Easy Summer Pound Cake
Pound cake has been around for ever and for good reason. It’s delicious! This strawberry pound cake just takes what everyone already loves and makes it even better. It’s perfect for spring and summer when strawberries are in season. The strawberry lemon glaze that goes on top is not only pretty, but adds a lot of flavor to the cake as well. Traditional pound cake uses only eggs as a leavener, but this recipe includes some baking powder to give the eggs some help. The result is a really tasty summer treat.
Prepare your Cake Pan
It’s a good idea to always prepare your baking pan first. That way, you’re not scrambling to get the pan ready once you’ve prepared the cake batter. You can use a regular loaf pan for this strawberry pound cake, but a pretty Bundt® pan will elevate the humble pound cake and make it perhaps a little more suitable for a special occasion. A basting brush with softened butter is the best way to make sure you have all the nooks and crannies greased properly.
How to Prepare the Strawberries
The strawberries are the first thing to prepare in this recipe. Dice them into small-ish pieces and toss with lemon juice. The lemon juice will keep the strawberries a nice bright red instead of having them fade when baked.
Creaming Butter and Sugar
I have an entire lesson on how to cream butter and sugar properly. You can read it here. I wrote this lesson because in baking recipes, creaming the butter and sugar is so important. You want to make sure you cream the butter until it is light and fluffy with lots of air incorporated into it. It takes longer than you think – about 5 minutes. Time yourself!
How to Keep the Strawberries From Sinking
Drain the juice from the strawberries – but don’t discard that juice! You’ll use it for the glaze later on. Tossing the strawberries into the dry ingredients helps keep them suspended in the cake when it is baked, rather than having them fall to the bottom of the cake (which once inverted becomes the top!). Strawberries throughout the pound cake is the goal.
Baking the Pound Cake
The pound cake will bake in a 350˚F oven for about an hour. Insert a toothpick or wooden skewer into the center of the cake. It should come out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes and then invert it onto the cooling rack to let it cool to room temperature.
Strawberry Lemon Glaze
The strawberry lemon glaze is so easy. Measure 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, starting with the strained juice from the strawberries and topping up with more fresh lemon juice. Whisk in the powdered sugar until the consistency is right – if it’s too thick, add a little lemon juice; if it’s too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. Make sure the cake has really cooled before you glaze it so that the glaze adheres to the outside of the cake. Let it drip down the sides as it pleases. Then, just serve with a cup of coffee or tea.
