Name: Low-Fat Lemon Pound Cake
Total time: 4 h 15 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/3 cup low-fat sour cream; 1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest from 2 lemons; 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice from 2 lemons; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams) granulated sugar; 5 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened; 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening; 3 large eggs , at room temperature, beaten; 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar; 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Why This Recipe Works

How do you cut the fat and preserve lemon pound cake’s trademark buttery richness and moist, superfine crumb? We found that low-fat sour cream worked perfectly to add moisture and tang to our Low-Fat Lemon Pound Cake recipe. After much trial and error, we discovered that butter plus a bit of vegetable shortening not only made the Low-Fat Lemon Pound Cake tender and moist but also helped it dome nicely. Using two fewer eggs than most low-fat lemon pound cake recipes call for gave the cake plenty of structure and richness. The amount of sugar remained a full cup—any less and the cake wasn’t sweet enough, and artificial sweeteners contributed off-flavors. The cake becomes moister when it sits on the counter, tightly wrapped in plastic, for a day or two.

Before You Begin

This recipe was developed in the test kitchen's favorite loaf pan, the Williams-Sonoma Nonstick Goldtouch Loaf Pan ($19), which measures 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches; the cake may not dome properly if baked in a larger pan.

Instructions

For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour 8 1/2- by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl. Whisk sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla in second bowl.

Stir granulated sugar and lemon zest in large bowl until zest is evenly distributed. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, shortening, and sugar mixture until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs in three additions and mix until combined (mixture will begin to look curdled). Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of sour cream mixture. Mix on low until smooth, about 30 seconds. Use rubber spatula to give batter final stir.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Tap pan against counter several times. Bake until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 60 to 70 minutes. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours.

For the glaze: Whisk confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice in bowl until smooth. Brush glaze over cake. Let glaze set for 10 minutes before serving. (Cake can be wrapped tightly in plastic and stored at room temperature for 5 days.)