The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (319 page)

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Lemon pound cakes often lack true lemon flavor. We wanted to produce a superior lemon pound cake while making the process as simple and foolproof as possible. For mixing the cake, we turned to the food processor. It ensured a perfect emulsification of the eggs, sugar, and melted butter (we found that a blender worked, too). Cake flour produced a tender crumb, but our cake was still a bit heavy. We fixed matters with the addition of baking powder, which increased lift and produced a consistent, fine crumb. Finally, in addition to mixing lemon zest into the cake batter, we glazed the finished cake with lemon sugar syrup—but first we poked holes all over the cake to ensure that the tangy, sweet glaze infused the cake with a blast of bright lemon flavor.

SERVES 8

You can use a blender instead of a food processor to mix the batter. To add the butter, remove the center cap of the lid so the butter can be drizzled into the whirling blender with minimal splattering. This batter looks almost like a thick pancake batter and is very fluid. The test kitchen’s preferred loaf pan measures 8¹⁄
₂
by 4¹⁄
₂
inches; if you use a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, start checking for doneness 5 minutes earlier than advised in the recipe.

CAKE

LEMON GLAZE

1. FOR THE CAKE:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 8¹⁄
₂
by 4¹⁄
₂
-inch loaf pan. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2.
Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk melted butter thoroughly to reincorporate any separated milk solids.

3.
Pulse sugar and lemon zest in food processor until combined, about 5 pulses. Add lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla and process until combined, about 5 seconds. With machine running, add melted butter in steady stream (this should take about 20 seconds). Transfer mixture to large bowl. Sift flour mixture over eggs in 3 steps, whisking gently after each addition until just combined.

4.
Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top with rubber spatula. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue baking until deep golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto wire rack. Poke cake’s top and sides with toothpick. Let cool to room temperature, at least 1 hour. (Cooled cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.)

5. FOR THE GLAZE:
While cake is cooling, bring sugar and lemon juice to boil in small saucepan, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Brush top and sides of cake with glaze and let cool to room temperature before serving.

After whisking flour mixture in step 1, toss 1 tablespoon flour mixture with ¹⁄
₃
cup poppy seeds in small bowl; set aside. Fold poppy seed mixture into batter after incorporating flour in step 3.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Lemons are tart, brash, and aromatic. Why, then, is it so hard to capture their assertive flavor in a straightforward Bundt cake? The flavor of lemon juice is drastically muted when exposed to the heat of an oven, and its acidity can wreak havoc on the delicate nature of baked goods. We wanted to develop a Bundt cake with potent lemon flavor without ruining its texture. We developed a battery of tests challenging classic lemon Bundt cake ingredient proportions, finally deciding to increase the butter and to replace the milk with buttermilk. We also found that creaming was necessary to achieve a light and even crumb. But we still needed to maximize the lemon flavor; we couldn’t get the flavor we needed from lemon juice alone without using so much that the cake fell apart when sliced. We turned to zest and found that three lemons’ worth gave the cake a perfumed lemon flavor, though we needed to give the zest a brief soak in lemon juice to eliminate its fibrous texture. The final challenge was the glaze, and a simple mixture of lemon juice, buttermilk, and confectioners’ sugar made the grade.

SERVES 12

It is important to pour the glaze over cake after it has cooled for just 10 minutes and is still warm. Serve this cake as is or dress it up with lightly sweetened berries. The cake has a light, fluffy texture when eaten the day it is baked, but if well wrapped and held at room temperature overnight its texture becomes more dense—like that of pound cake—the following day.

CAKE

GLAZE

1. FOR THE CAKE:
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan with baking spray with flour. Mince lemon zest to fine paste (you should have about 2 tablespoons). Combine zest and lemon juice in small bowl; set aside to soften, 10 to 15 minutes.

2.
Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Combine lemon juice mixture, buttermilk, and vanilla in medium bowl. In small bowl, gently whisk eggs and egg yolk to combine. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add half of eggs, mixing until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Repeat with remaining eggs and scrape down bowl. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of buttermilk mixture, scraping down bowl as needed. Give batter final stir by hand.

3.
Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top with rubber spatula. Bake cake until top is golden brown and skewer inserted in center comes out with no crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack set over baking sheet for 10 minutes, then invert cake onto rack.

4. FOR THE GLAZE:
While cake is baking, whisk 2 tablespoons lemon juice, buttermilk, and confectioners’ sugar until smooth, adding more lemon juice gradually as needed until glaze is thick but still pourable (mixture should leave faint trail across bottom of mixing bowl when drizzled from whisk). Pour half of glaze over warm cake and let cool for 1 hour; pour remaining glaze evenly over top of cake and continue to cool to room temperature, at least 2 hours, before serving.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

With its decorative shape, a Bundt cake doesn’t require frosting or fussy finishing techniques, especially if it’s chocolate. We wanted a cake that would deliver that moment of pure chocolate ecstasy with the first bite—a chocolate Bundt cake that tastes every bit as good as it looks, with a fine crumb, moist texture, and rich chocolate flavor. We intensified the chocolate flavor by using both bittersweet chocolate and natural cocoa and dissolving them in boiling water, which “bloomed” their flavor. We used sour cream and brown sugar instead of granulated to add moisture and flavor. Finally, we further enhanced flavor with a little espresso powder and a generous amount of vanilla extract, both of which complemented the floral nuances of the chocolate.

SERVES 12

We prefer natural (or regular) cocoa here since Dutch-processed cocoa will result in a compromised rise. Because coating the Bundt pan with baking spray with flour will leave a whitish film on the baked cake, we prefer to coat the pan with a paste made from cocoa and melted butter, which ensures a clean release. For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to a boil, then measure out the desired amount. The cake can be served with just a dusting of confectioners’ sugar but is easily made more impressive with Lightly Sweetened Raspberries (recipe follows) and
TANGY WHIPPED CREAM
.

1. FOR THE PAN:
Mix 1 tablespoon cocoa and melted butter into paste. Using pastry brush, thoroughly coat interior of 12-cup Bundt pan. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. FOR THE CAKE:
Combine ³⁄
₄
cup cocoa, chocolate, and espresso, if using, in medium heatproof bowl, pour boiling water over mixture, and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Whisk mixture gently until smooth. Let cool to room temperature, then whisk in sour cream. Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda in second bowl to combine.

3.
Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat 12 tablespoons butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of chocolate–sour cream mixture, scraping down bowl as needed. Give batter final stir by hand.

4.
Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top with rubber spatula. Bake cake until skewer inserted in center comes out with few crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert cake onto wire rack; cool to room temperature, about 3 hours. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, transfer to serving platter, and serve.