red of the Strawberries and Blue of the Blueberries it made a perfect dessert to cheer on Team USA!!

Cold-Oven Pound Cake with Fresh Whipped Cream and Berries

3 cups flour

3 cups sugar

2 sticks butter, softened

1/2 cup Crisco

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon almond

1 cup milk

6 eggs

Mix all ingredients together, except eggs.

Beat eggs for 8 minutes

Add eggs to other mixture.

Grease and flour a bundt cake pan.  I spray my pan with Bakers Joy and then sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Pour cake batter into pan.

Place in a COLD OVEN and set oven to 325 degrees.

Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

NO PEEKING!

Top with fresh Whipped Cream and your choice of berries!

Fresh Whipped Cream

(this tastes like melted ice cream and is super easy to make)

1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1 tablespoons Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

Place a stainless steel bowl with your mixer beaters in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

Take bowl and beaters out of freezer and pour in whipping cream.  With mixer on low (to keep cream from being slung out of bowl) , beat until cream starts getting a little thicker. Add the powdered sugar and the vanilla, then increase speed to medium or high and continue beating until the cream is thickened like Cool Whip.  

Hint:  Don't overbeat or you will end up with butter.

ENJOY!
"Click Here For Printable Recipe"