Sour Cream Citrus Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze

Now I apologize profusely right away by saying I do NOT have a photograph of this poundcake. You will have to use your imagination to envision one of the best quick breads, desserts, and poundcakes you will have ever had the privilege of tasting. I cannot rave enough about this recipe.  Trust me, if you make anything next- make this dessert.

I had the privilege of getting a hold of this dessert when I took a Baking Class at the Cambridge Culinary School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  This school is great because it offers a TON of recreational courses that usually professional students enrolled in culinary school to take.  The Introduction to Baking course was a 4-week course that I took over a year ago.  Let's just say I did not stop there. I have since taken more courses and if I could would enroll as a full-time student.  I love being in a real commercial-style kitchen and getting to learn hands-on with professional chef instructors.  The first time I took this course I walked out beaming pastry in hand.

Part of the 4-week course involved a Cake class.  I had taken a cake decorating class, so I was familiar with some of the basic concepts, but still enjoyed learning some different techniques from the instructors.  The class is designed like your typical science class- lecture than lab. Once you learn the basic techniques, you get to choose and make a cake from the list of recipes they give you.  I had chosen a carrot cake with cream cheese icing.  The people next to me chose to make this sour cream poundcake.  They let me try a piece at the end and one bite made me wish I had chosen that recipe!  Let's just say it didn't take a week for me to make it at home.

It also make great mini-loaves and I gave these away at Christmas presents to co-workers this year.  It's a delicous cheap Christmas present that everyone was  happy to get. 

Sour Cream Citrus Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze
From Cambridge School of Culinary Arts

1 cup unsalted butter
2 1/4  cups sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
Grated zest of 1 orange, 1 lemon, 1 lime

1. Sift dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
2.  In another bowl, combine grated orange, lemon, and lime zests, vanilla extract and sour cream.
3. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.   Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the mixing bowl well after each addition and mix until blended.  Add dry and wet ingredients alternately to butter-sugar-egg mixture until uniformly incorporated- do not overmix.
4. Grease and flour one bundt cake pan (or 2 large loaf pans- or 6-7 mini loaf pans).  Pour batter into pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees oven for approximately 50 minutes (be sure to lower the baking time if you are making things smaller).  The cake is done when a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool before glazing.

Lemon Glaze

1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon zest

Mix all ingredients until smooth.  Pour over top of cake and serve.  For a thicker glaze use less lemon juice.