My Culinary Trial Room

My first experience with a lemon pound cake was a failure. It was not good, it was artificial and there was this lingering aftertaste which just made me go yuck. I mostly withhold myself from buying cakes from the grocery but that single slice of lemon cake was so tempting and with that bright yellow color and speckles of lemon zest peeking out, I had to give in. And since it was a single slice I knew that it would not go to waste. But one bite and I knew that it was goner.

Something told me that that should not have been my first lemon cake. The all-time famous Starbucks lemon pound cake just didn't seem right and made me skeptical. I knew it had to be homemade for me to get the flavor profile in the cake right. This cake is what I have waited for in my life. Make this in winter and you will savor spring in very bite. Make it during spring and it will freshen and liven your senses. Make it anyday, for guests or family or friends or for yourself, it will elevate your mood right away.

~*What U Need*~
All purpose flour - 3/4 cup
Baking soda - 1/8 tsp
Salt - 1/8 pinch
Unsalted butter - 1/4 cup, room temperature
Granulated sugar - 1/2 cup
Large eggs - 1, room temperature
Lemon juice - 1/8 cup
Lemon zest - 1/2 tbsp
Sour cream - 1/4 cup

For the glaze:
Cream cheese - 2 oz, at room temperature
Icing sugar - 4 tbsp
Milk - 1 tbsp or as needed

How I Made it:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a mini loaf and a small ramekin(just in case you have excess batter). Dust pan with flour and tap out the extra. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar gradually and beat for 5 minutes.

Add the egg and mix until combined. Rub the lemon zest with 1 tbsp of sugar so that the sugar becomes fragrant and the zest releases its oils. Beat in lemon juice and zest mixture.

Stir in the dry ingredients with a spatula. Finally, add the sour cream and fold it in to the batter. Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake for about 20 -25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Release the cake and remove it. Cool it completely on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar or glaze if desired. For the glaze, mix everything till smooth and pouring consistency. Place the cake over a wire and pour the glaze over. Allow to set.