Lemon Pound Cake

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9 X 5 inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray, then line the bottom with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.

2. Process the sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a food processor until combined, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, pour the melted butter through the feed tube in a steady stream, about 30 seconds. Pour the mixture into a large bowl.

3. Sift one-third of the flour mixture over the egg mixture and whisk in (a few streaks of flour should remain.) Repeat twice more with the remaining flour mixture and continue to whisk the batter gently until most lumps are gone (do not over mix).

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Wipe any drops of batter off the sides of the pan. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes, rotating the pan half way through baking.

5. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack. Turn the cake right side up, remove the parchment, and let cool to room temperature, about 3 hours.

recipe credit: America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

photo credit: Rose Kesting