Lemon Pound Cakes With Candied Lemon Slices Recipes

CANDIED-LEMON POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Make the pound cake: Preheat the oven to 350˚. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, then line with parchment paper in two overlapping strips, leaving an overhang. Butter the parchment and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
• Grate the zest of 1 1/2 lemons and remove the remaining zest in wide strips with a vegetable peeler. Juice both lemons into a small bowl; set aside.
• Whisk the eggs, egg yolk, 1/4 cup heavy cream and 2 teaspoons vanilla in a medium bowl until slightly foamy; set aside. Beat the butter and 1 cup cane sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until well combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, then beat on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 6 to 7 minutes, adding the grated lemon zest after about 5 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour until just combined. Gradually add the egg mixture and beat until combined. Scrape down the bowl; increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy, 15 to 30 seconds.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until golden and the top springs back when gently pressed, 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the lemon syrup: Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the lemon zest strips and cook 1 minute; drain. Repeat twice, using fresh water each time; drain and transfer the lemon zest to a cutting board. Wipe out the saucepan.
• Thinly slice the lemon zest strips and return to the saucepan along with the reserved lemon juice, the remaining 1/4 cup cane sugar and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar; cook until slightly reduced, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve; reserve the syrup and candied zest.
• Remove the cake from the oven, transfer to a rack and let cool 10 minutes in the pan. Poke 12 holes in the top of the cake, then brush with half the lemon syrup. Let soak 5 minutes, then lift the cake from the pan and remove the parchment. Transfer to a rack. Poke a few holes in the sides of the cake, then brush all over with the remaining lemon syrup. Let cool completely.
• Make the glaze: Combine the confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons heavy cream and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl and whisk until thick and smooth; thin with the remaining 1 tablespoon heavy cream, if needed. Spoon the glaze over the cooled cake and top with the candied lemon zest. Let set at least 20 minutes.

LEMON POUNDCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light. Add the lemon zest, then the eggs, one at a time, mixing until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream, mixing just to combine. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake's center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Place on a rack.
• Put the confectioners' sugar in a bowl and gradually whisk in the lemon juice. Brush some of the mixture over the top of the cake. Let stand for 10 minutes. Turn the cake out of the pan and brush the cake top, sides and bottom well with the lemon mixture. Repeat after 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

LEMON POUND CAKES WITH CANDIED LEMON SLICES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch (6-cup) loaf pans; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and lemon zest; set aside.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; mix in vanilla. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture in three parts, and sour cream in two, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Divide batter between prepared pans; smooth tops. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes (tent loosely with foil if browning too quickly). Meanwhile, make Candied Lemon Slices and Lemon Syrup.
• Remove cakes from oven; while they're still in pans, use a wooden skewer or toothpick to poke several holes in tops. Setting aside 1/4 cup Lemon Syrup, pour remainder over cakes. Let cakes cool completely in pans, about 2 hours. Remove from pans, and place, right side up, on a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Brush cakes all over with reserved syrup.
• In a small bowl, whisk confectioners' sugar with 2 tablespoons lemon juice; add up to 2 more tablespoons juice until pourable but thick.
• Pour lemon glaze over cakes (still on cooling rack), letting it drip down the sides. Let set, about 30 minutes. Garnish with Candied Lemon Slices.