Cookbook:Lemon Pound Cake

Cake

 * 1 tablespoon butter, softened, for greasing pan
 * 1 tablespoon flour for dusting pan
 * 1½ cups cake flour
 * 1 teaspoon baking powder
 * ½ teaspoon salt
 * 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
 * 1¼ cups white sugar
 * 2 tablespoons grated zest from 2 medium lemons
 * 2 teaspoons juice from same 2 lemons
 * 4 large eggs
 * 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Lemon glaze (optional)

 * ½ cup sugar
 * ¼ cup juice from 1–2 medium lemons

Cake

 * 1) Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 °F.
 * 2) Grease a 9x5-inch Pyrex loaf pan with 1 tablespoon softened butter; dust with 1 tablespoon cake flour, tapping out excess.
 * 3) In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
 * 4) In glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl, microwave butter, covered with plastic wrap, in 30-second bursts until melted. Whisk melted butter thoroughly.
 * 5) In food processor, pulse sugar and lemon zest until combined. Add lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla; process until combined. With processor running, drizzle melted butter through feed tube. Transfer mixture to large bowl.
 * 6) Sift flour mixture over batter in three steps, gently whisking after each addition.
 * 7) Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 15 minutes.
 * 8) Reduce oven temperature to 325 °F and continue to bake until deep golden brown and a skewer inserted in center comes out clean (about 35 minutes), rotating pan halfway through baking time.
 * 9) Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn cake onto wire rack, poke on top and sides with a toothpick or skewer, and brush on lemon glaze (see below). Cool to room temperature (at least 1 hour).

Lemon glaze

 * 1) While cake is cooling, bring sugar and lemon juice to boil in small nonreactive saucepan, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar.
 * 2) Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.
 * 3) Brush glaze onto cake.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * Once cooled, cake can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.
 * Lemon-Poppy seed Pound Cake: Follow the above recipe through step 2. Toss 1 tablespoon flour mixture with ⅔ cup poppy seeds in small bowl; set aside. Continue with recipe from step 3, folding poppy seed mixture into batter after flour is incorporated.