Thursday, January 20, 2011

Lemon Pound Cake



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a lovely cake, but to my great surprise, I haven't been able to find it on other blogs or recipe sites. It was developed for Gourmet magazine ages ago, and, while this gorgeous pound cake should be manna for lemon lovers, it seems to have fallen into obscurity. Pound cakes were traditionally made with a pound of each of flour, butter, eggs and sugar. Nowadays, ratio, rather than weight, defines this classic, and any cake made with ingredients in a 1:1:1:1 ratio is considered to be a pound cake, regardless of its component weight. If you are interested, more detailed information about this type of cake can be found here. Pound or butter cakes get their lift from a combination of butter, eggs and baking powder. They are heavier and richer than sponge cakes and they are also easier to make. They are not foolproof, but if you measure your ingredients carefully you should have a lovely cake to serve your family. We'd all have better and more consistent luck with our baked goods if we weighed our ingredients. Unfortunately, most of us do not yet do that. When I prepare dry ingredients for baking, I spoon rather than scoop them into a measuring cup. I also level the content of the cup with the back of a knife rather than my fingers. When you look at the ingredient list for this cake, you will undoubtedly notice that it calls for 1/4 cup lemon zest. That is not a mistake. Five large lemons will yield that amount of zest, but a caution must be issued here. Make sure you avoid the white pith when you zest the lemons. The pith will make the cake bitter and its after taste can be downright unpleasant. Your cake will probably need more time in the oven than the recipe suggests. Mine required an hour to bake. This is a wonderful cake for lemon lovers and it makes a perfect base for macerated fruit. When the recipe was published, it was suggested that the cake be served with strawberries. While it's delicious served that way, I actually prefer to serve it with a blueberry or blackberry compote. Perhaps that's an unconscious homage to the state of Oregon. I hope you'll try this recipe. I love this intensely lemon-flavored cake. I think you will, too. Here's the recipe.

Lemon Pound Cake
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, adapted from Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients:
Cake
2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup finely grated lemon zest
6 large eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Glaze
1 cup + 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:
1) Move a rack to the middle of oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour a kugelhopf or other 2-quart bundt plan. Set aside.
2) Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
3) Using paddle attachment, beat butter, granulated sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of an electric stand mixer at medium speed, until pale and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each additin. Beat in vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low. In three batches beginning and ending with flour, add flour, alternately with milk and lemon juice, and beat just until combined.
4) Spoon batter into pan and smooth top. Bake unil cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted in several placed comes out clean, about 45 to 55 minutes.
Cool cake in pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then invert onto a rack to cool completely.
5) While cake cools, whisk confectioners' sugar into lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth and thick.
6) When cake is cool, set rack over a baking sheet or waxed paper. Drizzle glaze over cake, letting it drip down sides. Serve cake with fruit if desired. Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Meyer Lemon Bars - Tasty Easy Healthy Green
Lemon Cakes - Pastry Studio
Lemon Tart Brulee - Sticky Gooey Creamy Chewy
Cookie Carnival: Lemon Ricotta Cookies - How to Eat a Cupcake
Lemon Swiss Roll - The English Kitchen
Lemon Cream Filled Cake - Cookie Madness
Lemon Poppyseed Muffins - Sweet Bites
Old-Fashioned Lemon Pudding - One Perfect Bite
Lemon Cloud: A Creamy Tofu Dessert - One Perfect Bite
Lemon Buttermilk Ice Cream - One Perfect Bite

88 comments :

Angie's Recipes said...

Had lemon butter cake before...but not pound cake...the cake looks so moist and great!

Ginny Hartzler said...

I love lemon pound cake, and this one doesn't look too harrd. I also love marble pound cake, but it always seems to be too dry compared to lemon and regular!

Poornima Nair said...

The cake looks beautiful!

scrambledhenfruit said...

This sounds so lemony! I'd love this pound cake with any fruit, but I think blueberries would be divine.

Cakebrain said...

Thank you for visiting and commenting on my blog...it's been getting mighty lonely here! I've fallen off regular posting and have lost my mojo!
You have a wonderful blog! Love the photo! I do so love lemon pound cake! I will be bookmarking this one for sure! thanks for sharing!

