Simple Lemon Pound Cake

Lemon and Candied Ginger Pound Cake 

I'm obsessed with making pound cakes lately. Simply because I cannot find pound cakes with a texture that I like here in Singapore although I do think Chalk Farm and Plain Vanilla come in quite close. But alas, it's my favourite cake, I need to make it, and have access to it every time I yearn for one! I might be biased, but my favourite pound cake texture is ironically very easily available in the shop and bakeries of Taiwan. The texture is not chiffon-fluffy or spongy, neither is it bread-y like an American muffin. I can best describe the texture as a cross between our childhood favourite Sara Lee and an old-fashioned butter cake - moist, tight crumbs yielding a melt-in-the-mouth creaminess with a bounce. When it is well-made, it stays moist for days at room temp and no warming needed. In fact, the flavour matures and the cake tastes better from the second day onwards. 

For the record, I have made close to 8 variations of this same recipe, experimenting with different types of flours. Most Asian pound cake recipes call for a low-gluten flour (cake flour) of 6 - 9%. While low-gluten gives a light and fine crumb, I wished it was more structured and less crumbly. A half-and-half cake and all-purpose flour combination yielded a texture which I much prefer and is the recipe that I'm sharing here. I've also made a 100% cake flour version using the Tomiz brand (with a slightly higher protein level of 9% - I've included the pic below) and it turned out super delightful too! There is really no hard rule to use what I am suggesting here - you can use any that's available in your pantry, just make sure the flour quantity makes up to 160g. And DO NOT skip the lemon sugar syrup glaze, it's what makes your cake pop!

If you like your pound cakes really moist and fluffy, you can check out another pound cake recipe here which I've used to death. 

Recipe (Adapted from a Japanese Cookbook)

Ingredients:

For the Pound Cake:

• 150g unsalted butter (softened and ready for creaming)
• 120g fine caster sugar
• 150g egg (eggs at room temperature and beaten)
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract if that's what you have)
• 10g honey
• 80g all-purpose flour
• 80g cake flour 
• 4g (1 tsp) baking powder 
• Grated zest of 2 whole lemons
• 20g milk (regular)
• A handful of additions (optional)

For the lemon sugar syrup:

• Juice of 1 whole lemon 
• 50g of caster sugar

Notes (New bakers - Please read them!)

1. Butter - Nicely softened to about 20°C. It should be cool to the touch and when lightly pressed with your finger, it should resist slightly but still leave an indentation. I usually take it out from the fridge, weigh the amount needed (unused butter goes back into the fridge), cut it into big cubes so that it will take less time to soften. If you wait for it to soften in its entire block, it's going to be tricky to cut and you will end up smearing the knife with softened butter. If you have foil from the butter, do not throw it away as you can use the foil to butter your cake tin. No mess! 

2. Sugar - Use fine sugar to help with creaming. I used Japanese fine sugar and I think it helped to create a fine crumb texture to the cake.

3. Creaming - Hand mixer works best as the quantity of butter is not a lot. I used a stand mixer (I don't have a hand mixer) and it tends to over cream easily. Hand mixer also allows you to cream on all sides. As a general rule if you are using a stand mixer, reduce the creaming time and remember to scrape down the butter mix from time to time. You want to cream to a very pale yellow (vs a yellow-looking butter when you first start) and the mix should look and feel fluffy. Personally, I would rather under cream than over cream. Over-creamed butter means that you are not able to hold as much liquid and it will be challenging when you start adding the eggs too much and too fast - which results in curdling. Over-creamed butter also means that your temperature is now higher and if your eggs are too cold, the mix will also curdle. 

4. Eggs - this was the part I struggled with a lot. Linked to point 3, to prevent curdle, always ensure your eggs are at room temp. If your eggs are from the fridge, take it out for at least 30 minutes before using. Crack your eggs in a separate bowl and whisk to combine. This prevents bits of egg shell cracked in by accident. Add the eggs into the creamed butter bit by bit. For this amount of 150g eggs, I add it in 4 parts, each time scraping down the creamed mix from the sides of the bowl. Again, I find that the hand mixer will work better because my KitchenAid standmixer does not have a scraper attachment to reach the sides. You can also consider using 2 whole eggs and 1 yolk (less liquid). It works for me because the egg white goes into Titan's food bowl. If it starts to curdle at the last egg addition, add 1 tablespoon of the weighed flour, the flour should absorb some of the excess liquid and everything should come together homogeneously again. 

