Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Essential Oil
I love lemon pound cake, and the more lemon juice or zest, the better! So when my friend Leah asked if I was interested in baking something and including an essential oil, I immediately said yes to the lemon oil! The oil is cold-pressed from the rinds of lemons, so it smells absolutely amazing and adds even more lemon flavor to a recipe. And, in addition to being an antioxidant, it has lots of other benefits.
The cake is good. It’s very moist and has a nice texture, and the glaze adds a nice lemony punch. If I were to make it again, I’d probably add a tablespoon more lemon juice to the cake, just because I like lemon desserts really tart.
You can purchase the lemon essential oil (or any other essential oil!) here.
Cake Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature, plus more for the pan
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for the pan
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
4 tablespoons lemon juice
6 drops lemon essential oil
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt
Glaze Ingredients
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 drops lemon essential oil
1 cup confectioners sugar
Preparation
Heat oven to 325° F. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice and 6 drops of the lemon essential oil, then the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Reduce mixer speed to low. Add half the flour mixture, then the yogurt, and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until combined (do not overmix).
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 65 to 75 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners sugar, 2 drops of the lemon essential oil, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice until smooth, adding the remaining lemon juice as necessary to create a thick, but pourable glaze. Pour glaze over cooled cake.
Recipe adapted from Real Simple.
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