If Life Gives You Lemons…

You can make Lemonade or you can make Lemon Pound Cake 🙂Don’t you love it when something is simple to make, and tastes so good it is hard to stop eating it?  This Lemon Pound Cake is like that.  Make one soon.  You will show love to anyone who is lucky enough to get a piece of it, feel joy in seeing their delight, and what a great way for you to share this abundant life you are living!

Lemon Pound Cake
(Adapted from Everyday Food, May 2006)
Makes one 12-cup Bundt or two 4 ½ x 8-inch (6 cup) loaf pans

Cake:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
¾ cup buttermilk
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
Zest of 2 lemons
5 large eggs
½ teaspoon lemon extract

Glaze:
6 oz cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Zest of 2 lemons
Lemon juice from 1/2 lemon
2 – 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour one 12-cup bundt pan or two 4 ½ x 8-inch loaf pans; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set this aside. In a large measuring cup stir together buttermilk and lemon juice; set this aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each one is added.   Scrape the sides of the bowl after each egg is added.  Next add lemon extract and stir to combine.
4. Add flour mixture in three parts, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and alternating with the buttermilk mixture.  Beat until just combined.
5. Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. (Cover top with foil if it is browning too quickly.) Cool 15 minutes in the pan. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely before glazing.
(Note: This cake doesn’t rise much. Don’t be disappointed when it isn’t high and rounded on top when it comes from the oven)

6. Make glaze: In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add zest, lemon juice, and lemon extract and beat until combined. Add in confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth. Add heavy cream, a tablespoon at a time, until the glaze reaches the desired consistency. Spread on cooled cake.

I like to top my cake with candied lemon and mint.  To make candied lemon simply add 1/3 cup each of water and sugar to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil.  While it is coming to a boil, thinly slice a lemon.  Place lemon slices in boiling sugar water and cook for 1 minute.  Turn off heat and allow the lemons to cool.  when cool enough to handle place the lemon slices on a wire rack to dry.  Use one slice with 2 mint leaves to decorate the top of the cake .