Susan said...

Wow! I will definitely be making this. I love lemon desserts & you cake looks so beautiful, too!

MaryMoh said...

Lemon cake is always my favourite...just love the lemon smell and taste. It's so refreshing. Thanks very much for sharing the meaning of pound cake. Hope you have a wonderful day.

Chele said...

Wonderful photos. I remember making pound cake with my Mum when I was in primary school. Don't think I've made one since though. I'm bookmarking this recipe so I can bake it when the opportunity presents itself!

Red Nomad OZ said...

Being a big fan of almost ANYTHING citrus, this looks sensational!

AND ... point taken about beautiful things not being pests etc, but as we speak there's 30-40 'Chainsaws' hovering over my fruiting quince tree - up to NO GOOD!! So I'll allow myself a few little cuss words while I admire their beauty ...

Diane said...

I love lemon flavours, yum yum. Diane

Anonymous said...

I love lemon pound cake. Actually anything with lemon in it has my vote.

Ana Powell said...

Beautiful and well moreish ♥

Priya Suresh said...

Love citrus bakes very much,cake looks extremely beautiful..

cocoa and coconut said...

How gorgeous! I love how regal this looks. Lemon is such a beautiful flavour

Prema said...

Wow perfect bake,luks very beautiful...

Chiara said...

dear Mary, this cake looks so moist,I love it! Have a good day...Blessings...

Lynn said...

This sounds like heaven Mary! So wish I had a piece with my coffee right now:@)

Debbie said...

Oh I just love pound cakes. Your cake looks wonderful. One of my favorite pound cakes is a 5 flavor one. I love that they are fairly easy to make, pretty and go a long way.

Martha said...

Love lemon anything and a pound cake is one of my favorites!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I love a good pound cake and since lemon is my chocolate this recipe is at the top of the list the next time I make something sweet.

Flavia Galasso said...

MAry..you cannot imagine how happy I am to find this recipe on your blog today!!!

During my last travel to USA (summer 2009) I ate this lemon pound cake and evry morning in New York city this was my breakfast..anyway whwn I came back home i found some recipe on web...but they were unsuccessfull...now I am going to prepare it!!Thank you.... love and blessings, Flavia

What's next said...

I love lemon pound cake, my grandmother used to make one but I don't have her recipe, glad to get this one to try...

My Little Space said...

The cake looks really beautiful. I have to admit that Gourmet Mag does has quite a number of great recipes there. Thanks for sharing it & have a great day.
Regards, Kristy

Pam said...

Yum! What a great pound cake with that delicious lemon flavor. This is a must try!

Unknown said...

I LOVE lemon pound cake...yours looks so lovely, I know I could eat the whole cake! Good tip on the zesting of the lemon too, I always forget to mention that in my recipes!

Kim said...

Because I'm a huge lemon lover I know that I will love this cake. Next time I want to make a cake, I will definitly think about this one!

The Food Hound said...

I'm addicted to ANYTHING lemon, and this is right up my alley!! So glad you posted it!! I have a blueberry compote in the freezer that would be great with it!

Julie said...

I love lemon pound cake. The lemon just gives that something extra to an already delicious cake. Your is beautiful!

FOODESSA said...

Five lemons worth of lemonzest will certainly satisfy my lemon cravings lately ;o)

Mary, you always share valuable tips and great recipes, thanks.

Flavourful wishes,
Claudia

From the Kitchen said...

Five lemons? Perfect! I've rarely met a poundcake that I didn't like--or anything with lemons to flavor. It is the one cake that I don't mind "falling"--creating some denser areas. My sisters and I learned this from our grandmother--except she meant for us not to jump around and cause the cake to fall. We reversed that "recipe". I'm pushing "print".

Best,
Bonnie

Unknown said...

Beautiful! One of my favorite simple baked goods! Wow, that is a lot of lemon zest but what flavor!

Ina makes a great lemon pound cake too! I will have to try this version next though!

Katerina said...

I have a few lemons in my fridge this cake sounds like a lovely idea to use them.

Yaya' s Home said...

