Lemon Pound Cake

When we were little girls, the pretty girl in the class was supposed to be snobbish or unkind or immodest or just not nice. Sour grapes of course. It took a few years and a few pretty women to lend grace and maturity to my growing out of this bias. Sigh! One such pretty woman is my friend Resh. Reshma is gorgeous. We hung out a lot in my Bandra days. My discerning hubby would know instantly that I was with her from my exceptionally sweet tone over the phone Ha ha! This is Reshma's always lilting influence on others and this is also too many years of marital know-it-all!

Reshma loves aqua colours. She bakes beautifully. She hand paints and restore furniture which most often she transforms into aqua hues. She makes artistic cushion covers. She never gets angry. She loves living in a joint family. She is a superb mom to two beautiful girls. And every single thing around her is pretty. And I wish she would give us her homemade 'choles' as Diwali gifts which we could freeze for 40 days!

So is this recipe of lemon pound cake which she taught me during my tea cake bazaar last year. It is luscious lemony and lilting!

You will need 5 eggs, 200 grams unsalted butter, 3 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of shortening which can be vegetable oil, 1 level tbsp baking powder, 1/4th tsp salt, 1 cup of milk, 3 level or less cups of sugar, 6 tbsp lime juice and grated rind of 11/2 lime(if the lime is large then use 1 only).

In a bowl, beat with an electric whisk the butter, shortening and sugar and allow it to soften and be smooth and creamy. In about 5-6 minutes of beating, add 1 egg at a time beating constantly. This means add an egg and beat for 2 mins and only then add the next egg and repeat. 

In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt and after mixing with a dry spoon pass through a sieve.

Now reduce your beater speed to medium low. 

Add a bit of milk, beat for a minute. Next add a part of the dry mix and beat again. Repeat this in similar steps with the milk going in the last. You batter is creamy and soft now. 

With a cake spatula fold in well after now adding the lime juice and rind. Pour onto a prepared cake tin. Bake at 150-160 degrees for 40 minutes. The baking time changes from oven to oven. A needle prick will help you decide if the cake is baked well. 

Brew some tea. Cut a slice of lemon pound cake. Reach heaven.