Lemon-Sour Cream Pound Cake
Created Art Smith
Sour cream is the secret ingredient in many a pound cake. This one is based on a lemon pound cake recipe from my family's recipe collection.
Servings: Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
Cake
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter , at room temperature
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 6 large eggs , at room temperature*
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Grated zest of 2 lemons
  • 1 cup sour cream , at room temperature
Lemon Syrup
  • 1 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • Zest of 1 lemon
Directions
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F. Butter and flour a 10-inch fluted tube (Bundt) pan, and tap out the excess flour.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together; set aside. 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. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla and zest. On low speed, add the flour in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl often with a rubber spatula. Spread evenly in the pan.

Bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours.

Bring the lemon juice, zest, water and sugar to a boil over high heat and cook until it is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes. Allow syrup to cool before drizzling onto the cake.

Transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Drizzle half the syrup over the cake. Invert onto the rack and brush with the remaining syrup. 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.

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