Parmesan Pound Cake

i know i've said this more than a few times lately..but...

this is another one of my new favorites

PARMESAN POUND CAKE !!!

i agree, this does sound a bit odd, but it totally works...it more than works
it's moist, it's dense...very surprisingly light in flavor and...

IT'S DELICIOUS !!!

this fabulous recipe was impressively obtained by a fellow blogger after she tried it at the restaurant Metrovino in Portland Oregon. many kudos out to Susan S. Bradley at lunacafe.com...AND the chef that handed over the recipe. sometimes we just get to enjoy the food at a restaurant never to have it again, but she loved it so much she begged the owner for the recipe. i was so happy she did. ..AND so kind of Chef de Cuisine Gabrielle Quiñónez because there are many many chefs out there who covet their recipes so that no one can duplicate it.
i am quite sure that i, in no way, have duplicated it, but mine DID come out quite spectacular. it reminded me of these little muffin cakes i made a while back called "Quesadillas" or Sweet Cheese Bread. did i post about those?...i don't think so. i should have...they were eaten too fast. this recipe intrigued me because not only were these little cakes called "quesadillas", but they also had a sweet and savory factor. these cheesy muffins are also made with Parmesan AND loads of butter!...a breakfast staple and any-time treat that is very popular in El Salvador.

on with THIS cake...did i mention i LOVE it?!...really a must try. the recipe is pretty easy and the original with comments can be found here. i chose to add just a touch of lemon zest for a little zip and acidity. for service?...this is a pound cake!...pound cakes go with just about anything and can be eaten any time. it's absolutely at it's peak a few hours after baking, but can be kept out covered over night or in the fridge for a few days and brought to room temp for service. BTW...it sliced very clean with a little chill on it (for presentation purposes)

PARMESAN POUND CAKE

recipe from Metrovino Restaurant in Portland,

found The Luna Cafe.com...obtained by Susan S. Bradley

preheat oven to 350 F. butter and lightly flour two 8 x 8 metal cake pans or one 9 x 12 or 9 x 13 metal baking pan...i used a 9 x 13

2 cups unbleached AP flour (10 oz.)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese...fine NOT shredded

1 cup butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

6 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups creme fraiche, room temperature (or substitute 1 cup cream and 1 cup sour cream combined)

1/2 cup cream cheese

zest of 1 lemon...my add in...optional, but delicious

sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl

whisk in Parmesan. set aside

cream together the butter and sugar in a mixer for about 5 minutes

add eggs one at a time at medium speed, mixing well after each addition

add cream cheese and zest of 1 lemon...mix until smooth

on slowest speed, alternate adding the creme fraiche and flour mixture, ending with the flour mixture...do not over mix

pour the cake batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. tap the pan down sharp;y on the counter a couple of times to release any air bubbles

bake at 350 F for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick come out clean. i used NON confection at 350F and it was done at 45 minutes. let cool

invert the completely cool cake onto cutting board...i let it sit there for a while to completely...i say completely cool. you don't want the cake to sweat if you are storing it in the pan...so then i flipped it right side up onto parchment paper and back into it's cleaned out baking pan...i knew it was not going to be eaten up that day. my baking pan has a nice cover and i LOVE parchment.

this recipe is pretty large and goes a long way. what you don't eat will keep very well in the fridge for about a week...just let it come back to room temp because it's quite dense when cold.

serve as-is or with fresh berries, ice cream, creme anglaise, a little sprig of basil was nice...

how ever you serve it, i'm sure this will be a big winner.