Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Sauce

Ingredients:
3 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 cup sour cream
Lemon Sauce (see recipe below)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325° F (160° C). Grease a 16-cup (3 1/2 to 4 liter) tube or bundt pan. Dust pan with cake flour; tap out excess flour.

Sift flour, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Beat in lemon juice and zest. Using rubber spatula, mix in dry ingredients. Mix in sour cream. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Cut around cake in pan. Turn out cake.

Carefully turn cake right side up on rack and cool completely. Once pound cake has cooled, drizzle with cooled Lemon Sauce (recipe follows).

Makes 12 servings.

Note: Pound cake can be prepared 2 days ahead. Wrap in foil and let stand at room temperature.

Lemon Sauce
Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup water

Instructions:
Beat eggs in a large bowl until foamy; add the sugar in a stream and continue beating mixture for 3 minutes or until thick and pale. Transfer the egg mixture to the top of a double boiler. Whisk together the egg mixture, zest and juice, water and a pinch of salt. Set bowl over boiling water and whisk gently for 10 minutes, cooking the mixture until it thickens around the edge. Transfer mixture to a bowl to cool. Cover and refrigerate. Will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days. Makes 2 cups.

Date: September 18, 2003