Come to think of it, you might end up looking around the room and find a good number of people with the same idea. After all, everyone loves a pound cake, and it’s something easy to pick up on the way if you’re driving by a supermarket.

Although it’s particularly favored in the Southwest, the pound cake is often served at picnics and get-togethers throughout the United States. It’s no wonder that bakers and gourmet chefs alike often applaud the dense, moist, and tasty pound cake as the “World’s greatest cake.”

But how often do you see a homemade pound cake anymore?

No matter how many luncheons or potlucks you attend, the pound cake served usually has a price tag from the local supermarket attached to the bottom of the tin. This is rather interesting when you consider how the pound cake got its name.

The pound cake’s popularity rose from early 18th century Britain, when few could read and write, but many could easily recite the pound cake’s recipe: one pound each of sugar, flour, butter and eggs.

And even though American bakers created a lighter pound cake recipe, they didn’t deviate very far from the original. Even today the basic recipe for pound cake is quite simple to make. To create a basic or a gourmet style variation, all you need is a good recipe and some good cake baking tips.

Once you can bake a great pound cake, you’ve got a fantastic ingredient and even foundation for several other desserts as well! For example, chefs often use pound cake is often used in trifle, bread pudding and French toast.

For you next potluck, show up with a pound cake that’s sure to stand out from the crowd. To achieve this, replace about half of the recipe’s granulated sugar with brown sugar, but don’t replace the butter with margarine. Use fresh, natural ingredients!

Then while your pound cake is still warm from the oven, drizzle caramel rum sauce over the top, allowing it to drip down the sides. You’ll be crowned queen (or king) of the potluck desserts!

And, here’s a great recipe for you:

Cream Cheese Pound Cake