Lemon Pound Cake

This is another recipe from the Pantry Challenge, set by Rhyley's Granny. I have always wanted to make a pound cake and ended up making two mixes, one lemon and one lime, the lemon mix ended up as the cake, while the lime mix ended up in the rose and friand shapes. I was recently in Auckland and managed to get into a couple of kitchen shops while there, and stocked up on a few bits and pieces. One of the shops (Pantry Magic, which has just opened) had an excellent range of silicone bakeware and I just couldn't resist the pretty rose shaped ones. I also managed to nab myself a friand tin so both were having their inaugural outing! The roses I drenched in lemonbalm and lime syrup for dessert (served with mascarpone they were delicious!). Everyone adored the cake, it is dense yet not heavy and had a fabulous lemony flavour which was also emphasised in the icing. I will definitely be making this one again. Granny says this is a Bill Granger recipe, here it is (with her notes):Lemon Pound Cake

250g/9oz unsalted butter, softened
250g/9oz caster sugar
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp natural vanilla extract
4 free-range eggs
250g/9oz self-raising flour, sifted

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Grease and line the base of a deep 20cm/8in square baking tin with baking paper.
3. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until pale and creamy. Beat in the lemon zest and vanilla extract.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until just combined after each addition.
5. Fold in the sifted flour in two batches until well combined.
6. Spoon into the tin and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer poked into the middle of the cake comes out clean (you can cover the cake loosely with foil if it is browning too quickly).
7. Cool for ten minutes before removing from the tin and turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Ice with lemon butter icing.
Lemon Butter Icing

75G/3oz Unsalted butter ( I use salted as it's usually what I have)
100G/4oz Icing Sugar
2 teasps finely grated lemon zest
2 teasps lemon juice

Beat the butter until soft and white.
Add lemon zest and juice
Gradually beat in sifted icing sugar
Spread over the cake

Notes:
If making a sandwich cake you will need more of the buttercream
I add a good squeeze of lemon juice to the cake mixture too. Gives it more flavour I think