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Pound: Lemon-Sour Cream Pound Cake

Source of Recipe

Art Smith


Recipe Introduction

"Sour cream is the secret ingredient in many a pound cake. This one is based on a lemon pound cake recipe from my family's recipe collection."

List of Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature*
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Grated zest of 2 lemons
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

Lemon Syrup:
1 cup fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
Zest of 1 lemon



Recipe

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F. Butter and flour a 10-inch fluted tube (Bundt) pan, and tap out the excess flour.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together; set aside. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a hand-held electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla and zest. On low speed, add the flour in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl often with a rubber spatula. Spread evenly in the pan.

Bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours.

Bring the lemon juice, zest, water and sugar to a boil over high heat and cook until it is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes. Allow syrup to cool before drizzling onto the cake.

Transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Drizzle half the syrup over the cake. Invert onto the rack and brush with the remaining syrup. Cool completely.

Recommended technique: If a recipe calls for room temperature eggs, place the uncracked eggs in a bowl of hot water for 5 minutes so they can lose their chill.