Milk Street Recipe

Lemon-Almond Pound Cake

Name: Lemon-Almond Pound Cake
Yield: 1 9-inch loaf
Ingredients: 195 grams (1½ cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan; 4 large eggs, room temperature; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 241 (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) plus 54 grams (¼ cup) white sugar; 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest, plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided; 100 grams (1 cup) almond flour; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 14 tablespoons (1¾ sticks) salted butter, cut into 14 pieces, room temperature; 3 tablespoons sliced almonds

By Erika Bruce

Appears in March-April 2019

1½ hours (20 minutes active), plus cooling

Free

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For this plush, velvety pound cake, we took a cue from Rose Carrarini of Rose Bakery in Paris and replaced some of the wheat flour with almond flour. Almond flour makes the cake's crumb extra tender and moist and gives it a more interesting texture than wheat flour alone. We finish the cake with a tangy-sweet lemon glaze, brushing it on while the loaf is still hot so the syrup is readily absorbed. Thanks to generous amounts of eggs and butter, this cake keeps well. Store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

195 grams (1½ cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

241 (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) plus 54 grams (¼ cup) white sugar

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest, plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided

100 grams (1 cup) almond flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

14 tablespoons (1¾ sticks) salted butter, cut into 14 pieces, room temperature

3 tablespoons sliced almonds

Ingredients

195

grams (1½ cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
4

large eggs, room temperature
2

teaspoons vanilla extract
241

(1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) plus 54 grams (¼ cup) white sugar
2

tablespoons grated lemon zest, plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
100

grams (1 cup) almond flour
1½

teaspoons baking powder
1

teaspoon kosher salt
14

tablespoons (1¾ sticks) salted butter, cut into 14 pieces, room temperature
3

tablespoons sliced almonds

Directions

01

Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the middle position. Coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, dust evenly with flour, then tap out the excess. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or small bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla until combined; set aside.
02

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the 241 grams sugar and the lemon zest on low until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add both flours, the baking powder and salt and mix until combined, about 10 seconds. With the mixer on low, add the butter a piece at a time. Once all the butter has been added, continue mixing on low until the mixture is crumbly and no powdery bits remain, 1 to 2 minutes.

See Demo
03

With the mixer still running, add the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream and mix for about 10 seconds. Increase to medium-high and beat until the batter is light and fluffy, 1 to 1½ minutes, scraping the bowl once or twice. The batter will be thick.

See Demo
04

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the surface, then sprinkle evenly with sliced almonds. Bake for 45 minutes, then reduce the oven to 300°F. Continue to bake until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted at the center of the cake comes out clean, another 30 to 35 minutes.

See Demo
05

While the cake is baking, in a small saucepan over medium-low, heat the remaining 54 grams sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reaches a simmer. Immediately remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Set aside to cool.
06

When the cake is done, cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack, then turn it upright. Using a toothpick, poke small holes in the surface at 1-inch intervals. Brush all of the lemon-sugar syrup onto the cake, allowing it to soak in. Cool completely before slicing, about 2 hours.

See Demo

Tip: Don’t use cold butter or cold eggs. The butter must be softened to room temperature so it integrates into the sugar-flour mixture. And the eggs must be at room temperature, too, not chilled, so they don't cause the butter to stiffen up when added to the mixer. Lastly, don't rotate the cake as it bakes. Jostling the pan increases the chance the batter will deflate, resulting in a dense, underrisen cake.

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Simple, Bold Recipes

Lemon-Almond Pound Cake

Get Ready to Cook

1

9-inch loaf

1½ hours

(20 minutes active), plus cooling

Tip

Don’t use cold butter or cold eggs. The butter must be softened to room temperature so it integrates into the sugar-flour mixture. And the eggs must be at room temperature, too, not chilled, so they don't cause the butter to stiffen up when added to the mixer. Lastly, don't rotate the cake as it bakes. Jostling the pan increases the chance the batter will deflate, resulting in a dense, underrisen cake.