Bibi Hutchings, a lifelong Southerner, lives along a peaceful coastal Alabama bay with her cat, Zulu, and her husband, Tom. She writes about the magical way food evokes memories, instantly transporting you back to the people, places and experiences in your life. Her stories take you all over the South and are accompanied by tried-and-true recipes that are destined to become part of your memory as you share them with friends and family.
A pound cake is a pound cake because of its original proportions in pounds: a pound of flour, a pound of butter, a pound of sugar, and a pound of eggs (or, perhaps simpler, a dozen) – no leavening ingredients, like baking soda or powder, and no liquids.
A little extract, zest or flavoring was allowed, but nothing more if you chose to stick with tradition.
Over the years, pound cakes have lost some of their weight as bakers made them lighter. “Pound” measurements were reduced to make room for additional liquids and flavor combinations, and leavening agents further lightened and reduced kitchen labor time. The resulting recipes resulted in what may be the most beloved Southern cake I know. It’s for every season. and at every opportunity.
My mother loved few things more than plain vanilla pound cake and I can’t think of anything better to soak up the sweet juices of fruit compotes or to accompany freshly grilled peaches in the summer. Sliced and toasted, pound cake is also hard to beat for breakfast; its perfect simplicity is as satisfying as a good cookie.
What I’m sharing with you today is a family recipe from a new friend of mine who recently retired and moved to my neck of the woods. I can attest that this recipe always produces a deliciously moist and tender cake with a tight crumb and crispy top, which is everything I want in a pound cake.
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I like it best served cold out of the refrigerator the day after preparation, but until now I haven’t been able to resist a first slice that is still warm out of the oven, barely ready to be cut. It’s the best lemon dessert I’ve had in years, and I’ve been completely charmed and enamored with it ever since she shared it with me earlier in the spring.
At the heart of my craze is Meyer lemon simple syrup. I want to drink this stuff: it’s ambrosial!
Made from freshly squeezed juice and sugar, half is poured over the cake when it comes out of the oven and the rest is brushed or sprinkled with a spoon once you remove it from the pan. The first time I made this divine nectar, I tasted it for its sweetness as soon as the sugar was dissolved and I never took it out from that moment on. I’m surprised there was enough left for the cake.
The Meyer lemons I had were small and I underestimated what I would need, which is rare for me. I was barely able to extract enough juice to make what the recipe called for. If I had more of these little Meyer lemons, I would have made syrup to pour in and over everything from drinks to salad dressings to ice cream.
The lesson here: make sure you have enough on hand. It’s simply amazing and it’s my latest addiction.
Sweet lemon (Meyer) Buttermilk Pound Cake Yields 10-12 servings Preparation time 20 minutes Cooking time 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
For the cake:
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup solid shortening (I substitute coconut oil)
1 stick of softened butter
2 cups of sugar
Pinch of salt
4 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon of lemon extract
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
For the syrup:
6 to 7 large Meyer lemons, enough for 3/4 cup fresh juice
Peel of 3 Meyer lemons
1 cup of sugar is about perfect, but start with less and add more to taste
Directions
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In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda and set aside.
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Oil and flour a 10-inch tube pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
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In a large bowl, beat shortening or coconut oil, butter, sugar and a pinch of salt until light and creamy. Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each one. Add the lemon extract with the last egg.
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Alternate between adding flour and buttermilk, starting with the flour, and continue to beat well with each addition.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 to 20 minutes.
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While the cake is in the oven, prepare the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients over medium-low heat. Once the water is simmering, reduce the heat to low until all the sugar has dissolved.
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Remove the syrup from the heat (and try to stay off it so you have enough for the cake.)
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Assemble: Once the top of the pound cake is golden brown, the edges have pulled away from the pan, and the domed top is cracked, it is ready.
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Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool, but leave the cake in the pan. Using skewers, poke holes all around and spoon or drizzle about 1/2-2/3 of the syrup on top.
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After 15 minutes, turn the cake over and place it on a rack. The bottom will now be the top. Brush with the remaining syrup and leave to cool.
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Once cooled, place on a plate, cover lightly with waxed paper and refrigerate. It is not necessary to serve this cake cold, but I prefer it this way, especially in summer.
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To serve, simply slice and present on a plate. This cake doesn’t need anything! But of course, a scoop of vanilla ice cream never hurts.
Cook’s Notes
Buttermilk: There is no substitute for real cultured buttermilk, but if you don’t have one, you can use these handy substitutions:
-Replace with full-fat natural yogurt.
-Replace with sour cream diluted with a little milk
-Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to each cup of whole milk. Stir and let sit before using.
Coconut oil as a substitute for shortening: If you choose this option, make sure your coconut oil is in its solid form when you start, which means it should be no hotter than around 75F. Place in the refrigerator for a few minutes to firm up if necessary.
Gluten-free options: I made this pound cake using about 2/3 whole grain sorghum flour and 1/3 King Arthur 1:1 gluten free baking mix with complete success. I double the soda called for in the recipe and leave it in the pan for 20 minutes (instead of 15) before unmolding it.notes
