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Lemon Pound Cake

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Lemon Pound Cake

Most people believe the origin of the name Pound Cake is based on the premise that eating it will likely cause them to gain a pound. Although stuffing your face with Pound Cake, or over indulging in anything for that matter, can definitely make you gain a few LBs around the middle, this cake’s origin is all ingredient based.

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The first recipes date back to the 18th century in Europe. Its name was based on the premise that the cake required 1 pound of each ingredient (flour, butter, eggs and sugar) to make and weighed in at a hefty 4 pounds once baked. This original pound cake produced a very large cake due the quantity of ingredients involved. Nowadays, the ratio of flour, butter, eggs and sugar have been scaled back a bit resulting in a much more consumable portion of cake.

Lemon Pound Cake 2

I love lemon which was my inspiration for this Lemon Pound Cake recipe.  In Austin, it’s beginning to feel a lot like Spring and in my mind, lemons and Spring go hand and hand. This pound cake screams Spring with lemon throughout each layer, using a whopping half-cup of grated lemon zest and 1 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice distributed throughout the cake, soaking syrup and glaze.

Sliced Lemon Cake

One of my first memories of pound cake is of my Mom making a lemon poppyseed pound cake. I remember her placing it on a wire cooling rack and watching her brush it with a sugar syrup after it came out of the oven. I also remember thinking “Oh man, that’s gonna be one soggy cake!” But oh was I wrong. The sugar syrup was definitely key in creating a super moist pound cake. The syrup helped balance out the tart lemon flavor, creating a sweet, subtle lemon flavored cake. The syrup also gave the pound cake a wonderful shiny exterior that she then drizzled with a simple confectioner sugar & milk glaze.

That cake was my benchmark for this Lemon Pound Cake. It had to contain the three components of my Mom’s — a dense loaf cake, a sweet lemon syrup, and a traditional glaze. This cake definitely hit the mark on the balance of lemon and sweet. It’s great as a late afternoon treat with a cup of coffee or as a light but flavorful dessert in the evening.

Lemon Pound Cake

Lemon Pound Cake

Lemon Pound Cake

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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 16 slices
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup butter at room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 extra-large eggs at room temperature*
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup fresh zest**
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 t baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk***
  • For syrup:
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • For glaze:
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2-3 tablespoons milk
  • 3 cups confectioner's sugar

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350*
  2. Butter and flour two loaf pans and set aside
  3. In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and 2 cups of sugar until light and fluffy
  4. Add in one egg at a time, mixing each egg on medium until fully incorporated
  5. Scrape down the sides of the mixer then add in the vanilla extract and lemon zest
  6. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt
  7. In 4 additions, alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk
  8. Once incorporated, scrape down the sides of the mixer then add in the 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
  9. Evenly divide the batter between the two loaf pans
  10. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean
  11. If while baking, you notice the tops beginning to brown, simply place some aluminium foil over the cakes to keep the tops from burning
  12. While the cakes are baking, begin on the lemon soaking syrup
  13. In a pot over low heat, combine the 1/2 cup of sugar and lemon juice until the sugar has dissolved
  14. Remove from heat and set aside
  15. When the cakes are done baking, let them cool for 15 minutes within their pans
  16. Once cooled slightly, remove them from their pans and place them on a cooling rack atop a large sheet pan (to catch the soaking syrup)
  17. Lightly brush the tops and sides of the cake with the lemon syrup (you will have syrup leftover, and that's okay)
  18. Let the cakes cool completely while making the glaze
  19. In a large bowl, whisk together the glaze ingredients, adding milk until you reach your desired consistency
  20. When the cakes are cooled, pour the glaze over top while the cakes are still on the cooling racks
  21. Let the glaze set a bit before slicing and serving

Notes

* If your eggs are not at room-temperature, fill a large bowl with tap-warm water and place the eggs in the bowl while you prep the pans and other ingredients. In about 5-10 minutes the eggs should be at room temperature.
**To quicken the prep period, first grate 3/4 cup of lemon zest (about 6-8 lemons) ahead of time and then squeeze the zested lemons, resulting in about 1 cup of fresh juice. Use this source to make the cake, syrup, and glaze.
***To make 1 cup of buttermilk (if unavailable) add 1 teaspoon of distilled white vinegar to a measuring cup then fill the measuring cup to the 1 cup mark with milk and let sit 5-10 minutes

 

 

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