Vanilla Bean Pound Cake

Ingredients

• 16 ounces butter, softened but cold, plus more for greasing
• 16 ounces sugar
• 16 ounces shelled eggs, room temperature
• Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean, or 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 16 ounces cake flour, sifted
• 1/2 tablespoon salt

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of 2 loaf pans, then add parchment so the ends stay uncovered and there is enough overhang to lift the cakes out later. For bundt pans, coat them very generously with butter and put them aside.
2. In a stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed for approximately 10 minutes, pausing often to scrape the bowl, including the bottom, and the paddle. You’re looking for a mixture that turns pale, airy, and nearly white.
3. Break all of the eggs into a pourable container, stir in the vanilla bean seeds, and add the eggs to the batter 1 at a time, beating thoroughly on high speed after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and the paddle often. After the last egg is incorporated, continue beating on high speed until the batter looks completely smooth and uniform.
4. Turn off the mixer, add the dry ingredients, and mix on the lowest speed just until the batter starts to come together. Scrape the bowl 1 more time, mix briefly on low, then take the bowl off the mixer and finish by hand. Stop as soon as the batter is smooth, since over-mixing will make the cake tough.
5. Portion the batter among the prepared pans and set them on the center rack of the 325 degrees F oven. Bake for approximately 1 hour, turning the pans at 15, 30, and 45 minutes. Move them gently and take your time so the cakes are not jostled. Check the centers with a cake tester or toothpick; it should come out clean.
6. Leave the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove them from the pans. Peel away the parchment and transfer the cakes to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely before serving.