Lemon Pound Cake

Lemon Pound Cake - made October 27, 2012, recipe adapted from Plain Chicken

This didn't come cleanly out of the bundt pan, hence why the top is half missing

I loved the picture of this on Plain Chicken's blog.  It looked so fluffy and you can tell just from her picture that it's going to have a great texture.  Mine didn't come out quite so fluffy as I think I took it out a little too soon.  The toothpick came out clean when I tested it but with a cake with this much butter and shortening, it doesn't hurt to bake it a few extra minutes to make sure it's properly baked.  Underbaking makes for a heavy, sometimes greasy texture.  Fortunately I didn't underbake it by much.  This is a really good lemon butter pound cake.  I increased the amount of lemon zest from Plain Chicken's original recipe just because I like the lemon flavor to really come out.  This is best served lukewarm or, if you have it the following day, warm it up 10-15 seconds in the microwave and just savor the goodness.

A lemon ornament for a lemon cake

Another gift idea for any bakers on your gift giving list: a Bundt pan, a high heat spatula, an oven mitt and a basket or gift bag of fresh lemons from your local farmers market or your own lemon tree, if you have one, along with a recipe of your favorite lemon cake.  Or one of those uppity cake mixes from Williams Sonoma or Crate & Barrel (usually a Barefoot Contessa or a Bouchon brand) along with a whisk and a round cake pan.  Bonus if you shop locally-made products and can find a bakery in your area that sells its own mixes.

I don't have a bundt cake slice ornament so this will have to do

A close up of the texture

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3 cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup shortening, room temperature
5 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
6 Tbsp lemon juice
Zest from 2 lemons

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Lightly spray one large Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl.  Set aside.
4. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, shortening and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time, beating until well blended after each one.
5. Add dry ingredients in three additions to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Mix in lemon juice and zest.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.  Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes.  Turn cake out onto a rack and cool completely.

Linked to Sweet Treats & Swanky Stuff Saturday