Life & Lemons

I love lemons.  I love the smell, I love the taste.  I love squirting lemon juice into my water to give it a little zing.  That's what lemons do; they give everything a little zing.  I especially love baking with lemons.  They're so versatile and refreshing; perfect for hot summer days!

By accident, I stumbled across a beautiful blog.  I was looking for a recipe for lemon cake and I ended up at A Number of Things.  (I will certainly be adding this blog to my list!)  So I found a blog, and I found a recipe for lemon pound cake.  I made a few adjustments to the original recipe, but it is a glorious lemon pound cake. 

I must agree with Ms. Cantrell that this cake will not be helpful for losing the post-baby pounds, but sometimes we woman focus too much on the scale and not enough on life.  My motto: everything in moderation.  (Although the moderation part is gonna be tough with this cake!) 

Image taken from Alice Cantrell at A Number of Things.

LEMON POUND CAKE

A deliciously dense and elegant cake with a moist crumb.

1 cup butter
1/4 cup oil
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups flour
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons lemon extract

Beat butter in a large bowl until creamy.  Gradually whisk in oil, beating until well blended.  Add sugar.  Mix in eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition.  Alternately add flour and milk, ending with flour.  Mix just until blended.  Stir in lemon extract.

Pour batter into a greased and floured bunt cake pan.  Bake at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes; remove from pan and place directly on wire rack.  Brush lemon glaze on sides of cooled cake and spoon over top, a little at a time.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Serves 10 - 12.

Lemon Glaze:

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a small bowl; stir until sugar dissolves.  (Can warm it slightly so the sugar will dissolve faster.)