Real Lemon Pound Cake

Directions

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease a 16-cup tube pan and dust with cake flour; tap out any excess. Be reminded to grease and flour the center column too. Pam with Flour is fine to use.

Scrub the lemons with hot soapy water, rinse well and dry completely. Zest four lemons. Avoid the pith of the lemon.  Using a sharp paring knife, cut the tops and bottoms off of each lemon. Put the cut-side down on the cutting board, trim the pith off the lemon, working vertically, going all the way around. Over a bowl, cut segments from membranes letting fruit and any juice fall into the bowl.  Discard the seeds and the remaining membranes.  With a fork, break segments into 1-inch pieces.

In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, flavor and the lemon zest. Work the sugar and zest together between your fingers until the sugar is moist and grainy (set aside).  Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter for 2 minutes. Add half the sugar and mix for 2 more minutes. Add the rest of the sugar and mix again for 4 minutes, scrape down the bowl and the beater blade midway.

Remove the eggs from the warm water and dry them. Add the eggs, two at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Mix in the dry ingredients (on the lowest mixer setting). Mix in the sour cream. Lastly, gently fold in the lemon juice and segments. Pour batter evenly in the tube pan.  Place in middle of middle rack in preheated oven.

Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about an hour and a half. Begin to check the cake for doneness at 60 min. Keep checking every 5-10 minutes, until the cake top is browned and a toothpick comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Cut around the cake in the pan, turn out the cake. Turn cake right side up on rack very carefully.

While the cake is cooling, juice the remaining 2 lemons (juice should be seed free) and add flavor. In a small bowl, slowly add the sifted powdered sugar to the juice and stir until smooth. Glaze is ready when it has a thick texture and looks opaque in color.  The glaze should be thin enough to pour. Adjust texture with lemon juice or powdered sugar.