Mmmmmm; this looks delicious, but I think I'm gonna' lean more towards having the Crock-Pot Greek-Style Beef Stew. I can almost taste it.

~ Yaya

kitchen flavours said...

Love anything citrus! Your cake looks beautiful. Bookmarking this, thanks for the recipe. Have a lovely day!

Katrina V. said...

I love lemon-y desserts -- this looks beautiful!

Lakeshore Cottage Living said...

Pour me a glass of iced tea and I could eat the whole thing! this is one of my very favorite things to eat! wonderful.

Nourhan @ Miss Anthropist's Kitchen said...

YUM! This looks so great!

Cathy said...

This is just what I'm looking for, Mary. I want a pound cake with lots of lemon flavor and tried a recipe a few days ago that was a dud. As soon as I buy more lemons I'm all set to bake it.

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful cake!! I am certainly going to make this. I have a lemon tree in my backyard and I'm going to use them. Yummy! :)
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Jeannie said...

That is one beautiful pound cake! I love cakes with lemons, so refreshing and delicious! Beautiful photo Mary:)

June said...

Wow - beautiful pound cake. I'll be making it later this week for sure as we've still a bunch of Meyers left on our tree. Can't wait to enjoy a slice!

aipi said...

Lemon pound cake looks very nice. I love lemon flavors in baked goodies and this one is a must try..thanks for sharing Mary :)

US Masala

Faith said...

I don't think I've ever had lemon pound cake, but I love the sound of it! Your idea of serving it with blueberry compote sounds perfect, Mary!

Banana Wonder said...

Mmmmm I love lemons and I like the copious amounts of lemon zest you used. I don't blame you for serving with with a forest berry compote. I wouldn't have it any other way!

Kath said...

I love lemon pound cake! This one looks fabulous. I'm one who has made the switch to weigh flour when I'm baking. It's so easy if you have a scale. Before I started using a scale, I used your method of lightly spooning the flour into the cup and leveling with a knife. It always seemed to work for me.

GLENDA CHILDERS said...

Ah, I never knew how pound cake got its name. Fun.

Fondly,
Glenda

Lucie said...

Mary, this sounds like an amazing recipe--I'm a true lemon lover, and I think this pound cake might just be the one I've always been looking for!

Umm Mymoonah said...

That looks so elegant

The Red Umbrella said...

This looks like health food to me! Yum.

claire said...

MMM! I love lemon cake! It reminds me of summer and sunshine- Something I am craving on this cold rainy day!

Arlene Delloro said...

I can almost taste this cake. What a perfect cake for lemon lovers, a pound cake with the magic of citrus. If I didn't think I'd eat the whole thing, I'd bake one right now.

Victor said...

I just got the mould for pound cake. I bookmark your recipe. Thanks for sharing!

Joanne said...

I am a total lemon lover. Where has this cake been all my life? It must have gotten lost in the ether somewhere...thanks for rediscovering it for us!

PeggyR said...

Oh I love lemon pound cake! Great recipe!

The Blonde Duck said...

I love pound cake. I haven't had it in ages.

Nisha said...

Always wanted a good lemon loaf recipe. I'm bookmarking this one

GLENDA CHILDERS said...

I wanted to pop back in, Mary, to thank you for your ever sweet and thoughtful comments on my blog. You are also funny . . . you really got me laughing today . . . about me being a good baker for an MK. I have been laughing all morning. Thanks.

Fondly,
Glenda

teresa said...

oh my goodness, i LOVE lemon cakes. all i need is that cake and a fork :) it's gorgeous!

Unknown said...

OH WOW!!! one of my hubby's favorite. I think I will have to make this for him soon!!!
THANKS!!! for stopping by and visiting and leaving a NICE comment.

Kankana said...

looks yummy .. i made lemon mint cake .. have to try yours too .

Caroline Taylor said...

Thank you for your visit to my blog and for your comment. I have tried pound cake before and there is just something so comforting about it that you don't get with any other cake. It looks lovely. Very interesting that they are called pound cakes because of the ratios.

Shelley said...

Lovely cake! I'm so glad it's citrus season! I'll have to tuck this recipe away to use. Thanks for sharing.

