Pineapple Pound Cake

1. Generously grease and flour a 10-inch, one-piece tube cake pan or Bundt pan.

2. Put 3/4 cup of undrained pineapple with its juice in a small bowl; set aside.

3. Drain remaining pineapple and measure 1 cup of drained crushed pineapple; set aside.

4. In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the shortening and 1 cup of butter until smooth, about 2 minutes.

5. Gradually beat in the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, or about 3 to 4 minutes.

6. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Do not overbeat.

7. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder and blend thoroughly.

8. Add one-third of the dry mixture to the creamed mixture and about half of the milk; blend well. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture and the remaining milk; blend well. Beat in the remaining flour mixture just until well blended.

9. Add the vanilla extract and the reserved 3/4 cup of undrained pineapple with juice; stir to blend.

10. Pour the batter into the prepared tube cake pan.

11. Place the cake in the unheated oven. Turn on the oven to 325 F and bake for 1 1/2 hours (do not preheat), or until a long wooden pick comes out clean when inserted into the center. 

12. Let the cake stand for about 5 minutes in the pan on a rack.

13. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen and then carefully remove the cake to a rack.

14. Combine 1/4 cup of butter, the confectioners' sugar, and the remaining 1 cup drained pineapple. Pour the pineapple sauce over the cake while it is still hot.

Tips

• For best results, have ingredients at room temperature before starting. If the eggs are cold, place them in a bowl of hot tap water and let them stand for 4 to 5 minutes.  

• When creaming the butter and sugar, beat for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until very light and fluffy. This pound cake includes some baking powder, but it also depends on the air you beat into the fat and sugar for a good rise.

• When you beat each egg into the batter, beat until the yellow yolk is no longer visible before adding the next egg.

• Wrap and store a pound cake at room temperature for three to four days or refrigerate for up to seven days. For longer storage, wrap the untopped cake and freeze for up to six months.