The Pound Cake’s name originates in the 18th Century in Europe, where the original recipe meant a pound’s weight of each ingredient. This recipe would give you quite a big cake, so later recipes tended to stick to the ratio of equal parts of ingredients but less then a pound. Technically, the pound cake would have weighed 4 pounds.
Today, pound cakes you buy in the store will most likely be lighter, have a more buttery consistency and might have different ingredients. In France, for example, you can find them with chocolate or lemon juice.
Making a pound cake is very easy and you could stick to the traditional recipe or try different ones. If you want it to be lighter, you can whisk the eggs first and then add some baking powder. You could also try making it with sour cream instead of butter, which will make the cake very moist. Adding some vanilla extract in the mixture and some sprinkles on top can only add to the cake.
