Lemon Pound Cake
Lemon is a perfect flavor for spring. This pretty lemon bread is great for an afternoon brunch, weekend breakfast, and I always make it for Easter. This recipe yields two loaves and freezes well, so you can enjoy one now and save the other for a later date.
Lemon is a perfect flavor for spring. This pretty lemon bread is great for an afternoon brunch, weekend breakfast, and I always make it for Easter. This recipe yields two loaves and freezes well, so you can enjoy one now and save the other for a later date.
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour sifted
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour sifted
- 2 teaspoons baking powder sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda sifted
- 1 teaspoon salt sifted
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 8 large eggs room temperature
- 1/4 cup lemon zest grated (4 lemons)
- 4 sticks unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup sour cream room temperature
- lemon syrup
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- lemon glaze
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- 5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- Carbohydrate 80.111380428253 g
- Cholesterol 254.322239585703 mg
- Fat 21.7041650234987 g
- Fiber 1.88126799838713 g
- Protein 11.5925156600626 g
- Saturated Fat 11.819111963709 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (210g)
- Sodium 1180.42264400759 mg
- Sugar 78.2301124298658 g
- Trans Fat 2.20094637453484 g
- Calories 553 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350*F. Spray sides and bottom of pans with non-stick cooking spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper and spray the paper as well.
- Sift both flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.
- Blend the sugar, eggs, lemon zest and lemon juice in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix until combined. Slowly add the melted butter, while mixing. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until just combined. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour mixture, one third at a time, until all the flour is combined. Do not over mix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes, rotate the pans, reduce the oven temperature to 325*F and bake another 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 15 minutes.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and invert the baked and (mostly) cooled loaves onto the pan. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the loaves.
- Brush the tops and sides of the loaves with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cakes cool completely, at least 30 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 4 tablespoons of lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. If the mixture is too stiff, add up to another 2 tablespoons lemon juice (a little at a time) and whisk again. Pour the glaze over the top of each loaf and let it drip down the sides. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.
Combining cake flour and all-purpose flour balances protein content, yielding a structure that is tender yet sturdy enough to support four sticks of butter. Baking requires precise thermal management: starting the loaves at 350 degrees Fahrenheit ensures rapid initial oven spring, while dropping the temperature to 325 degrees halfway through prevents the exterior from burning before the dense center cooks through. Room-temperature eggs at 70 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit emulsify smoothly with the sugar and melted butter, trapping air pockets that expand during baking. Folding the flour mixture in three distinct additions prevents gluten overdevelopment, which otherwise toughens the crumb.
Dairy-free bakers can substitute the sour cream with an equal volume of full-fat coconut yogurt, and swap the butter for refined coconut oil at a 1:1 ratio, though the flavor profile will shift subtly toward tropical notes. For those managing gluten intolerances, replacing the flour blend with a measured cup-for-cup gluten-free flour containing xanthan gum works well if the batter rests for 15 minutes prior to panning to allow complete hydration of the starches.
Pairing slices with unsweetened Earl Grey tea or black coffee provides a necessary bitter contrast to balance the heavy sugar load in both the syrup and glaze.
