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Pairing a favorite pot of tea with something satiating, slightly sweet, but not too, and warm to boot is my goal when a guest or family member stops by the house in the afternoon.
Lemons have always offered a favorite flavor of mine, whether in my cooking or baking, so for this year’s British Week’s recipe I decided to adapt a pound cake recipe from a trusted French baker Dominique Ansel and infuse lemon and orange juice and zest.
What I love about Ansel’s recipe is the inclusion of créme fraîche in the batter which keeps it moist without adding any tangy flavor. As well, how he incorporates the butter – melting it then the citrus juices are added to the butter mixture – infuses the butter with the freshness and evenly spread it throughout the cake.
Granted, my cake is not a ‘looker’, but it is a keeper of a recipe especially for its flavor and texture (a slightly crispy outer edge and a lighter and subtly moist middle). Enjoy immediately out of the oven or wait 30 minutes for it to cool. Either way, pair with a favorite cuppa, good company and forget to look at the clock. 🙂
And as this is the penultimate post of TSLL’s 3rd Annual British Week (tomorrow will be the final post sharing all seven winners of the giveaways), you have one more hour to enter for your chance to win! All of the posts from this week are shared at the end of this post, including the giveaways, so make sure you haven’t missed one.
Wishing you a relaxing and delicious afternoon. 🙂
Lemon & Orange Pound Cake: A Fresh Citrus Bite for Afternoon Tea
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs 225 grams
- 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar 265 grams
- 1/2 cup crème fraîche (room temperature) 135 grams
- 2 cups flour, baking flour ideally (Bob's Red Mill is my go-to) 240 grams
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon zest 12 grams
- 2 Tbsp fresh orange zest 12 grams
- 3/4 tsp baking powder 4 grams
- 1/2 tsp fleur de sel
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter (high quality) 90 grams
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 67 grams
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice 67 grams
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celsius).
- Prepare your baking dish. Whether a 8" square (20 cm) cake pan or a rectangular loaf pan 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 (21 x 11 cm), you may want to butter the pan, but I have found using parchment paper to line the bottom and sides works much better for removing the cake easily without the mess of flour or butter.
Eggs & Sugar
- In a stand mixer or with a hand-mixer, combine the eggs and sugar on high speed for 2-3 minutes until lighter in color, ribbon-esque and beautifully smooth.
- In a small mixing bowl off to the side, place the créme fraîche and add a couple tablespoons of the egg & sugar mixture. Whisk together until the créme fraîche is lighter and smoother. Then add the créme fraiche mixture to the main bowl which holds the egg & sugar mixture. Don't use the electic or stand mixture to combine. You want to keep as much air in the eggs as possible now, so you are going to gentle whisk by hand the créme fraîche into the mixture until smooth (maybe 30 seconds). Set aside for a moment.
Dry Ingredients
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and lemon & orange zest.
Combine the Egg & Sugar & Créme Fraîche mixture with the Dry Ingredients
- In thirds, add a third of the dry ingredient mixture to the egg-mixture. Using a spatula, gently fold all ingredients together. Then add another third of the dry-mixture, fold together gently. Then finally, add the final third and combine. Set aside for a moment.
Butter & Citrus Juice
- In a small sauce pan, melt your butter and add the juices of your lemon and orange. Over a medium heat, melt and combine – about 2-3 minutes.
Putting Everything Together
- As soon as the butter mixture has melted and combined, slowly pour it into the batter, whisking to combine.
- Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan. If you are using small individual pans, fill until just to 1/2 way up the sides.
- Bake the one large cake for about 55 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve the same day with tea or coffee, while you can absolutely making a glaze or finishing drizzles such as Chantilly cream, merinque or even just fruit, the cake is full of flavor all on its own and will delight you and your guests.
Freezing
- Wrap well in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for up to 3-4 weeks. When you are ready to enjoy, remove from the freezer and place in the refrigerator for about 3-4 hours until you are ready to serve.
VIEW ALL POSTS SHARED DURING THIS YEAR’S British Week, on TSLL
This & That: May 21, 2021 – British Week
Thank you for putting together another lovely British Week. I am reading this just as I am having banana bread with my Cuppa. I appreciate this recipe so that I can make it and serve it for a future tea. (It is already getting hot where I live, so I will when the weather is somewhat cooler.) I will reread your posts (and read the final one tomorrow) to close this glorious British Week. Have a wonderful weekend!
This pound cake looks delicious! I’m definitely going to make it. Thank you for sharing and for a perfect British week!
Thank you for an absolutely enjoyable week, Shannon! I’m getting ready to sit down with a cuppa and shortbread myself, but that citrus cake looks divine 🙂
Such inspiration you have given me, thanks so much, now, to whip up a pound cake for Sunday tea with family, insert smile here!
Oh yum! I LOVE anything with lemon in it! will have to make this with a nice hot cup of tea this weekend. Thanks!
Citrus Pound/Bundt Cake is one of my absolute favorites! My grandmother would make this in the summer, topped with a glaze made from lemon juice, table sugar and water. She would serve it with either strawberries from her garden, home-made vanilla ice cream, or simply a dollop of cream from her cows.
The créme fraîche is lovely idea, I think I must try this tomorrow. Thank you Shannon!?
I purchased a refurbished KitchenAid mixer earlier this year because I was concerned that I would spend so much money on another appliance that I REALLY WANTED– only to find after a few months that I wouldn’t be so diligent about using (yes, I’m eyeing my very expensive Breville juicer that has a thick layer of dust on it…) This luscious pound cake will be just the thing I can whip up next week for my “Friday bake”. Thanks for the recipe!
I enjoy making and eating pound cake and this recipe sounds like a
winner. A very good idea to melt the butter and mix the citrus juices
with it – something I have never done. Thank you for the recipe Shannon.
Well deserved teatime treat Shannon. I enjoyed a cream tea today. Thank you again for a lovely British week xx
Thank you, Shannon, for this recipe. It looks delicious and certainly fits well in a British Week! Lemon cake/ orange cake, is my favourite. I have tried several recipes myself, from different sources, but the “winner” is still my grandmother’s, the one that she used to bake regularly on weekends. For me, regarding this kind of cake, the simpler the better, that is, no frosting, etc. Pure flavour. I will try this recipe asap. 🙂
This sounds absolutely delicious.
I love a lemon cake paired with a fresh cup of tea as an afternoon treat.
I know what I’ll be baking this weekend !
I do hope you enjoy Sarah. 🙂 Nothing overpowering, but the lovely natural flavors are there and deliciously so.
This recipe reminds me of the glorious Ciambellone I made years back. I no longer have the room or the energy, but just reading this recipe I could almost taste it again, with a perfect cup of espresso.
This seems like something I might attempt.
Thank you
What a delicious memory to have! 🙂 Thank you for sharing such a lovely moment with us all and for stopping by TSLL.
Oops. There are errors in this recipe: 2t of lemon or orange zest do not equal 12g each. Try 2T of each for getting close to the weight suggested: 24g in total. If you are using a micro-scale, then you are likely to need two very large oranges and three lemons.
You are very specific with regard to weight for lemon and orange juice; liquids are usually measured in ml. Your 67g is 60ml.
Cheers from an ex-pat Geordie living in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Thank you for checking my typo – the zest is supposed to be in tablespoons rather than teaspoons. The recipe reflects this correctly now. Thank you for stopping by! 🙂
Oh I like! Think I will put on top fresh strawberries and homemade whipped cream. My husband and I will enjoy this very much, as life has become about filling our senses with what makes life happy and enjoyable.