Pound Cakes are so named because they were originally made with a pound each of butter, sugar, eggs and flour. However, over time, the recipe for this tea-time delight has evolved into something a little more complex and flavourful.
This pound cake was one of the first recipes that I perfected and I believe that it is the ideal cake to bake if you are a beginner. A simple combination of easily available pantry ingredients produces a soft and fine crumb that perfectly compliments the richness of the cake.
Check out my recipe on Upside-Down Pineapple Pound Cakes to further perfect your pound cake!
To use this recipe to make a Vanilla pound cake instead, omit the lemon zest and add 1tsp of vanilla essence instead of ½ tsp.
Ingredients for cake:
170g castor sugar
170g unsalted butter
Finely grated zest of 3 lemons
170g all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
3 eggs
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup milk
Method to prepare the cake:
Preheat your oven to 200C.
Grease and line one 9” bundt pan or two 7” round pans. If you want to make this cake as a loaf (as displayed in the picture), half the recipe and use a 10” by 4” rectangular tin.
In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest together until the mixture is light, fluffy and looks slightly pale. This will take around 10-15 minutes when using an electric whisk.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition to make sure they are well incorporated. If the mixture curdles, add a little flour from the previously measured 170g and whisk well. Do not add flour that is not from this amount as this will make your cake dense.
Sift the baking powder and flour into the bowl and fold them using a rubber spatula. Do not overmix at this stage as your cake will turn out dense.
Finally, add the milk and vanilla extract and fold it through the batter.
Troubleshooting: If your batter curdles after adding the milk, add an extra tablespoon of flour and fold it through the batter until the latter stabilizes. The flour helps absorb the extra moisture in the batter, thereby making it smooth. Do not add more than 5 tablespoons of flour or else your cake will become extremely dense. Curdling generally occurs when the milk is cold, which separates the fat in the batter. Therefore, always use room temperature ingredients.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin(s) and bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden skewer that is inserted into it comes out clean.
Tip: Pipe a thin line of unsalted butter, around 1" thick, along the middle of your cake just before you bake it to always get the perfect cracked top.
Allow your cake to cool completely in the tin before transferring it into an airtight container to store.
This cake remains fresh for 5 days when stored at room temperature.
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