Lemon Pound Cake with Sweetened Whipped Cream

A Sunday dinner of Classic Roast Beef with Crispy Oven-Browned Potatoes followed up with Lemon Pound Cake is an easy way to get back to the basics we all know and love. Add homemade flavor and color to your table.

Lemon Pound Cake with Sweetened Whipped Cream
Consider it your go-to dessert: every woman should have at least one! It’s easy to whip up this sweet, moist pound cake that’s perfect for every occasion. Makes 8-10 servings.

3 cups flour
½ teaspoon Watkins Baking Powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
¾ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla Extract
½ teaspoon Watkins Almond Extract
Zest and juice of one large lemon, divided

Tip: Lemon zest adds brightness to the flavor of baked goods. Remove lemon zest from the fruit by carefully cutting or grating only the bright yellow part of the peel, and not the white pith beneath, which can infuse your batter with a dull, bitter taste.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 12” cake or bunt pan, then lightly coat with flour, tapping out excess.

In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, then set aside.

In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar, beating with an electric mixer at medium speed for one minute, or until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time to the mixture, beating well after each addition.

Gradually add in portions of the dry mixture and buttermilk until the batter is well mixed. Stir in vanilla extract, almond extract, finely chopped lemon zest and 3 tablespoons lemon juice; mix just until combined.

Spread the batter evenly into your prepared cake pan and bake 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake’s center comes out clean.

Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan. Brush the warm cake liberally with Lemon Syrup (see instructions below).

Once coated, let cool completely on a wire rack. Drizzle your cake with Lemon Glaze, then serve with Sweetened Whipped Cream (see instructions below).

Lemon Syrup and Glaze
Add even more juicy flavor with a simple lemon syrup and thick, slow-pouring lemon-sugar glaze.

½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup water
Juice and peel of one large lemon (plus reserved juice and zest from cake batter)
1 cup powdered sugar

To create your Lemon Syrup, combine sugar, water, lemon juice and peel in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard lemon peel.
When your syrup is ready, place the cake and cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet to simplify cleanup. With a large culinary brush, generously coat your warm cake with the syrup, letting it drip over the sides of the cake. Set aside 3 tablespoons syrup to prepare the Lemon Glaze.

To make your glaze, combine 1 cup powdered sugar and remaining lemon syrup in a medium-size bowl, then drizzle it over the cooled cake.

Sweetened Whipped Cream
Finish your Lemon Pound Cake with rich, homemade whipped cream.

1 cup whipping cream, chilled
1 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla Extract
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

In a medium-size bowl, combine cream, vanilla and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat ingredients just until soft peaks form.

Tip: If your electric mixer has a whipping attachment, use it to achieve an extra light and airy cream. Remember that whipped cream is made by aerating heavy cream, so be sure to whip it just until it turns to soft peaks, or else it can quickly become butter!

Tip: Top your Lemon Pound Cake with fresh fruits that are currently in season. Fan sliced strawberries decoratively across the top.