When I had a group of church friends over recently, I wanted to make a cake that would be a little lighter since the meal was pretty heavy. I came across a Lemon Pound Cake recipe in my Cooking Light Cookbook. It had high reviews and sounded so delicious that it didn’t take me long to say yes!
I love pound cake – the crispy exterior and the light, smooth batter inside just makes it so good. Add lemon to it, and it’s perfect!!
This turned out absolutely scrumptious and the cherry compote was super easy to whip up. You might ask, What is a compote? It’s fruit cooked in a syrup. One of my guests kiddingly called it a “compost.” Yeah, there’s a huge difference! You won’t be throwing this in the trash! It makes a pretty presentation, but you won’t be looking at it for long!!
Lemon Pound Cake with Cherry Compote
Cake:
- Cooking spray
- 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (about 13 2/3 ounces)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh lemon rind
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Compote: – This would also be great spooned over ice cream or pancakes!
- 4 cups pitted sweet cherries (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare the cake, coat a 10-inch tube pan with cooking spray; dust with 2 tablespoons flour.
Lightly spoon remaining 3 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 3 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Combine 2 cups granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating at low speed, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Add rind, juice, and mint; beat just until blended.
Spoon batter into prepared pan; sharply tap the pan once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Sift powdered sugar over top of cake. Cut cake into 16 slices.
To prepare compote, combine cherries, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons water, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in extract. Cool. Serve with cake.
This kind of cake freezes nicely, too. Slice it up and put it into individual servings for guests that might drop in – or for cup of coffee that begs for something sweet to accompany it! It’s lightened up so you won’t feel quite so bad about indulging!!
With love from my country kitchen,
