Mystery lemon pound cake

recipe

This week, You! has collaborated with home-based baker and food enthusiast, Saba Masood of The Pastry Girl from Islamabad, who shares her special recipe of ‘Mystery Lemon Pound Cake’. Try it out and indulge in the tanginess of the yummy cake. Bon Appetite!

I N G R E D I E N T S

Unsalted butter (room temperature)          170 gms

White granulated or castor sugar    300 gms

Eggs (room temperature)     3

Vanilla extract          1 tsp

Lemon extract          1 tsp

Salt    1/4 tsp

All-purposeflour/maida (room temperature)           180 gms

Sprite or 7-UP 1/2 cup

Zest of lemons         4-5

For Lemon glaze:

Powdered sugar        1 cup

Salt    a pinch

Zest of lemons         5

Lemon juice    1-2 tbsps

Water few drops

M E T H O D

• Preheat oven to 325 F or 160 C.
• Grease a bundt pan (any shape or style) or a 9x5” loaf pan thoroughly with a non-stick spray.
• In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with an electric beater, cream together butter and sugar until the colour turns pale and it looks light and fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Combine flour and salt and add it little at a time in the egg mixture. Keep the beater on low speed.
• Slowly add the 7-Up or sprite until combined.
• Add in the lemon zest. Do not over mix.
• Pour the mixture in to your greased pan and smooth it from the top with a spatula.
• Bake for about 50 minutes (or above) till the top looks golden and a toothpick inserted in to the cake comes out clean or ideally, with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).
• Remove it from the oven once it is done and let it cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes before you invert it.
• Mix all the ingredients of the glaze with a whisk until it forms a thick consistency. Pour it on top of the cake and let it set.

T I P S

• For pound cakes, always use good quality butter.
• All your ingredients should be on room temperature.
• It is harder to grease a bundt pan with butter and flour if you don’t have a non-stick cooking spray. So if you are using a bundt pan then make sure to coat it with spray thoroughly.
• You can add more powdered sugar if you want a thicker glaze.
• This cake can sometimes take an hour or more to bake depending on your oven.