Lemon Pound Cake

Sometimes what we crave is just a simple buttery cake, no fuss with any frostings or creamy topping. In fact, I have always prefer plain cakes like this Lemon Pound Cake.

This is one of the best lemon pound cakes I've baked. The cake is moist with dense but delicious soft crumb texture. Very buttery and lemony, with the addition of the lemon glaze poured over the cake, it is packed with lemony flavour,  in every bite.

I've made half a recipe, using half the amount of the ingredients, but I have further reduced the amount of sugar and lemon juice. (refer to the notes in the recipe below). 

The lemony glaze is brushed over the cake while still warm.

This cake is moist, dense with soft velvety crumbs. If you love lemons then you will love this cake. Goes perfectly with a cup of warm tea.

Lemon Pound Cake
(adapted from Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook, by Kathleen King)
makes 1 ten-inch Bundt cake
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
2-1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, from about 4 lemons

Lemon Glaze :
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, from about 4 lemons
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 10-inch Bundt pan with lots of pan spray and sprinkle it with granulated sugar. (Flour will leave an unattractive residue on the cake).

To make the cake :

In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar until  they are light and fluffy, Add the vanilla and lemon zest. Mix them together. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Mix the sour cream and lemon juice together. Add the flour and sour cream mixture alternately, finishing with the flour. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake it for 1 hour or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the centre.

To make the glaze :

Mix all the ingredients in a small saucepan and stir. Cook them over low heat without stirring till the sugar disssolves. Turn the heat up to medium and cook the mixture until it becomes syrupy. Don't overcook it or the syrup will start to brown.

When the cake is baked, cool it for 10 minutes in the baking pan and invert it onto a plate. (Place the plate against the bottom of the pan and turn it over).

Slowly pour the glaze over the cake and let it cool.

kitchen flavour's notes :

I've made half a recipe with the following changes :

- reduced the sugar to scant 1 cup

- use only 2 tablespoons of lemon juice for the batter as the lemon was really sour.

(even with the reduction of the sugar and lemon juice, the cake bakes up really moist with full lemony flavour, delicious!)
- did not sprinkle granulated sugar in the bundt pan, I sprayed lightly with a baking spray already contained flour, and it works out fine

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Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray