This melt in your mouth pound cake is the recipe to remember when you wish you had something freshly baked but no time to get to the store for ingredients. That’s how I happened upon it…babysitting my grandsons with a plan to try a new cookie recipe which they vetoed when I read them the ingredients. (I don’t like nuts! I don’t like oatmeal!) So back to the drawing board, or in my case, the cookbook shelf. I had everything this pound cake required except for the cake flour, but faked it with all-purpose flour. (In a dessert emergency, desperate measures are called for!)
This is another great recipe from Ina Garten, and she notes that using “cool temperature” butter (leave it at room temperature for about an hour) makes all the difference in the texture of the cake. If, like me, you have a four year old assistant, you don’t have that luxury. I popped the butter in the microwave for about 15 seconds which helped I think. We ate this with fresh strawberries for dessert and then again for breakfast. Just a rich, fragrant pound cake with a lovely crumb.
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter at cool room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 extra-large eggs
2 Tbs. honey
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until light. Meanwhile,put the eggs, honey, vanilla, and lemon zest in a glass measuring cup but do not combine. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the egg mixture, one egg at a time, scraping down the bowl and allowing each egg to become incorporated before adding the next egg.
Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder. With the mixer on low speed, add it slowly to the batter until just combined. Finish mixing the batter with a rubber spatula and pour it into the prepared pan. Smooth the top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool for 15 minutes, turn out onto a baking rack, and cool completely. Makes one 8 inch loaf.
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