What’s a special dinner without dessert? Over this Mother’s Day weekend, I tested out a lemon pound cake recipe from Food Network Pastry Chef, Gale Gand. The recipe was demonstrated on her Mother’s Day Masterpieces show. The first time I made it, I tried the lemon glaze over the top. The second time I didn’t make a glaze and added lemon zest to the batter. Either way, the pound cake was moist and delicious on the inside. I’ll be making this pound cake recipe several times and changing it up a little bit every time.  I suggest ALWAYS use fresh lemons, you can really tell the difference. And of course, farm fresh eggs.

My next attempt at making this recipe, I will try omitting the butter and using lemon yogurt and oil to cut down on the calories. And serving it with fresh berries of any kind. This recipe can be made today and it would still be fresh and moist a day later. I recommend storing it covered in plastic wrap on the counter or sliced in a zip-loc storage bag. I have not tried storing it in the refrigerator for fear of drying out.

Here is the original recipe with a few of my tweaks:

Sweet Dreams Lemon Pound Cake

Prep Time:20 min Inactive Prep Time:15 minCook Time:1 hr 15 minLevel:

Serves: 8 to 10

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar, plus 1/3 cup
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, plus 1/3 cup lemon juice reserved for glaze
• zest of 1/2 a lemon

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 6-cup loaf pan and line it with parchment or waxed paper. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter. Add 1 cup of the sugar and mix. With the mixer running at low speed, add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla.
3. Working in alternating batches, and mixing after each addition, add the dry ingredients and 1/4 cup of the lemon juice and zest to the butter mixture. Mix until just smooth.
4. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until raised in the center and a tester inserted into the center comes out dry and almost clean (a few crumbs are OK), 65 to 75 minutes. (ovens time vary, keep an eye on it towards the end.)
5. Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and the remaining 1/3 cup lemon juice until the sugar is dissolved.
6. When the cake is done, let cool in the pan 15 minutes (it will still be warm). Run a knife around the sides of the pan. Set a wire rack on a sheet pan with sides (to catch the glaze) and turn the cake out onto the rack. Peel off the waxed paper.
7. Using a turkey baster or pastry brush, spread glaze all over the top and sides of the cake and let soak in. Repeat until the entire glaze is used up, including any glaze that has dripped through onto the sheet pan. Let cool at room temperature or, wrapped in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator (Well wrapped, the cake will last up to a week). Serve at room temperature, in thin slices.

Noel’s Notes:  For cake: Omit the butter and add 1 cup non fat lemon yogurt, add 1/2 cup vegetable oil ,2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons), and cut down vanilla to 1 teaspoon. For syrup: 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (for syrup) and 1/3 cup sugar. For glaze: 1 cup confectioner’s sugar and 2 Tablespoons lemon juice.