“Remember, despite all the current events, there is no crying in baseball.” — Actor Tom Hanks, recovering from coronavirus in Australia.
As we face down the coronavirus pandemic, it may seem frivolous to be posting a recipe for a lemon pound cake. When living through frightening events out of our control, nurturing those you love and hanging on to a semblance of normalcy helps to Keep moving forward. Trying out a new recipe for my family and baking this cake brought us a lot of joy and for a few moments, helped us forget the reality of these times and cling to hope about the future. The first daffodils were emerging in the garden and they graced the cake with their cheerfulness, beauty and promise of better days ahead. My son dubbed it the Corona Cake and we even shared a laugh.
This classic pound cake punches a triple dose of lemon: made with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest in both the cake and the glaze and lemon essence in the batter, it is sunshine in every bite. Moist with a perfect density, this easy cake is truly delicious.
Stay safe. Wash your hands. Stay home. Show your family some love. Get creative in your hunkerdown. And bake something: it will help you experience a calmer state of mind. Sending you and your loved ones fortitude and solace in these difficult and uncertain times.
Lemon Lovers' Pound Cake
recipe courtesy of Taste of Home Magazine
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
5 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups sour cream
ICING:
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
Directions
Preheat oven at 350F
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in lemon juice, zest and extract. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Beat just until combined.
Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 55-60 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
For icing, in a small bowl, beat the sour cream and butter until smooth. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar. Beat in lemon juice and zest. Drizzle over the cake. If desired, top with additional grated lemon zest. Store in the refrigerator.
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