Lemon Pound Cake

Ingredients

Cake

  • zest of 2 lemons
  • 1 cup cake flour
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp iodized salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1½ sticks salted butter, room temperature
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • 8 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp buttermilk
  • 1 cup sour cream (divided)

For Baking

  • nonstick cooking spray

Glaze

  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp milk

Garnish (optional)

  • fresh blueberries

Special Equipment

  • microplane or box grater
  • sifter
  • hand mixer
  • 8" round baking pan
  • cooling rack
  • whisk
  • offset spatula

How-to

Make Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 300º
  2. Zest lemons into a medium bowl, then scrape the inside of your grater or microplane to get all of the lemon oils and zest into the bowl
  3. Into the bowl of zest, sift together flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside
  4. In separate medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy
  5. Combine eggs, vanilla and canola oil before slowly drizzling into butter and sugar mixture, beating on medium-low speed until combined. Note: if the mixture starts to curdle and break, add a touch of flour to bring it back together before continuing
  6. Starting with the flour mixture, alternate folding in dry ingredients and wet ingredients (buttermilk and sour cream), until all is well incorporated
  7. Transfer to an 8" round baking pan that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray
  8. Bake 1¼ - 1 hour, 35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean
  9. Allow to cool in pan on baking rack until just slightly warm
  10. Remove from oven, run a knife along the outside of the cake, and invert the cake, then flip it back upright. Place on cooling rack that is on top of parchment paper or a sheet pan for glazing

Add Glaze & Serve

  1. Whisk together 1 cup confectioners sugar, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp milk in a small bowl until smooth
  2. Pour glaze atop the center of the cake and allow it to cascade down the sides
  3. Using an offset spatula, spread glaze along the sides and even out the layer up top until all is covered
  4. Cake can be sliced immediately and served while the glaze is wet, or allow the cake to sit at room temperature, then slice and serve when the glaze hardens slightly
  5. Garnish with fresh berries and Lemon Curd!