Recipe: Lemon Verbena Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze

LEMON VERBENA POUND CAKE
WITH STRAWBERRIES AND LEMON GLAZE

FOR THE CAKE:
Butter and flour for greasing and dusting pans
1 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh lemon verbena (or 1 additional tablespoon lemon zest)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
FOR THE GLAZE:
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
TO GARNISH:
4 cups sliced strawberries, or more if desired

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 2 loaf pans with butter and dust with flour. Invert pans and tap out excess flour.

TO PREPARE THE CAKE:
In medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, zest and verbena.

In large bowl of electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla and beat until blended. Beat in half flour mixture. Beat in milk and lemon juice. Beat in remaining flour mixture until just combined.

Spoon batter into pans, smoothing top.

Bake in middle of preheated oven 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack 15 minutes and invert onto rack to cool completely.

PREPARE GLAZE WHILE CAKE IS BAKING:
In small bowl, whisk powdered sugar, a little at a time, into lemon juice, whisking until smooth and thick.

When cake is completely cooled, drizzle glaze over cake and let it drip down sides. (Cake can be prepared 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.)

TO SERVE:
Cut room-temperature cake into slices. Top each slice with strawberries. If desired, sweeten strawberries with a little sugar and allow to sit 10 minutes before using.

Makes 12 to 14 servings
Source: Gourmet magazine, April 1996
From: Gina,Fla, 09-19-2000