Shamrock Surprise Pound Cake (recipe)

I am always a day late and a dollar short when it comes to holiday decorating. In fact, one Christmas we almost only had lights on the tree...but I am trying and for March, I am finally keeping up (kind of) with my holidays! Last week I shared the Rainbow Bunting...and now a sweet treat!

On EVERY SINGLE Valentines Day, I have multiple requests to make the Heart Surprise Pound Cake. It is always a HUGE hit. Then I got to thinking...which always causes me trouble...I need a rainbow pound cake...with a shamrock! Well, the rainbow part was kind of a hot mess, but the shamrock part worked out just fine!

This is EASY! I had zero problem making the "Heart Surprise Pound Cake" and zero problem making the Shamrock Surprise Pound Cake I am not a precision baker or decorator, so if I can do it, so can you!

Shamrock Surprise Pound Cake

Ingredients: THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO MAKE THIS POUND CAKE!
You can make this from scratch pound cake or use a mix.

MIX OPTION:
I used BETTY CROCKER POUND CAKE MIX FOR THIS RECIPE (and the necessary ingredients for making it - eggs, water, butter). I made this with a homemade pound cake, and with a mix...but I generally get enough shamrocks out of a loaf (of green cake) to make 2 complete loaves (so you might want to buy two boxes so you can make two loaves). Follow directions on the box to mix and bake your recipe.

OR
From Scratch 

Classic Pound Cake recipe from Martha Stewart (see below)

• 4 sticks (1 lbs. butter)
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 1/4 cups flour
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 9 eggs, beaten 
• food coloring: green (or your choice of colors)
• small shamrock cookie cutter (mine is about 1.5-2") 
• Shamrock cookie cutter

BAKE IT!

• Preheat the oven to 325F 
• Grease and flour 2 loaf pans (9 x 5)
• In a mixer, beat butter and sugar together.
• Add vanilla
• Add beaten eggs
• Mix salt and flour; add in 3-4 separate batches to the butter mixture.
• Divide the batter as follows, for coloring:
• 2 Cups +/- for green
• Remaining batter is left as is.
• If You use a mix: Divide the batter as follows, for coloring: 1 1/2 Cups +/- for green. The rest is for the cake.

• Grease and flour one 9 x 5 loaf pan for the green cake 
• Bake the green batter for 45 minutes 
• Remove from oven, let cool completely. 
• Slice the green pound cake into 1/2" slices. On each slice, use the cookie cutter to cut your shamrocks. I was able to get 2 shamrocks from each slice (with plenty of extra pound cake to snack on or use for a second loaf 

• Prepare a second 9 x 5 or loaf pan by greasing and flouring it.
• Spread your uncolored batter in the bottom of the pan, about 1 1/2"-2" deep.
• Leave a space about the width of a shamrock (or slice of bread) on each end of the load, then gently position your shamrocks in the center of the (uncooked) batter, touching each other.

• Once done, pour the remaining batter around the sides of the shamrocks and over the top of the shamrocks. 
• Bake for 55 to 60 minutes.
• Remove from oven.
• Let cool completely.  

Cute, No? 

Some Notes:

When I use a homemade pound cake,

my shamrocks tend to rise to the top like the above photo.

When I use a mix, they tend to stay down...like this...

How do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day? 


Here's a few more projects to celebrate St. Patrick's Day 

A Felt Shamrock

 

A Rainbow Bunting

And here's that cute Heart Surprise Pound Cake to file away for next year! 

 

This post is written and created at 504 Main by Holly Lefevre