With a moist crumb that’s the color of sunshine, this simple glazed pound cake gets its tangy flavor from a lemon soaking syrup as well as a sweet-tart glaze. While I’ve presented it as a Bundt cake here, you can also bake it in two loaf pans (8 x 4-inch). This will give you a thicker layer of glaze on top, which is never a bad thing.
Makes one 10-inch Bundt cake, serving 12
Ingredients
Lemon Pound Cake:
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (276 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (121 grams) sour cream
- 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 17 tablespoons (240 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cups (350 grams) granulated sugar
- 6 large (300 grams) eggs, at room temperature
Soaking Syrup:
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Lemon Glaze:
- 2 cups (243 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- 3 1/2 tablespoons (52 grams) lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease the interior of a 10-inch (12 cup) Bundt pan well with shortening, getting in all the nooks and crannies. Dust the pan with flour, tapping out the excess.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon zest and vanilla; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium-high speed until creamy, about 30 seconds. Gradually add the sugar and beat until well blended and light, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and mixing until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. While mixing at low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating it with the sour cream mixture in two additions and mixing just until blended. Scrape the batter into the pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan, set on a wire rack, for 15 minutes while you make the soaking syrup.
Make the soaking syrup:
- Put the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan and place over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat.
Soak the warm cake:
- Invert the cake onto the wire rack and place the rack over a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper, waxed paper or foil. Using a bamboo skewer, poke holes all over the surface of the cake at 1 1/2 inch intervals. While the cake is still warm/hot, brush it all over with the warm lemon syrup, allowing it to soak in and using all of it. Let the cake cool completely.
Make the glaze:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, confectioners’ sugar and salt until completely smooth. (The glaze should hold a thick drizzle – if it seems too thin, add a bit more confectioners’ sugar, and if it is too thick, add a little more lemon juice until it is just right.) Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Allow the glaze to set at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