Barbara said...

A lovely cake, Mary. My mother use to make a 7 Up pound cake that I still make anytime I need to feed a crowd. It's huge. Many the same ingredients and I do a light lemon glaze for it.
Copying your recipe right now....

Ciao Chow Linda said...

Now this is a classic, elegant and delicious cake that everyone needs in a moment of lemon craving. Love the mold you used too.

Lyndas recipe box said...

Such a beautiful cake Mary. I made a similar recipe a couple of weeks ago, but my photos were not to good. But lemon pound cake is awesome. Your's looks moist and delicious!
Have a wonderful day!

Jacqueline said...

Ooh, this would be just heaven! I love pound cake and I love lemon cake and lemon bread. I think I have misplaced my lemon bread recipe now that I mention it. Such a beautiful cake presentation. Yum, it would be gone in no time!

Anonymous said...

My Mom used to make a lemon cake that looks a lot like yours...It was so good. The perfect blend of sweet, tanginess. Thanks Mary :)

Astra Libris said...

I still treasure my Grandmother's pound cake recipe in her handwriting, which basically just says "take a pound each of butter, eggs, sugar, and flour, mix, and bake..." :-) I can still remember how rich her pound cake was when she made it for me as a little girl! :-) Thank you so much for bringing back such wonderful memories and introducing me to this gorgeous recipe! :-)

Elin Chia said...

Mary...this lemon pound cake looks moist and I am sure it taste great too. I would love to try. Have bookmarked it ! Thanks for sharing this :)

Have a nice day,
Elin

Angela said...

This looks so tempting! I never turn down a good pound cake. One of my guilty pleasure breakfasts is a grilled slice of poundcake.

Laura (TLN) said...

Oh my goodness - that looks and sounds fabulous!

Anonymous said...

This looks excellent! I love lemon pound cake! Yummy!! :)

Carol said...

I love lemon pound cake, this looks fabulous!

penny aka jeroxie said...

I love a good pound cake. Very satisfying.

ann said...

Mary,this is a beautiful cake. I love lemon cake. Your blog is beautiful and inspirational.

Monet said...

This looks just delicious. I love pound cakes, and I'm sure the lemon adds the perfect amount of brightness.I also like you suggestion of bluberry compote. Thank you for sharing all of this yumminess. I hope you have a great Friday. The weekend approaches!

Rhonda said...

Mary, I'm begging, pleading, stop tempting me so...I adore anything with lemon. Pound cake is one of my favorites, then to add lemon, it's just too much!

Lori said...

Oh man does that look delicious Mary. All shiny and lemony luscious looking.

Abitofafoodie said...

What a beautiful-looking cake, Mary. I would love this - lemon cakes are my favourite and this seems a nice, simple recipe. I look forward to trying this out when I'm next in the mood for lemon cake!

Evelyne CulturEatz said...

Thank you for your good wishes! I agree pound cakes have fallen out of fashion but this one looks divine. I love citrus cakes like this, especially in the winter months, bring hopes of spring! Cheers, Evelyne

Emily Malloy said...

That is one PERFECT cake! Wow!

Anonymous said...

Love it! I just made lemon poppyseed muffins. Love alot of lemon flavor in them. Am going to post about it tomorrow.

Lynn said...

Sounds perfect! Great pictures!

June said...

Made this yesterday with Meyer lemons and it is an incredible cake! Thanks for sharing the recipe with us Mary. It certainly didn't disappoint.

Trevor Sis Boom said...

I'm so glad to find this recipe! Last week a friend came to MY dinner party with a lemon dessert somewhat requiring me to serve it despite my own plans. In two weeks we are going to his house so I will bring THIS. Ha! You are a life saver.
:)

Anonymous said...

I made these pound cakes for our Farmers Market this past summer. Let me just say, they are fabulous! I made them into small loaves, and sold out every week! This recipe is a keeper! Thanks for sharing!

mr. pineapple man said...

Pound cake used to be my breakfast when I was young! Good days :)

Dolores said...

This is the best lemon pound cake that I have ever made; I am NEVER looking for another recipe, this is 'the one'.
It is perfect, indeed.
Thank you!

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