Lemon Pound Cake
Posted on 09 January 2009 by joy
This pound cake is perfectly moist and lemony. It’s as comforting as your favorite pillow. I make no exaggerations, this cake is that good. Think of it as a deliciously sweet, store bought Sara Lee Pound Cake without all the hydrogenated fats and oils. Plus, the cake is scented with loads of lemon and drizzled with a lemon syrup. It’s perfect with a warm cup of tea, or great as a base to fruit topped, pound cake dessert.
Perfect Lemon Pound Cake
recipe adapted from Dorie Greenspan
For the cakes:
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 plump, moist vanilla beans, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out and reserved, (OR 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract)
6 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
2/3 cup heavy cream
zest of 2 lemons
1 stick + 7 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For the syrup:
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
juice of 2 lemons
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2 8.5×4.5×2.5 inch loaf pans, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Place the pans on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular sheets stacked one on top of the other.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
Put the sugar and the grated lemon zest into a large bowl, working with your fingers, rub them together until the sugar is moist and thoroughly imbued with the fragrance of lemon. Add the vanilla beans and work vanilla into the sugar. (If you are using extract, add it later, after you’ve added the eggs.) Add the eggs and whisk them into the sugar, beating until they are thoroughly incorporated. Whisk in the extract, if you’re using it, then whisk in the cream. Continuing with the whisk or switching to a large rubber spatula, gently stir in the dry ingredients in 3 or 4 additions; the batter will be smooth and thick. Finish by folding in the melted butter in 2 or 3 additions. Pour the batter into the pans, smoothing the tops with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. (As soon as the cakes go into the oven, make the syrup.) After about 30 minutes in the oven, check the cakes for color. If they are browning too much, cover them lightly with foil tents.
Meanwhile, make the syrup. Stir the water and sugar together in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar melts, then bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon. Pour the syrup into a heatproof bowl and let cool.
When the cakes test done, transfer them to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before unmolding them and turning them right side up on the rack. Place the rack over a baking sheet lined with wax paper, and, using a thin skewer, cake tester, or thin-bladed knife, poke holes all over the cakes. Brush the cake all over with the syrup, working slowly so the cakes sop it up. Leave the cakes on the rack to cool to room temperature.
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Tags | baking, dessert, Food, lemon, pound cake
