Super Rich Super Lemony Pound Cake

When I first started baking, one of my many firsts was a pound cake. I watched the Laura Vitale video and also the one from Joy of Baking. And I realized that a pound cake is essentially what we know as a butter cake. My auntie was not impressed with my pound cake to say the least. "It is very dense" she commented. 

I must have baked that pound cake a few more times with no improvement on the density until I found Mrs SK Ng's Butter Cake. With that discovery, my days of baking a "dense" butter cake was effectively over.

But seriously, there are certain cakes that are inherently dense and I can enjoy them the way that they are. Not all cakes are airy unless they are chiffon or sponge cakes.

Because of my experience with generic pound cakes, I have the impression that all pound cakes are meant to be dense. Until I tried Mr Toby Corn's Super Rich, Super Lemony Pound Cake. This recipe uses Homestead Creamery Buttermilk which according to Toby is "impossibly thick (you have to shake it out of the glass bottle it comes in), super rich, and the best tasting buttermilk I've come across". Well, how about that?

The only brand of buttermilk available here (as far as I know) is Paul's Buttermilk. With USD1.00 at RM4.20 at the time of writing, there is no way I could afford Homestead Creamery Buttermilk even if it available here. 

But never fear because this super thick buttermilk can be achieved by mixing buttermilk with sour cream. And that's what I did. And wow! What a revelation! This pound cake has a softer and fluffier texture compared to my other pound cakes. I absolutely love it! This is also the best tasting lemony cake I have eaten so far.

The cake is meant to be brushed with lemon glaze. That would make the cake quite sweet and typically me and most of my family members cannot tolerate super sweet cakes. Therefore, I only drizzled on the  lemon glaze. Even then, I used way less sugar than is recommended in the recipe. This recipe is a keeper and if I want another shot at lemony goodness, this is the recipe I will turn to.

I gave some of this cake to my auntie and so far she has been silent hah..hah... No news is good news, or is it? 

Super Rich Super Lemony Pound Cake
Recipe source : Adapted from PLATEfodder

Ingredients :

For the cake :
- 250g self raising flour, sifted
- 180g sugar (I still find this too sweet. To reduce to 160g)
- 250g butter
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp vanilla extract (optional. The smell of the buttermilk/sour cream got to me, hence the addition)

For the lemon glaze :
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp icing sugar (I added the sugar until I reach a thick drizzling consistency)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest

Method :

For the cake :
1. In a measuring cup, measure out 1/2 cup buttermilk and add sour cream until the total mixture reaches 1 cup. Add lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir to mix and set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract (if using).
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. After this, I used a spatula to fold in the flour 1/3 at a time, alternating with the buttermilk/sour cream mixture. (Start with flour and end with flour).
5. Pour batter into a generously greased bundt pan and bake at 160C for 40-45 minutes or until skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
6. Remove cake from the oven, leave to cool for about 10 minutes before turning out to cool completely.

For the lemon glaze :
- In a bowl add lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Start with two tablespoons of icing sugar and stir until you get a thick and drizzling consistency. Add more icing sugar/lemon juice if necessary.

Drizzle the lemon glaze over the cake (I did this when the cake was cool).