Friday, April 02, 2010

Lemon thyme pound cake

Just in time for Easter, here's a completely springtime-inspired poundcake. It's classic proportions of sugar-eggs-butter, plus a sweet herbal note with aromatic thyme and lemon. Absolutely perfect for celebratory brunch. Preheat your oven to 350 and set out 2 sticks of butter to soften (two sticks of butter! two sticks of butter!). Get two cups of flour (use cake flour if you have it, but I didn't and it worked fine) and mix with a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon baking powder (here's a bonus household tip! Last time I ran out of baking powder, I filled up the empty canister with dried beans and now use it as a rattle to ward off the cat when she is trying to stick her paw in my water or step Phil's face while he's sleeping. I call it the "can of shakes" and it strikes terror into her heart. Very useful!). In another big bowl, blend your two sticks of butter until fluffy.Get 1 cup of sugar and mix it into the fluffy butter, incorporating just 1/2 cup at a time. Beautiful.Get four gorgeous, local, farm-fresh eggs.Separate the eggs--adding the yolks one at a time to the butter-sugar mixture. Set the whites aside in a bowl because we'll be beating them and adding them in as well in a minute. Like I said, one yolk at a time, totally incorporate it, then the next yolk.It turns a really pretty bright yellow as you go along.Once all your eggs are added in, zest in the peel from 1 lemon, then squeeze in the juice. Now add your flour mixture in 3 stages, being sure to incorporate all in before adding more. Are you sensing a theme here, with the sloww addition of ingredients? Pound cake is really easy to make, but it's taking the time on these steps that really makes the end product good.Now, where's your thyme? Mince up about 1 tablespoon fresh thyme and add it to the mixture.Back to those egg whites--beat them until they get fluffy and incorporate them into your mixture.Pour the whole mixture into a really well buttered loaf pan and pop it in the oven.Mine took about 1 hour and 20 minutes to bake up, but I think my oven is on the cooler side. Test it with a wooden stick to be sure.With ice cream? Divine.

No comments: