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Five Things to Do with an Entenmann's All Butter Loaf Cake

Posted by Grace Kang, August 26, 2009 at 9:00 AM

Or what I like to call, POUNDCAKESMASH!

[Robyn Lee]

Oh, All Butter Loaf of my youth! Some of us in the Serious Eats office had the good fortune of living a mere five minutes away from an Entenmann's outlet as a child. A national brand originating in Brooklyn circa 1898, Entenmann's is now a ubiquitous part of drugstore and supermarket displays.

You can always spot that special section decked out with the Original Recipe Chocolate Chip Cookies, All Butter Loaves, and Crumb Cakes. In my eyes, they were a step up from Zebra Cakes and Honey Buns, my typical after-school snacks, but of course incomparable to home baking.

(Microwave a Honey Bun for thirty seconds, unwrap, and enjoy in silent bliss while watching Full House or The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and you will have experienced being Grace Kang, age 10.)

The Entenmann's outlet holds a dear place in my heart, not only because the founder William Entenmann lived in my hometown, but it was where my mom let me pick out two items to take to the register. As a de facto only child, two whole containers of baked goods made for a tremendous amount of riches. Prices at the outlets are well below retail so everything feels like the best deal ever. The experience of being in a room surrounded by blue and white Entenmann's boxes containing various baked goods is totally recommended.

My all-time favorite item will always be the All Butter Loaf, also known simply as pound cake in my family. The ever-so-soft moistness, the eerily golden brown top, and the loaf ends—so delicious I never minded eating them. It's such an incredibly versatile loaf and can act as a base to many desserts.

When I'm looking for something simple, endlessly adaptable, and readily available—and apparently I'm not the only one—I turn to the All Butter Loaf. Here are my five favorite preparations and if you're in the mood to try any of them, I suggest seeking out an Entenmann's outlet store near you.

Honeyed Carrot Topping

With a surplus of small carrots from the farmers' market, I turned to a sweet application. Lightly sautéed, the carrots add an earthy sweet crunch to the honey-butter mixture. Lovely with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Honeyed Carrot Topping

- serves 2 -

Ingredients

2 small carrots
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
Salt
Ground cinnamon

Procedure

1. Wash and peel carrots. Trim off the ends and then slice the carrots into very thin coins, about the thickness of a nickel.

2. Saute the carrot coins in butter over medium heat for a minute or two so they just lose their raw snap.

3. Turn heat to medium-low and add the honey to the pan. Let it heat through and mingle with the butter. Add a pinch of salt. Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Fondue

Offering both toasted and untoasted All Butter Loaf chunks makes for a nice comparison when fondue-ing.

Lemon and Cream Parfait

I'm a die-hard curd freak and will look for any excuses to exceed my quota. Here, the lemon curd adds a pleasing sharpness to the smooth background of whipped cream and strawberries.

Toasted with Fig Preserves and Honey

Toasting the cake so it becomes a bit crusty adds a different dimension of warm, buttery flavor. For a breakfast snack or late afternoon delight, toast and spread with Nutella, dulce de leche, jam, or even more butter. Basically, anything that you like to eat and need a vehicle for doing so works here.

Strawberry Shortcake

I'll admit this is a traditional standby that I prefer to versions that use biscuits. You can choose to macerate the strawberries with a bit of sugar, but it isn't necessary if they're in season. I used to add vanilla to the whipped cream but i leave it out here to truly get the strawberries and cream melding of flavor.

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Tags: cakes, carrots, desserts, Entenmann's, lemon curd, pound cake, shortcakes, strawberries