Lemon Pound Cake

Waste Not, Want Not

This is one of the simplest, yet most important, life lessons that my grandmother left with me.  Her mother had lived through some very lean years that taught her to never waste.  In her eyes, it was a downright sin to waste good food when so many went hungry.  Extra tomatoes from her garden were canned and good herbs were left to dry when winter came around.

I doubt that I’ll ever be as good at the art of frugality as she was.  But, I always try to save good food when I can.  After making a batch of candied lemon peel, I was left with some deliciously rich lemon syrup.

This recipe is a work in progress.  But, it has an incredibly dense, yet tender crumb.

Lemon Pound Cake
makes 1 loaf

2 cups AP flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, soft
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon syrup (reserved from making candied lemon peel)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift flour, salt and baking powder.  Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Add 1/2 cup lemon syrup, 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 eggs, and vanilla extract.  Cream until very fluffy with a hand mixer.  Add flour slowly as you continue to beat with hand mixer, just until combined.  Batter will be very dense and fluffy.  Do not over-beat.  Pour batter into well-buttered loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.