Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

It’s Dan’s birthday today, but she’s on the other side of the world, so I baked her a virtual birthday cake.  Here it is – a lemon pound cake, adapted from a Debbi Fields recipe, and baked in a Nordic Ware Chrysanthemum bundt pan.  Dusted with icing sugar, it is simple, smooth textured and easy to eat. And, whilst it used up every mixing bowl and cup measure in the house, this cake, and Dan, are worth the effort!

Dan, we’ve had a little party here – eaten cake, wished you well, and delivered Sunday morning packages of pound cake to the neighbours.  Hope you’re being thoroughly spoilt today – you deserve it!

Lemon Pound Cake

adapted from recipe in Debbi Field’s Great American Desserts

• 3 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
• ½ tsp bicarbonate (baking) soda
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 250g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Grated rind of one large lemon
• 4 large (59g) eggs, separated
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ¹/₃ cup Greek yoghurt

1. Preheat oven to 160C (with fan).  Spray bundt pan with oil, making sure to coat well.

2. Whisk together the flour, bicarb of soda and salt.  Set aside.

3. In the large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes.  Add vanilla and lemon rind, then the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Scrape down the bowl.

4. In a separate bowl, stir the buttermilk and yoghurt together until smooth.

5. Beat in one cup of the flour mixture, followed by half the buttermilk mix, then another cup of flour, then the remainder of the buttermilk, and finish with the final cup of flour.  Mix for 45 seconds after each addition.

6. Pour the egg whites into another mixing bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.  Stir a large spoonful of the eggwhites into the batter to lighten it, then gently fold the rest into the softened mixture.

7. Pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the top is brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with a few crumbs sticking to it.  Note: This recipe makes more batter than needed for the bundt pan – I baked my excess in mini bundt tins for 25 minutes and stashed the little cakes in the freezer.You could easily use muffin pans if you don’t have the mini bundts.

8. Allow the finished cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes, (don’t rush this, or the cake might stick) then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Leftover pound cake makes a wonderful base for trifle!