Lemon Pound Cake

Jud and I have gotten hooked on the lemon pound cake at Starbucks.  We go get a cup of coffee and 1/2 a piece of this wonderful cake.  I found a recipe courtesy of Gale Gand on Food Network, and it is just about as good.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gale-gand/lemon-pound-cake-recipe/index.html





Printable Version: Lemon Pound Cake
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup sugar, plus 1/3 cup for icing
4 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup lemon juice, plus 1/3 cup for icing

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 6-cup loaf pan and line it with parchment or waxed paper. (I just sprayed the pan with cooking spray and it came out fine). In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or use a hand mixer), cream the butter. Add 1 cup of sugar and mix. With the mixer running at low speed, add the eggs one at a time.
Add the vanilla.
3. Working in alternating batches, and mixing after each addition, add the dry ingredients and 1/4 cup of the lemon juice to the butter mixture. Mix until just smooth.
4. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until raised in the center and a tester inserted into the center comes out dry and almost clean (a few crumbs are OK), 65-75 minutes.Mine was ready in 65 min.
5. Meanwhile, make the glaze; In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and the remaining 1/3 cup lemon juice until the sugar is dissolved. I used powdered sugar and lemon juice so you don't need 1/3 cup of the lemon juice.  Just add the powdered sugar and then add a little lemon juice at a time until it is the consistency you want.
6. When the cake is done, let cool in the pan 15 minutes (it will still be warm). Run a knife around the sides of the pan. Set a wire rack on a sheet pan with sides (to catch the glaze) and turn the cake out onto the rack. Peel off the waxed paper.
7. Using a turkey baster or pastry brush, spread glaze all over the top and sides of the cake and let soak in. Repeat until the entire glaze is used up, including any glaze that has dripped through onto the sheet pan. Let cool at room temperature, or wrapped in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator (Well wrapped, the cake will last up to a week). Serve at room temperature, in thin slices.