Lemon Loaf Cake

By norsegal8

This cake is a fooler: Its texture is that of a classic pound cake, moist, firm and tightly knit, but it’s made in just 5 minutes using the same sponge technique you’d draw on for almost weightless génoise. Like most pound cakes, this lemon loaf is rich enough to serve in thin slices and dense enough to take nicely to a light toasting.

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• pinch of salt
• grated zest of 3 large lemons
• 1 3/4 cups cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
• 5 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

MIXING
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan and dust with flour, shaking out the excess.
Working in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and salt for just a minute, until foamy and smoothly blended; the mixture should not thicken. Whisk in the grated zest.
Spoon the flour and baking powder into a sifter and sift about a third of the dry ingredients over the foamy egg mixture. Whisk the flour into the eggs, mixing lightly – there’s no need to beat. Sift the flour over the eggs in two more additions and whisk only until everything is incorporated. Whisk the heavy cream into the mixture. Switch to a rubber spatula and gently and quickly fold in the melted butter.

BAKING THE CAKE
Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan – it will level itself – and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the center of the cake crowns and cracks and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake to a cooling rack to rest for 10 minutes before unmolding. Cool to room temperature right side up on a rack.
You can serve this cake as soon as it cools, although there are those who believe that a pound cake needs a day to ripen. Make a taste test for yourself. In any case, the cake should be slice with a serrated knife and served in thin slices, a pair to a plate.

STORING
Once cooled, the cake should be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. It will keep at room temperature for 3 or 4 days or, if double-wrapped, can be frozen for a month. Thaw, still wrapped, at room temperature.