Hello folks! So it seems that I am finally starting to find the time to sit down and actually get some new posts up for you all. We've been getting Christmas cookies made, mixing up candies, getting ornaments up...Christmas around here is so much fun with the children! I decided that to get back into the swing of things I would share my Lovely Lemon Pound Cake recipe that's always a huge hit. With all the holiday parties and get-togethers going on this time of the year I've had a few people come to me looking for ideas of something relatively easy to make that tastes great. This cake never disappoints. And to top it all off.....it's made with honey!!
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| Lovely Lemon Pound Cake |
Here's what you'll need.....
Cake
1 3/4 cups unbleached white flour, spooned in and leveled
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey (preferably from your local beekeeper)
5 eggs
3 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Icing
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2-3 Tbsp. milk or fresh lemon juice
Preheat your oven to 325
°F and prepare a 9x5 loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper and then buttering the pan. The paper helps you to lift the cake right out of the pan. It'll look something like this...
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| Lined and buttered cake pan ready to be filled. |
Now you're going to want to combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk these together to mix well and set the bowl aside. Your dry ingredients are now ready. Now in another large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add the butter, sugar, and honey. Using your mixer (or a really strong arm!) beat these together until very light and fluffy. I normally use my stand mixer for this, although when I was getting the pictures for this posting I was using a hand-held electric mixer due to the fact that a certain husband of mine managed to break my very nice and very pricey KitchenAid stand mixer.....ehem.....
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| Mmm...butter, sugar, and honey..... |
Now you're going to add the eggs, one at a time. The reason for this is you want to be sure that the previous egg is well incorporated before the next goes in. The mixture will loose the "wet" look that it takes on immediately after the egg is added and then you'll know it's time for the next one. After the eggs it's time to add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. On another side note...there is something quite wonderful about the smell of lemon zest. Can you tell I love lemon yet?? Matthew keeps teasing me about all the side note tangents I get on while typing up these posts! I'm so sorry you poor reader....
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| So pretty in it's own special way..... |
Anyways!!! Gently add the dry ingredients patiently waiting aside for their turn to your sweet, buttery, lemony concoction (aka wet ingredients) and mix until well blended. Use care not to over mix the batter or your cake will turn out a bit tough due to excess gluten development. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for about one hour, or until a cake tester JUST comes out clean. Let the cake sit in the pan for about 15 minutes. Prepare the glaze. If you want an even bigger hit of lemon use lemon juice for your liquid. If you want a milder lemon cake experience, use the milk. You can add more or less liquid depending on how runny you want it. I like my glaze on the thicker side so it coats the top a bit more heavily. Once you have your glaze ready pour it on top of the still warm cake. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan. The glaze will firm up as the cake cools. Once cool, carefully remove your beautiful culinary creation from it's pan with the help of the parchment paper and place it on a pretty plate to serve. Store it in a container you can close to keep the cake from drying out if you won't be devouring it right away ;). I will say, it tastes even better when you let it sit overnight. The flavors come out even more.
I really do hope you will give this cake a shot and that you enjoy it as much as my family and friends do. I should also say that you could make this cake with orange juice and orange zest instead of lemon. It makes a wonderful variation of the original lemon should you want to try something a bit different!! Feedback is always welcome! I'd love to hear some of the variations you come up with.
We here at the farm wish you all a very blessed and warm holiday season. From our family to yours, Merry Christmas.
