Lemon Pound Cake

Instructions

Set an oven rack in the middle position and heat the oven to 350 °F. Grease a 9x5-inch Pyrex loaf pan with the 1 tablespoon of softened butter, then dust it with the 1 tablespoon of flour and tap out the excess.

Whisk the cake flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl and set it aside. Put the 16 tablespoons of butter in a glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and microwave in 30-second bursts until melted. Whisk the melted butter well.

Pulse the white sugar and lemon zest in a food processor until combined. Add the 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, the eggs and the vanilla, and process until smooth. With the machine running, drizzle the melted butter through the feed tube, then transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

Sift the flour mixture over the batter in three additions, whisking gently after each one. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 °F and keep baking, rotating the pan halfway through. The cake is done after about 35 more minutes, when it is deep golden brown and a skewer pushed into the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack. Poke the top and sides with a toothpick or skewer.

While the cake cools, bring the ½ cup of sugar and ¼ cup of lemon juice to a boil in a small nonreactive saucepan, stirring now and then to dissolve the sugar. Lower the heat and simmer for about 2 minutes, until slightly thickened.

Brush the glaze over the top and sides of the cake. Cool it to room temperature, at least 1 hour, before slicing. Wrapped tightly in plastic, it keeps at room temperature for up to 5 days.