Lemon Ginger Pound Cake

Lately I have been craving a break from the hustle and bustle from everyday life. I’m craving something easy. Something rustic. Something straightforward. Nothing fussy or complicated.  But instead something simple and unadulterated.

As much as this chica loves extravagant cakes with huge dollops of frosting and fancy fillings, sometimes I just want a slice of plain.old.naked.cake. A cake where I can quickly put together a batter, dump it all into one pan, bake, cool and enjoy.

Such is the case with this beauty of a bundt. Now just because it’s plain that doesn’t mean it’s boring, as this cake gets great flavor from lemon and ginger. Nothing too super zesty or spicy but instead, in this chica’s humble opinion, just right.

Bake this cake for yourself and then sit back, relax and enjoy the simpler things in life.

• 2-2/3 cups all purpose flour;
• 2 cups sugar;
• 2 teaspoons baking powder;
• 1/4 teaspoon salt;
• 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened;
• 3 large eggs;
• 3 large egg yolks;
• 3/4 cup milk;
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest;
• 2 tablespoons strained lemon juice;
• 3 tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger.

Directions:

1. Set a rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 325 degrees.
2. In bowl of electric mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter and beat the mixture on low speed with paddle attachment until mixture is a smooth, heavy paste, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice and ginger. On medium speed, beat about 1/3 of egg mixture into flour and butter mixture. Beat 1 minute. Stop and scrape bowl and beater. Add half of remaining egg mixture and beat for 2 minutes. Repeat with other half.
4. Remove bowl from mixer and use large rubber spatula to give batter a final mixing. Scrape the batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
5. Bake cake until it is well risen and firm and a toothpick or a small thin knife inserted midway between the sides of the pan and the central tube emerges dry, about 1 hour. Cool cake in pan for 5 minutes, then invert a rack over it. Invert and lift off the pan. Cook the cake completely on the rack.

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