Sour Cream & Meyer Lemon Pound Cake

One ingredient that I feel captures the beauty of spring is lemons. They’re refreshing, cleansing and the bright, sunny color does nothing but make me smile. Even better is using lemons this time of year when baking. I recently came across a great deal on Meyer lemons. Unlike your typical lemon, the Meyer variety is much sweeter with notes of orange and lime. Using some of the Meyer lemons I had, I made this Sour Cream & Meyer Lemon Pound Cake to welcome spring. The tender crumb, pockets of lemony goodness and the sweet glaze makes this pound cake a great addition to a holiday Easter menu.

This cake is all about the lemons. You won’t find any lemon extract involved. Instead, this recipe uses the true lemon essence from the peel and juice, which is more than enough for this cake. I used Meyer Lemons but you can use standard regular lemons in this recipe. Or if you want to do a twist, substitute the lemon with limes, tangerines, etc.

I’ve been having a lot of fun recently playing with different gluten free flours in various ratios. Doing so made me believe that baking is possible even when you’re living gluten free. But if you’re not gluten free, no worries.

This recipe works in either case. The original recipe calls for cake flour which you can follow below. However for my gluten free friends, you can still make this decadent cake without gluten. I’ve included recipes for both versions.

Spring is practically here and one of my favorite ways to celebrate is with some sweet baked goods! Despite lemons and citrus fruits being so abundant during the winter months, I especially enjoy using them in recipes during the spring.

There’s something about the acidic notes of lemons, oranges and limes that feels new, fresh and clean after the cold winter months. So it’s no surprise that I made this Sour Cream & Meyer Lemon Pound Cake for my family to enjoy. Using Krusteaz’s Meyer Lemon Pound Cake Mix, I was able to whip this treat in no time. To give it a special touch and an even more tender crumb, I incorporated some sour cream to balance out the sweet and slightly sour notes. Be sure to check out the full recipe at Krusteaz!

Sour Cream & Meyer Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

recipe adapted from Epicurious

Sour Cream & Meyer Lemon Pound Cake Ingredients

• 3 cups cake flour*
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups sugar
• 6 eggs, room temperature
• 1/4 cup fresh {Meyer}lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon grated {Meyer} lemon peel
• 1 cup sour cream

Sour Cream & Meyer Lemon Pound Cake Glaze Ingredients

• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

* For a gluten free version, combine:
– 140 grams (1 cup) brown rice flour
– 140 grams (1 cup) tapioca starch
– 140 grams (1 cup) sorghum flour
– 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum

Sour Cream & Meyer Lemon Pound Cake Recipe Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease 9×5 loaf pan. Dust pan with 1 tablespoon cake flour; tap out excess flour.
2. Sift flour, baking soda and salt into medium bowl, set aside.
3. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Beat in lemon juice and peel.
4. Using rubber spatula, mix in dry ingredients.
5. Mix in sour cream.
6. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on rack 15 minutes.
7. Cut around cake in pan. Turn out cake. Carefully turn cake right side up on rack and cool completely. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Wrap in foil and let stand at room temperature.)
8. For the glaze, place confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup; stir in lemon juice (glaze should be thick, yet pourable). Add more sugar or lemon juice, as necessary, to achieve desired consistency. Pour half of glaze over cooled cake and allow to set. Once set, pour the remaining glaze and allow to set before serving.