Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake

My friend Linda’s Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake looks unassuming, but is full of lemony sweetness. The use of confectioner’s sugar instead of granulated sugar not only made the pound cake look elegant, but also resulted in a transparent layer of icing. Since the icing is made with lemon juice and lemon zest, it is super citrusy and tart. For a girl who loves lemons, this isn’t a problem. 

Recipe is from Oprah magazine. Modified version below.

Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake
Yield: Makes 12 servings

Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature*
1 teaspoon vanilla
grated zest of 2 lemons
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

Icing:
1 cup fresh lemon juice
⅔ cup confectioner’s sugar
¼ cup water
zest of 1 lemon

1) Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F.
2) Butter and flour a 10-inch fluted tube (Bundt) pan and tap out the excess flour.
3) Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together; set aside.
4) Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a hand-held electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
5) Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla and zest.
6) On low speed, add the flour in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour.
7) Beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl often with a rubber spatula.
8) Spread evenly in the pan.
9) Bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1-¼ hours.
10) Bring the lemon juice, zest, water and sugar to a boil over high heat and cook until it is reduced to ½ cup, about 15 minutes.
11) Allow syrup to cool before drizzling onto the cake.
12) Transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes.
13) Drizzle half the syrup over the cake. Invert onto the rack and brush with the remaining syrup.
14) Cool completely.

Recommended technique: If a recipe calls for room temperature eggs, place the uncracked eggs in a bowl of hot water for 5 minutes so they can lose their chill.