 

5. Flour - Dry mix should be sieved before adding. Add the dry mix in 3 parts, mixing on low speed to prevent over mixing. Use large spatula to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with each addition to get any little pockets of flour. Once the last part is incorporated, give it a final mix with the spatula to ensure no streaks of flour can be seen. I'm using a mixture of cake flour and all-purpose flour as I preferred a light creamy crumb with some bounce and structure. Most Asian pound cake recipes use 100% cake flour and that's perfectly fine too. Japanese cake flour does make a difference! I used Tomiz cake flour with a 9g protein level which is about 2g protein higher than most cake flours. It resulted in a very fine and tender crumb. 

6. Lining the tin -  You can line with baking paper, or butter the tin (using the buttered foil) and dusting it with flour to prevent sticking. 

7. To get the nice crack in the middle - 15-20 minutes into the baking, use a sharp small knife (generously buttered) to slice through the middle of the batter (the longer side of the tin). This will help the batter to "crack" and puff up in the middle. A buttered knife will prevent the batter from sticking to the knife when slicing through. 

To Make the Cake - Method

1. Line loaf cake tin with baking paper. I used a 18.5 x 9.5 x 7 cm tin. 

2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. The creamed mixture should expand in volume and appears a very pale yellow. I start with speed 1-2 on my Kitchenaid and add the sugar in two parts. Once all the sugar is incorporated, I go speed 4 for five minutes, scraping down the sides in between. 

3. Crack your eggs in a separate bowl and whisk until combined. Eggs should be at room temperature. Add the egg mixture bit by bit, in 4 parts. Always see that the egg is emulsified and incorporated into the creamed butter before adding the next part. If you are using a standmixer, always scrape down after each part is added. My speed is at 2 when adding the egg in and I increase to speed 3 - 4 to blitz it up. 

4. Add vanilla bean paste and honey. Blitz to incorporate. 

5. Stir in the baking powder into the flours and sieve before using. Stir in grated zest. This is your dry mix. Add the dry mix in 3 parts and mix on low speed to prevent over-mixing. After the second part is added, trickle in the milk. Once the last part of the flour is incorporated, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with large spatula and ensure no flour steak is seen in the batter. If using addition, you stir it in at this moment. 

6. Pour batter into lined tin. It should fill up the tin 3/4. Tap the tin on the counter top 2 - 3 times to release air bubble and allow the batter to settle and reach the corners of the tin. Use a offset spatula to smooth out the surface.

7. Bake in pre-heated 170°C oven for 45 - 50 minutes. Baking times might vary due to different oven heat. At the 15-20 minute mark, use a small sharp buttered knife to slice through the middle of the batter to help batter to "crack" and puff up in the middle. Continue baking and start checking in at the 40 minute mark. The cake is done when a wooden skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. 

8. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to rest in the tin for at least 10 minutes before taking the cake out of the pan to cool completely. Bast the top and sides of the cake with lemon sugar syrup while the cake is still hot. If you want the syrup to penetrate inside the cake, you can poke a few holes on top of the cake. 

To Make the Syrup - Method

1. In a small saucepan, heat up the sugar and lemon juice on low-medium heat until the sugar is melted and lightly thickens to a syrup consistency. If you prefer a more tart taste, reduce the sugar to your liking. 

2. Bast the top and sides of the cake with syrup once the cake is out of the oven. 

 

Pound Cake #8 - using 50% cake flour 50% all-purpose       Pound Cake #7 - using 100% Tomiz cake four (9% protein level)

Follow notes #7 to get the perfect crack in the middle 

Pound Cake #1 - using 100% all-purpose

   

       

Pound Cake #2 - 100% cake flour

Tomiz Cake Flour (Protein Level 9%)

Favourite way to have a basic pound cake - a dollop of Greek yogurt