Happy New Year! I’m still here. Looking back and seeing that I haven’t blogged since Dec. 19, I couldn’t believe it had been that long. So, the holidays are over and I’ve decided out with the old and in with the new. What does that mean? Looking back and the number of recipes I have made and didn’t get to share with you, I have picked a few that I decided needed to be here—so out with the old. ;) Stay tuned for plenty of new.
This Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake was just perfect. I made it for my book group back in October. It was a big hit and as much as I love chocolate desserts and seem more drawn to them, this was great and makes me think I need to choose other options besides chocolate more often.
After reading the book that was chosen for book group, Edenbrooke, by Julianne Donaldson, which was based in the 1800’s in England, I wanted to make something from that time period. I did some searching on the internet and found that pound cake was popular in that time period. By the way, the book was a great, simple, enjoyable read. Here’s a description of the book from Amazon, which says it better than I could.
“Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she'll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry. From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will Marianne be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke.”
The cake was simple and just has just the right amount of lemon. I will for sure be making this again—when I’m back to eating sugar again. Taking a break after the holidays, as many are, I’m sure. Let’s just say, it’s no piece of cake, because I love cake…and cookies…and brownies…and pie….yeah, anyway, I’ll still post some more delicious things for you, but for now I’m cutting way back on treats myself. sigh
I found the recipe after Googling it to look at different ones, from Stephanie’s blog, Just a Georgia Peach. I think I must have looked at hundreds of recipe and I’m not sure what made me decide on this one. Here’s my adapted recipe.
Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake with Blueberry Compote, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!, adapted from Just a Georgia Peach
1 1/2 cups (180 grams) all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (just of 2 lemons)
zest of one lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 cup (120 grams) light sour cream
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9x5 inch bread pan with butter. Dust pan with flour and tap out the extra. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar gradually and beat for 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time until each is combined. Beat in lemon juice and zest. Stir in the dry ingredients with a spatula. Finally, add the sour cream and fold it in to the batter. Spread the batter evenly in the pan.
Bake for about 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Cut around the edges of the pan to release the cake and remove it. Cool it completely on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve with blueberry compote and sweetened whipped cream
Blueberry Compote, adapted from Paige at For Love of the Table
2 3/4 cups blueberries (about 14 ounces) (I used frozen, thawed)
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 1/4 teaspoons cornstarch (1/2 ounce)
zest of 1 lemon
Combine the berries with the sugar and citrus juice and let macerate for 30 minutes. Transfer the berries to a saucepan. Dissolve the cornstarch in a small amount of water and add to the berries with the zest. Bring to a boil, stirring gently. Let boil until the juices are clear and very thick—about 30 to 60 seconds. Empty into a bowl and cool to room temperature without stirring. Chill. Makes a generous 2 cups.
This is a great go-to lemon pound cake. You should try it.
