Lemon-Almond Pound Cake | Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street

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Milk Street Recipe
Milk Street Bowtie Lemon-Almond Pound Cake

Lemon-Almond Pound Cake

By Erika Bruce

Appears in March-April 2019

1½ hours (20 minutes active), plus cooling

Lemon-Almond Pound Cake

Free

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.

Featured in

1

9-inch loaf

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.

1½ hours

(20 minutes active), plus cooling

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
½ teaspoon table 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

  • ½

    teaspoon table salt

  • 14

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

  • 3

    tablespoons sliced almonds

Lemon-Almond Pound Cake
Directions
  1. 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.
  2. 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
    12 04 18 Cpk 075
  3. 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
    12 04 18 Cpk 090
  4. 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
    12 04 18 Cpk 109
  5. 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.
  6. 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
    12 04 18 Cpk 322
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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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.

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

  • ½

    teaspoon table salt

  • 14

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

  • 3

    tablespoons sliced almonds

Step 1 of 6

Prepare the oven

4
large eggs, room temperature
2
teaspoons vanilla extract

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.

Step 2 of 6

Mix the batter

241
(1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) white sugar
2
tablespoons grated lemon zest,
195
grams (1½ cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
100
grams (1 cup) almond flour
1½
teaspoons baking powder
½
teaspoon table salt
14
tablespoons (1¾ sticks) salted butter, cut into 14 pieces, room temperature 

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.

Step 3 of 6

Add the egg mixture

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.

Step 4 of 6

Bake the cake

3
 tablespoons sliced almonds

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.

Step 5 of 6

Make the glaze

54
grams white sugar
3
tablespoons lemon juice

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.

Step 6 of 6

Cool and glaze the cake

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.

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Lemon-Almond Pound Cake
12 04 18 Cpk 075
12 04 18 Cpk 090
12 04 18 Cpk 109
12 04 18 Cpk 322
Lemon-Almond Pound Cake
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