When Life Gives You Lemons…and Limes

 

 

In October of last year, The New York Times published an article entitled “The Secret to Poundcake That Really Pops” by Sam Sifton.

What was this amazing poundcake?

7Up Cake

That staple of church cookbooks, Junior League cookbooks, symphony league cookbooks – which is where Sam Sifton claims to have gotten his inspiration

Since everyone is sitting on lbs and lbs of flour these days, this is an easy one to make

The ingredients are usually available at any store

Provided they have flour

This is self comfort and self care at its finest

All that Vitamin C boost to our immunity

(Not an-FDA-approved- statement)

I made the version below during this time of quarantine because it’s an amazing dessert, easier than pie to make, and toasts up beautifully with butter for breakfast the next day

Dad, what’s for dessert?

Well, this cake, dear ones

We use Sprite instead of 7UP because we’re Co-cola people

Either works

 

 

 

Lemon Lime Pound Cake:

1 -2 tbsp. butter to grease the bundt pan – at room temperature

1 tbsp. flour to sprinkle in the bundt pan

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter – at room temperature

3 cups of sugar – yes – it’s a lot – but it works

5 eggs

Zest of a lime

Zest of a lemon

Juice of a lime

Juice of a lemon

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups all purpose flour

1 cup Sprite or 7-Up  (we use Sprite)

 

Glaze:

2 c. powdered sugar

2 tbsp. Sprite or 7 up

Juice of a lime

 

Grease and double grease and grease some more a bundt pan with that tbsp or so of butter.  Sprinkle with the tbsp. of flour and set aside

Heat oven to 325 degrees

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 5 mins or so) (or a large bowl using a hand held mixer)

Add eggs one at a time and beat well

Add zests, juices and vanilla and beat until incorporated

Alternating, add flour and Sprite or 7-UP. I add half a cup of flour at a time and a tsp or so of Sprite. I don’t measure.  I finish with the Sprite, though.

You’ll have to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl a few times to make sure everything is fully incorporated

Pour into bundt pan and bake for 60-70 minutes.

Share the remnants of the batter in the mixing bowl and on the paddle with your significant other, your children, or, better yet, devour it yourself standing over the kitchen sink before you clean up the baking mess you’ve made

The cake is finished when toothpick or knife comes out clean and top is beginning to darken. Let rest in pan for 20 mins. Then invert onto a rack

Let cool completely before glazing

To glaze, mix powdered sugar with juice and Sprite. Drizzle all over the cake with a spoon. I do it in the sink with the cake on a rack.  The glaze will harden and lots of the glaze will run off into the drain….that’s o.k.

People love this cake

They’ve even been known to use that most hated of “m” words to describe it

We’ve all been through enough, so I won’t use that word here