Mama’s Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze

Pound cake is a quintessential cake to have in your repertoire. Timeless, simple, and delicious without being overly sweet. Perfect for spring (or year-round) this recipe yields a delicate buttery flavor enhanced with fresh lemon juice and zest. Enjoy!

Anyone who knew my Mama, Susan, knew that she was a no-bullshit kinda woman.  She was incredibly authentic, brutally honest, fiercely loyal, and could make even the most straight-laced person laugh out loud.  It wasn’t that fake nervous laughter, either.  It was the real deal, knee-slapper, disarming, yet genuine kinda laughter.  She had a way with people when she wanted to, and I’d like to think that my gift of gab was inherited from her.  As we say in the south, “I get it honest.”  This pound cake is a tribute to my Mama – not only is it her recipe, but it requires the simplest, realist, no-bullshit ingredients.  This one’s for you, Mama.

Unlike most cake recipes, this one is #oldschool and does not call for a leavening agent, i.e., baking soda or baking powder, in order for the cake to rise. Rather, this cake relies solely on the 6 eggs for leavening! As such, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature before starting to bake this cake. Room temperature ingredients blend together better, and your creamed butter, sugar, and eggs will be “fluffier.” Tip: just take your ingredients out of the fridge the night before you plan on baking, or first thing in the morning. Be sure and use cake flour to ensure a tighter and delicate crumb.

Mama’s Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze

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Cook Time 1 hr 10 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Ingredients

  

• 3 sticks butter salted or unsalted
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 6 large eggs room temperature
• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice optional
• zest of 1 lemon optional

Simple Lemon Glaze

• about 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2-3 lemons)
• about 2 cups confectioners sugar
• lemon zest

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt or tube cake pan. Make sure ingredients are at room temperature.

  In a large bowl, using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, cream together 3 sticks of butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy ~3-5 minutes.
• Add eggs, one a time, scraping down the bowl after each egg is added. Add vanilla and mix well.
• Carefully add the cake flour and whipping cream to the batter in several batches, alternating between the two. Be sure and scrape down sides and bottom of the mixing bowl to ensure ingredients are well-mixed.
• Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest and mix together.
• Pour cake batter into well-greased bundt or tube pan and bake for about one hour. Remove cake from oven and test with a toothpick or butterknife – if it comes out clean then cake is done. Usually bakes between 1 hour and 1 hour 15 minutes. Will depend on your oven, so keep an eye on your cake. Start checking at about 50 minutes.
• Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes before flipping onto a cooling rack. Tip: place the cooling rack or plate on top of the cake pan before flipping. Then, pick up the cake and rack with both hands flipping it over. If the pan was well-greased, the cake should easily release from your pan. If not, take a butter knife and carefully scrape along the edges of the cake to help release.
• Make the lemon glaze. While the cake is cooling, whisk together about 1/3 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice, about 2 cups of confectioners sugar, and lemon zest until you get a thick glaze. Slowly pour the glaze over the pound cake. It will harden as it sets. Enjoy!

Keyword bundt cake, dessert, easy, family recipes, lemon, lemon desserts, pound cake, red velvet cake, shug and spice, simple, southern

I’ll love you forever

I’ll like you for always

As long as I’m living

My Mommy you’ll be

-Robert Munsch

Hope y'all enjoy this old family favorite.  Cheers to savoring the sweetness in life.  

With love, from Asheville,
-Shug