Lemon Pound Cake
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 21, 2007
Time
1¾ hours, plus 1 hour cooling
Yield
Serves 8 (Makes one 9 by 5-inch cake)
Ingredients
17 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks) plus 1 extra tablespoon softened, for greasing pan1 ½ cups cake flour (6 ounces/170 grams), plus 1 tablespoon for dusting pan1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon table salt 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar (8 ¾ ounces/248 grams)2 tablespoons grated lemon zest plus 2 teaspoons juice from 2 medium lemons4 large eggs 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Lemon Glaze (Optional)
½ cup granulated sugar (3 ½ ounces/99 grams)¼ cup lemon juice, from 1 or 2 medium lemonsBefore You Begin
You can use a blender instead of a food processor to mix the batter. To add the butter, remove the center cap of the lid so it can be drizzled into the whirling blender with minimal splattering. This batter looks almost like a thick pancake batter and is very fluid.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with 1 tablespoon softened butter; dust with 1 tablespoon cake flour, tapping out excess. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- In glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl, microwave butter, covered with plastic wrap, at full power until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. (Alternatively, melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat.) Whisk melted butter thoroughly to reincorporate any separated milk solids.
- In food processor, process sugar and zest until combined, about five 1-second pulses. Add lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla; process until combined, about 5 seconds. With machine running, add melted butter through feed tube in steady stream (this should take about 20 seconds). Transfer mixture to large bowl. Sift flour mixture over eggs in three steps, whisking gently after each addition until just combined.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue to bake until deep golden brown and skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto wire rack.
- If using lemon glaze, while cake is cooling in pan, bring sugar and lemon juice to boil in small nonreactive saucepan, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.
- After turning cake onto wire rack, poke the cake's top and sides with a toothpick and brush on Lemon Glaze (see illustrations below). Cool to room temperature, at least 1 hour. (Cooled cake can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month; if frozen thaw completely at room temperature, 4 to 6 hours, before serving.)
Time
1¾ hours, plus 1 hour coolingYield
Serves 8 (Makes one 9 by 5-inch cake)Ingredients
17 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks) plus 1 extra tablespoon softened, for greasing pan
1 ½ cups cake flour (6 ounces/170 grams), plus 1 tablespoon for dusting pan
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar (8 ¾ ounces/248 grams)
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest plus 2 teaspoons juice from 2 medium lemons
4 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Lemon Glaze (Optional)
½ cup granulated sugar (3 ½ ounces/99 grams)
¼ cup lemon juice, from 1 or 2 medium lemons
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
17 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks) plus 1 extra tablespoon softened, for greasing pan
1 ½ cups cake flour (6 ounces/170 grams), plus 1 tablespoon for dusting pan
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar (8 ¾ ounces/248 grams)
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest plus 2 teaspoons juice from 2 medium lemons
4 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Lemon Glaze (Optional)
½ cup granulated sugar (3 ½ ounces/99 grams)
¼ cup lemon juice, from 1 or 2 medium lemons
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
17 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks) plus 1 extra tablespoon softened, for greasing pan
1 ½ cups cake flour (6 ounces/170 grams), plus 1 tablespoon for dusting pan
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar (8 ¾ ounces/248 grams)
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest plus 2 teaspoons juice from 2 medium lemons
4 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Lemon Glaze (Optional)
½ cup granulated sugar (3 ½ ounces/99 grams)
¼ cup lemon juice, from 1 or 2 medium lemons
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We set out to formulate a superior lemon pound cake recipe (fine-crumbed, rich, moist, and buttery) while making the process as simple and foolproof as possible. Using a food processor ensured perfect emulsification of the eggs, sugar, and melted butter; adding baking powder to the cake increased lift and produced a consistent crumb; and finishing the cake with lemon sugar syrup delivered a blast of flavor.
Before You Begin
You can use a blender instead of a food processor to mix the batter. To add the butter, remove the center cap of the lid so it can be drizzled into the whirling blender with minimal splattering. This batter looks almost like a thick pancake batter and is very fluid.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with 1 tablespoon softened butter; dust with 1 tablespoon cake flour, tapping out excess. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- In glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl, microwave butter, covered with plastic wrap, at full power until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. (Alternatively, melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat.) Whisk melted butter thoroughly to reincorporate any separated milk solids.
- In food processor, process sugar and zest until combined, about five 1-second pulses. Add lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla; process until combined, about 5 seconds. With machine running, add melted butter through feed tube in steady stream (this should take about 20 seconds). Transfer mixture to large bowl. Sift flour mixture over eggs in three steps, whisking gently after each addition until just combined.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue to bake until deep golden brown and skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto wire rack.
- If using lemon glaze, while cake is cooling in pan, bring sugar and lemon juice to boil in small nonreactive saucepan, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.
- After turning cake onto wire rack, poke the cake's top and sides with a toothpick and brush on Lemon Glaze (see illustrations below). Cool to room temperature, at least 1 hour. (Cooled cake can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month; if frozen thaw completely at room temperature, 4 to 6 hours, before serving.)
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