Mar 03, 2015, Updated Apr 07, 2024 I was craving a grocery store pound cake my mom used to buy when I was little – it was a classic vanilla pound cake with vanilla frosting, but it had a tangy lemon glaze that made it super addictive. You have options here – to make it a gorgeous triple lemon loaf, simply add a tablespoon of finely grated (I use a microplane) zest to the batter and substitute lemon juice to the frosting. If you’d prefer a frosted vanilla pound cake (sans citrus), just swap the lemon juice in the glaze for water (even though it won’t be lemon-y, the glaze still helps keep the cake moist!). My renditions of pound cakes aren’t totally traditional – an actual pound cake consists of a pound each of butter, sugar, flour and eggs. I personally haven’t worked up the courage to put that much butter or egg in single loaf pan, but maybe the day will soon come – because although this version was delicious and fluffy and wonderful in its own right, it wasn’t the pound cake of my childhood. A few tips when making this (or any) cake: – WEIGH your flour. In my recipes, 1 cup = 4.5 ounces. There’s some disparity among brands and sources on how much one cup of all purpose flour weighs, but I go with the middle of the road – and it’s closest to what I get by very gently spooning it into a cup and then sweeping off the excess. Even when you do “spoon and sweep” however, sometimes a cup can weigh upwards of 5 ounces depending on how much it was packed. The extra flour can make the difference between a moist cake and a dry one, a perfect cookie and a puffy one. Weighing your flour can make a huge difference in the quality of your baking. Go with my standard 4 1/2 oz per cup if weight is not given, otherwise use the weight provided in a recipe or the conversion provided by the source. – REALLY cream your butter and sugar. When the recipe says beat for 4 minutes, beat for 4 minutes. This ensures a light, tender crumb. – Don’t over-bake. Test your cake at regular intervals toward the end of cooking. Gently press the centre – it should feel springy, not leave an indent. Then test with a skewer or toothpick to make sure the middle isn’t still wet.
Other Citrus Recipes You’ll Love
Start with this collection of drool-worthy orange dessert recipes.
This Portuguese Orange Cake recipe is moist, fluffy, and an all-time fan favorite. This Lemon Curd Cake is definitely a must-try for citrus lovers. Lemon Curd Cookies can’t be missed either. Love citrus, love chocolate? This Chocolate Orange Cake is for you. This Cranberry Lemon Cake is a long-standing favorite. Of course, can’t forget this Orange Pound Cake with orange glaze, baked in a pretty bundt pan. Lemon Blueberry Sour Cream Muffins (not quite a dessert, but delicious enough to be included!)
