Meyer Lemon Pound Cake

by Millie Bentley

Greetings. This a recipe Papa Jack sent me that calls for Meyer lemons. They always remind me of Spring – maybe because of their bright color. Meyer lemons are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange and they taste a little sweeter. However, they can be substituted in most recipes, like the one below.

Meyer Lemon Pound Cake

CAKE

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened but still cool

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons grated Meyer lemon zest

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

5 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten

SYRUP

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice

GLAZE

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice

For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into bowl. Stir sour cream and lemon juice together in a second bowl. Using fingers, toss lemon zest and sugar together in large bowl until clumps are gone. Add butter and beat with electric mixer at medium high speed until smooth and light, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add beaten eggs in three additions, mixing until smooth and scraping down bowl after each addition. (Mixture will begin to look curdled.) With mixer on low, add one third of flour mixture followed by half of sour cream mixture, stopping as necessary to scrape down bowl. Repeat, ending with flour mixture. Scrape down bowl, then mix on low until smooth, about 30 seconds. Use rubber spatula to give batter a final stir. Pour batter into pan and smooth top. Gently tap pan on counter to release any air bubbles. Bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 55 to 70 minutes.

For the syrup: While cake bakes, stir sugar and lemon juice together in saucepan over medium high heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 2 minutes, remove from heat, and set aside. Cool cake in pan on cooling rack for 10 minutes then turn out onto rack. Brush top and sides of warm cake with syrup and cool completely, about 2 hours.

For the glaze: Whisk confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice in bowl until smooth. Spread glaze over cake, allowing some to drip down sides. Let glaze set at least 15 minutes before serving. 8 servings.

Until next time, dear Reader, vaya con Dios.