So, it’s the middle of winter and that means many of our favorite fresh fruits are harder to come by. You don’t have to forego all the wonderful sources of vitamin C this time of year, however, as Meyer lemons are currently in season. “What’s the difference between a regular lemon and a Meyer?” you may ask.
Meyer lemons are somewhat sweeter than their standard counterpart, so they contain more sugar, but less acid, making them taste milder and not as tart as regular lemons. As a result, they work exceptionally well in many entrée- and dessert-based recipes. Our advice is to grab a few and whip up this recipe—Zesty Glazed Lemon Pound Cake—to add a little sunshine to an ordinary winter day.
Zesty Glazed Lemon Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 Tbsp. butter to grease pan
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus a little more to dust pan
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp kosher or sea salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 Meyer lemons, zested
- 1/4 cup, softened, unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
- 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
Ingredients for Glaze
- 1/2 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
- 1 Tbsp Meyer lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp Meyer lemon zest
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with butter, dust the inside with flour, tapping to remove excess flour. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and butter and dust that with flour, as well. Tap out excess flour. You can substitute non-stick spray for the butter, if desired. Set pan aside. Using a whisk, blend flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.Place lemon zest and sugar in a food processor and pulse for 30 seconds. Beat butter and lemon sugar mixture in a large mixing bowl at medium speed until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine yogurt and buttermilk in a small bowl. Begin to add 1/2 the flour mixture at low speed just to combine with the ingredients in the large mixing bowl. Then add the yogurt and buttermilk to this.
Finish by adding the rest of the flour mixture and continue on low speed until batter is smooth. Add to prepared pan, smoothing the top and tapping the pan on counter top to dislodge any air bubbles in batter. Place in the middle of centered rack in oven and bake for 60 minutes. Insert toothpick upon removal to ensure the cake is baked through. Cool pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to complete cooling. To make glaze, combine sifted confectioners’ sugar in a bowl with lemon zest. Add the lemon juice and whisk all ingredients together. Drizzle mixture back and forth across width of completely cooled cake. Let set before serving. Storing suggestion: Keep in an air-tight container for up to 3 days in refrigerator.
