Ginger Pound Cake

I love ginger, I love pound cake, I love ginger pound cake! Maybe you will too. This is a large, moist cake--nice crust and crumb. I imagine you could omit the ginger, if you must and have a vanilla pound cake. This came from Southern Living April 2002.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 16-20
• Yields: 1 cake

Ingredients

• 3⁄4 cup milk
• 1 (2 2/3ounce) jar crystallized ginger, finely minced (I just weighed out about 3 ounces on a scale)
• 2  cups unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 3  cups sugar
• 6  large eggs
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 4  cups all-purpose flour (lightly spooned into cup and leveled off)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt (omit if butter is salted)

Directions

1. Heat milk and ginger in small saucepan over medium heat until very warm--do not boil--let stand 10-15 minutes off heat. Preheat oven to 325, grease and flour 10 inch tube pan.
2. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar beating 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time. beating just until yellow disappears; stir in vanilla.
3. Sift together flour and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour, beat at low speed just to blend and spread batter in prepared pan.
4. Bake at 325°F for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean; cool in pan on rack 10 minutes before unmolding and cooling completely on rack.