Honey Pound Cake with Lemon
makes one 9x5in pound cake
for the batter:
7 ounces by weight all purpose flour
1 ounce by weight corn starch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
9 ounces butter or butter alternative at room temperature - I used 5 ounces non-hydrogenated shortening and 4 ounces non-dairy buttery spread.
4 eggs + 3 yolks, room temperature
1/2 cup (6oz) honey
zest of 2 lemons
for the icing
8 ounces powdered sugar
juice of 1 lemon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare your baking pan by buttering and flouring.
Sift together the flour, corn starch and baking powder into the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit with the paddle attachment, add the sugar and stir on low until combined. Add the butter and beat on low until combined. Increase speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beat again just to combine.
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, eggs and zest until smooth.
With mixer on medium-low, incorporate the honey mixture in 3 parts, scraping down the bowl after each. Turn the mixer up to medium high after the final scrape just to ensure everything is homogenized.
Pour into prepared pan and bake 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Because honey increases browning, you may use foil to tent the loaf for the latter half of the baking time to keep it from catching too much color.
Let cool in pan briefly before removing to wire rack to cool completely.
Prepare glaze by whisking together the sugar and lemon juice - start with half the lemon and add more juice as needed to achieve a thick, glossy consistenct. Drizzle over fully cooled cake and let set 15 minutes to harden.