Lemon Pound Cake with Strawberry Compote

Welcome Spring! I decided today that spring is here and winter is over. I like to decide these things sometimes, and then i just move along as though it were true. For me, it is! Anyways, I wore capris today and my summer flats... let it begin!


Baking this cake really put me in the mood for spring. The lemon flavor and getting to see so many strawberries while there is still snow on the ground was a breath of spring air! And I actually have been debating whether or not i should post recipes for everything I make... but this one just is TOO GOOD NOT TO SHARE. Seriously. Ask Melissa if you don't believe me.


So here it is, in it's entirety. I must tell you though, don't bake this cake if you don't have a good amount of time on your hands. It took me the better part of yesterday and then i still had to make the whipped cream today. I had a lot of fun though, the kids helped me and then Melissa helped me with the picture taking adventure today. I'll tell ya what, for me, taking the pictures is 75% of the fun of doing this!



First off, I need to give credit where credit is due. I found this recipe on another blog and only modified it slightly.

Ingredients:

Lemon Pound Cake
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 sticks salted butter at room temperature
1 3/4 AND 1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 TB lemon zest
1 tsp pure lemon extract
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (i cheated, i only used half fresh, cause i didn't have enough! but it tasted just fine anyways :)

Strawberry Compote
3 pints fresh strawberries, washed, patted dry and sliced
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Whipped Cream
16 oz heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup confectioners sugar


Preparation:

Cake
- Preheat oven to 300F
- Butter and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan
- Combine the flour, baking powder and salt
- Cream the butter and 1 3/4 cups sugar until pale and fluffy
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition
- Reduce the speed and add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk
- Stir in the lemon zest and lemon extract
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean
- Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes
- Poke holes all over the cake using a wooden skewer
- Meanwhile, bring the lemon juice and remaining sugar to a boil over medium high heat in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar is dissolved
- Invert the cake onto a rack, position over a baking sheet and slowly pour the syrup over the cake, it will seap through the holes and into the cake
- Let cool to room temp


Strawberry Compote
- In a non-reactive saucepan, over medium heat, combine 2 pints of the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice
- Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the fruit is soft, about 8 to 10 minutes
- Remove from the heat and cool
- In a food processor, fitted with a metal blade, puree the strawberries until smooth
- Turn into a mixing bowl, and when ready to serve add the remaining sliced strawberries
- Mix well