Lemon Pound Cake & A Giveaway

On most Saturday mornings, I take my oldest to dance class. During her class, my youngest daughter and I venture off to a nearby shopping center and take care of our weekly household shopping. We wander around, looking at toys, books, kitchen goodies and then pick up a few necessities before heading back to the dance studio. In this particular shopping center, there happens to be a Starbucks, which always seems like a fabulous idea on a busy Saturday morning.

My youngest, who is three years old, has taken quite a liking to Starbucks. She LOVES the vanilla creme frozen drink (coffee-free, of course with skim milk and just a tiny bit of whipped cream to make her Momma feel better about it), which she calls a “banilla.” So, Mia gets her banilla creme and a banilla bean min-scone and I stick with my plain old coffee. Occasionally, though – I get a little treat for me. Lemon pound cake.

Have you ever had it? Oh heavens, it’s amazing. Moist, tender, full of tart lemon flavor and smothered generously with a lemon icing – it’s really, really perfect.

Well, ok. It’s not perfect because I spend way too much money on a piece of pound cake that I can make at home. But now that I’ve found this recipe, I can have my coffee and lemon pound cake before we leave and save a bit of money. I guess I need to figure out how to make banilla cremes and banilla bean scones next, huh?

The first thing you’ll notice about this recipes is that it starts with a boxed cake mix. I know, I know. I really do try not to use them very often, but since this recipe claimed to be just like Starbucks, I had to give it a shot.

Quit looking at me like that. It’s necessary.

It also uses boxed pudding mix. It goes against almost all of my “make it from scratch” rules, but I gotta tell you, I forgot all about my self-imposed rules after I took my first bite. It’s better than Starbucks. Trust me.

While making this cake, I used one of my new favorite kitchen tools. This tool is SO AMAZING that I feel obligated to share it with all of you today. The Edgeware Better Zester is a handheld zester and grater, but it’s not just any old zester. It’s honestly the best one I’ve ever used. The shape of the zester allows it to become an extension of your hand – it perfectly zests every time, without picking up any of the bitter pith. But the most awesome thing about it is the handy cover that catches and measures the zest while you use it, and then a little squeegee on the lid to help slide every bit of that valuable zest off the blades.

And, it’s yellow! Awesome.

Do you know what’s even more awesome? I am so excited about these that I’m giving one away! Just follow the guidelines below and enter for your chance to win one. I promise, you’ll love it!

You may enter to win as many times as you like, but you must complete one of the steps below to earn each entry. Here are the rules for entry:

Like Lemon Sugar on Facebook. Then return and leave a comment below saying you’ve done so. This will earn you one entry.
Like Edgeware on Facebook (and tell them I sent you!) Then return and leave a comment below saying you’ve done so. This will earn you one entry.
Follow Edgeware on Twitter, and tweet the following: @SmithsEdgeware Enter to win an Edgeware Better Zester at www.lemon-sugar.com. Then return and leave a comment below saying you’ve done so. This will earn you one entry.
Pin your favorite Lemon Sugar recipe to Pinterest. Then return stating you’ve done so. This will earn you one entry.

Remember to leave a valid email address in your entry so I can reach you if you win. Giveaway will end on Monday, September 3rd at midnight CST. Winner will be announced on September 4th.Good luck, and enjoy!

{Full disclosure: This post is sponsored by Edgeware, who provided a Better Zester for me to review and give away. While I recieved product in return for this post, the opinions stated are my own.}

Lemon Pound Cake
Yield: 10 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes ♦ Bake Time: 45-55 minutes

Cake Ingredients:

1 box lemon cake mix
1 3/4oz package lemon pudding mix
8 oz sour cream
2 Tablespoons lemon zest
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 eggs

Frosting Ingredients:

2 and 1/2 cups confectioners/powdered sugar
6 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
2-6 Tablespoons milk or heavy cream (or more, to desired consistency)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. With a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for 2 minutes or until well combined. Batter will be thick. Spoon into a large loaf pan (or two standard loaf pans), liberally sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean and loaves are golden brown. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack. Meanwhile, prepare frosting. In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice. Stir until completely combined. Add cream, 1 Tablespoon at a time until a “drizzle-able” consistency is acquired. Pour frosting over top of loaf and allow to harden slightly. Slice, and enjoy!

Recipe source and inspiration: Picky Palate