Monday Martha Moment # 4

Michelle & Martha : Pound Cake & Vinaigrette

This week’s Martha Stewart challenge was a two-parter: pound cake and vinaigrette.

Let me start with the pound cake. To my surprise, I actually had every ingredient already on hand. I usually keep a well-stocked supply of baking basics, flour, sugars, baking powder, eggs, vanilla, the essentials that make spontaneous baking possible. Before this challenge, I had only made pound cake once and it was, honestly, a bit of a disaster. Dry, dense, and not worth the effort. So I was curious to see if Martha’s recipe would change my mind.

The process was straightforward, and the recipe was easy to follow. As the cake baked, my 4 year old ran into the kitchen and declared that it “smelled amazing,” then asked at least ten times if it was ready. That alone made me hopeful. What impressed me most was the timing, normally with baked goods, I find a lot of variability in cook times. This one came out perfectly done at exactly 1 hour and 5 minutes, just as the recipe stated.

After cooling it for about ten minutes, I sliced it up and served it with homemade whipped cream and fresh raspberries. It was light, buttery, and everything you want pound cake to be. My husband even went back for seconds, which in my book makes this recipe an official win.

The second part of this week’s challenge was trying Martha’s vinaigrette. For dinner, I built a big summer salad with mixed greens, strawberries, blueberries, mango, feta, and candied walnuts. Bright, fresh, colorful, the kind of salad that feels like summer on a plate.

The vinaigrette itself, however, was a little underwhelming for me. I’ve been making my own dressings for about a year now, and my go-to is olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon, honey, oregano, salt, and pepper. Simple, tangy, a little sweet, the way I like it. Martha’s version wasn’t bad, just not as flavorful as what I’m used to. I appreciate trying a new spin on something I make so often, it keeps things interesting in the kitchen.

Overall, this week reminded me why I started this project: to push myself, try new things, and break up the rhythm of everyday life with something creative (and delicious). The pound cake is officially joining my recipe box, and while the vinaigrette might not make a repeat appearance, the experience was still worth it.

More to come next week.

👉 pound cake https://www.marthastewart.com/352653/perfect-pound-cake

👉 Martha’s favorite vinaigrette https://www.marthastewart.com/343642/marthas-favorite-vinaigrette