Vanilla Pound Cake

Ingredients & Measurements
3 cups (450g)all purpose flour
2 tsp. (8g) baking powder
1 tsp. (6g) salt
1 ½ cups (320g) granulated sugar
1 cup (000) (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 large eggs, room temperature and separated
1 cup (245/8oz/250ml) whole milk
2 tsp. (8g) vanilla extract
1 tbsp. (20g) vanilla bean paste

Optional Toppings:
Powdered Sugar
Strawberries
Chocolate Sauce
Whipped Cream

Instructions:
Step 1: Prepare the Bundt Cake and Preheat Oven
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare the bundt pan by greasing the inside with butter. Then spray the entire inside of the pan with non-stick cooking spray and add 1-2 tbsp of flour and tap the pan to coat the entire inside with flour. Dump out any excess flour. 

Step 2: Make the Cake Batter
Crack the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. Add the whites to a medium bowl. Using clean whisks on a hand mixer, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set the egg whites to the side. 
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy 4-5 minutes. You want to add a lot of air to the butter and dissolve the sugar as much as possible. Beat the egg yolks into the butter mixture. Then add the vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste and mix to combine.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the milk. Starting and ending with the flour. Once all of the flour has been mixed in, fold in the egg whites. Try not to deflate the egg whites.

Step 3: Bake Cake
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and tap the pan lightly on a flat surface, this will help bring any bubbles in the cake batter to the top. This will also help level the dough in the pan evenly. 

Bake for 50 minutes and check for doneness. You will see the cake puff up and brown. If the cake is browning too fast, lightly tent with foil and continue to bake.

Once the cake is done, remove the pan from the oven and place on a cooling rack. While the cake is still warm, run a butter knife carefully around the outside of the cake and the pan, this will help release the cake from the pan. 

Step 4: Turn the Cake out of the Pan
Once the cake has cooled for 20 minutes and you are able to handle the cake pan without burning yourself it is time to remove the cake from the pan. Place a cooling rack on top of the cake, then turn over to invert the cake onto the cooling rack. Let the cake cool completely, sprinkle it with powdered sugar, then enjoy!

**Notes**
Store cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. To freeze, wrap in plastic wrap, place in a large freezer bag and freeze for up to 60 days. To thaw out, place frozen bundt cake in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for 2 -3 hours.