Swedish Brandy Butter Pound Cake

This recipe is from my cookbook, "The Great Scandinavian Baking Book," (Beatrice Ojakangas):

Swedish Brandy Butter Pound Cake

Note from author:

"Although the name is literally translated "sand cake," this cake is really not dry and sandy but is rich and buttery with an even crumb. The original recipe is made with potato flour, but I tried it with cake flour, which resulted in a delicately textured, smooth-grained pound cake."

1 cup butter, room temp.

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

2 T. brandy

2 cups cake flour

2 tsp. baking powder

4 T. water

powdered sugar

Butter a 9 inch fancy tube-type pan. Dust with flour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until smooth and blended. Add the eggs (Lois' note: I would have the eggs at room temp, too, as the cold eggs encourage the butter to separate & lump-up.) and brandy and beat until light and lemon colored. Combine the flour and baking powder. Mix into cake batter and beat until smooth and light, adding water a tablespoon at a time. Pour into prepared pan & bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, let cool into pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack & cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy!