Sour Cream and Lemon Pound Cake

Words can not express how delectable this cake is. Although a pound cake, it's light and sweet with just the right amount of lemon. You should make it. And then you should eat many slices because it's so amazingly good.

If desired, you may top the cake with a simple lemon glaze (water, powdered sugar, lemon juice), fresh fruit or a berry syrup. Or, of course, you can eat it in its plain deliciousness.

Sour Cream and Lemon Pound Cake
adapted from Bon Appétit July 1993

3 cups cake flour (all purpose flour will also work)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1 cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease 16-cup tube or bunt pan.* Dust pan with cake flour; tap out excess flour.
2. Sift flour, baking soda and salt into medium bowl.
   
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. Mix in sour cream. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
5. Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Cut around cake in pan. Turn out cake.
6. Carefully turn cake right side up on rack and cool completely.

*If you have too much batter to fit in your pan, pour the extra into greased muffin pans. Just be sure to bake them for less time and watch them closely so they don't burn.