One Of Carla Hall's Favorite Desserts Is Packed With Five Unexpected Flavors That Just Work

Carla Hall is a master chef known for her unique family friendly recipes and joyful approach to cooking. While her on-screen career took off with her appearances on "Top Chef" and later, "The Chew," she has always been committed to a cooking philosophy that highlights both her Southern roots and French-style cooking expertise. As a matter of fact, one of Hall's favorite recipes has been passed down from generation to generation and combines five bright and distinct ingredients.

In a recent interview with AllRecipes about holiday baking, Hall advised readers to choose recipes that are tried and true favorites. In Hall's case, she skips all store-bought pound cakes and instead, prepares her grandma's simple pound cake recipe which includes five different flavor extracts including vanilla, rum, lemon, coconut, and almond. While this pound cake, like most variations, is primarily made of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs, the addition of five flavor extracts make an extra delicious, sweet-smelling treat.

More specifically, the combination of coconut and rum essence gives this cake a mild tropical bite while the addition of almond, vanilla, and lemon make it warm and inviting. Though, apart from adding one teaspoon of each extract to the batter, Hall also tops this freshly baked dessert with a simple glaze made of powdered sugar, water, and a little extra vanilla and rum extract. Better yet, to further make this family recipe a one-of-a-kind classic, Hall takes a few extra steps to ensure the finished product is extra moist and delicious.

Specifically, when it comes to the batter, Carla Hall incorporates a full cup of sour cream to produce a soft and tender crumb. Her recipe also calls for six eggs, which add both moisture and flavor. In terms of baking, Hall follows a low and slow protocol to give her recipe a bit more texture. While you can certainly bake your version of this recipe for an hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, Hall likes to pop her cake in the oven (without pre-heating) and cook it slightly longer at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. In doing so, the cake becomes slightly firm and forms a crust-like exterior while the innermost portion stays soft and moist.

If you enjoy the simplicity of Hall's simple yet delicious pound cake recipe but want to amp it up a bit, feel free to adjust the base flavor or add one or two extra ingredients. For example, give your next pound cake a boozy makeover with bourbon. Feel free to experiment by adding a small amount directly to your cake batter or use some in an alternative glaze made of powdered sugar, bourbon, cinnamon, and milk.

Or, skip the bourbon and make a lemon glaze by replacing the suggested water and flavor extracts with lemon juice. Nonetheless, you can enjoy Carla Hall's delicious pound cake in more ways than one. Better yet, you can also transform leftover pound cake slices into mouth-watering French toast.