I don’t even know where to start with this cake…I made it again after shooting it just because I HAD to have it again. It’s lemon-ey (is that a word? yes?), buttery and dense. It’s delicious right out of the oven but even better a couple days later. I recommend doubling the recipe, eating one entire cake the day-of, and saving the rest to enjoy over the next few days. And no, I don’t mean share it. I mean bake it and hide it as fast as you can. That last sentence might give you some insight into my struggle living with two boys who eat literally everything. I’ve resorted to hiding anything I actually want and no, I’m not kidding.
On an entirely different subject, we moved. Everything made it into a box, the box made it into a truck, and then into our new house. This was the last recipe I shot in our old kitchen, and while I’m so pumped about finding new spots to shoot…dang, I’m going to miss this sweet little space. But, as much as I will miss our first home in Seattle, I’m so in love with our farm. It needs a lot of work, but it’s the first home I’ve lived in with no plans to leave, and it feels like magic. As soon as I find my pans, I’ll likely be making this again.
I had some red currants I harvested late-summer and froze with the intent of making jam, but I ended up using a few as a garnish on this cake. Feel free to use any fruit you have on hand, or skip the berries altogether. Fresh figs would be so, so good.
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour.
- pound cake
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1½ (300 grams) cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- zest of 2 lemons
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1¾ cups + 2 tablespoons (220 grams) gluten-free flour blend, such as King Arthur Flour or Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Flour
- lemon glaze
- 1½ cups (170 grams) confectioner's sugar
- 1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice (from about ½ a large lemon)
- 3 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1½ tablespoons milk
- ¼ teaspoon lemon extract
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9" x 5" x 2¾" loaf pan, or a 12" x 4" x 4" tea loaf pan. Dust with sugar and tap out the excess.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese, salt, sugar, baking powder, vanilla extract, lemon zest and lemon juice until well combined.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. The mixture may look slightly curdled. After you've added the final egg, scrape the sides of the bowl down and beat at high speed for 3 minutes. Stir in the milk.
- Turn the mixer on low speed and sprinkle the flour in gradually, mixing just until combined. The batter will be smooth and thick, but still pourable. Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake it for an hour, then check the cake. If the top is browning too quickly, lightly tent the pan with foil. Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes,until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Place the pan on a cooling rack. After 5 minutes run a sharp knife around the edges of the cake to loosen and turn it out of the pan to cool completely on a rack.
- While the cake cools, combine the glaze ingredients in a bowl and mix well until bleded. Drizzle over the room temperature cake and serve.
- Cake will last up to 5 days wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the refridgerator.
Hi! Im a big fan of your instagram account! I want to make this cake- is there a way to make it grain free using almond or coconut flour?
Hi! Thank you so much!! I haven’t tried this cake with almond or coconut flour, I’d assume a blend of the two possibly with some starches like potato and tapioca would be the best option? I know Bob’s Red Mill makes a paleo gf flour blend, I haven’t used it but I really love their products. Let me know how it goes if you try it? And thanks so much for saying hello!!