madbaker | When your tree hands you lemons, make pound cake

Lemon Pound Cake

4 large eggses, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
pinch salt
grated zest of 3 large lemons
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup cream, at room temperature
5 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled to guess what? Room temperature!

Heat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9x5" loaf pan, shaking out any excess flour.
Whisk together eggses, sugar, and salt for a minute or so, until foamy and smoothly blended. The mixture shouldn't thicken (which it will if you whisk too long). Whisk in the lemon zest. Sift the baking powder and about a third of the flour into the egg mixture. Whisk, mixing lightly. Sift in the other two thirds in two additions just until everything is incorporated. Whisk in the cream. Give the whisk a rest and switch to a rubber spatula; fold in the melted butter.

Pour and scrape the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the toothpick test shows clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then unmold and cool completely.

Slice with a serrated (i.e. bread) knife and serve in thin slices, two to a plate.

What worked: Very yummy, nice lemon flavor. One of the lemons came from our backyard Meyer tree. I served it with strawberries and whipped cream which complemented it nicely.

What didn't: I used the convection setting on the toaster oven but forgot to turn it down 25 degrees, which meant that the cake browned a bit more than it should have (there was even a line in the center where the cake rose and hit the heating element) but I rescued it in time, so it didn't taste burned at all. Just a bit crunchy 'round the edges, which I personally like. Also, the strawberries weren't great - it's still too early for strawberry season, especially with the weather we've been having.

Will I make it again? Absolutely.

What I'm reading: Michael Stackpole, Cartomancy