More Memories of Lemon: Lemon Verbena Pound Cake

I"m counting the days until The Memory of Lemon is published, June 14.

And I have a special offer.

If you pre-order The Memory of Lemon wherever you buy books, 

purchase The Cake Therapist,

or buy Bake Happy, I will send you a beautiful full-color, downloadable booklet of my favorite lemon recipes.

Just shoot me an e-mail @
judithfertig1@gmail.com and I'll send it to you.

It's my lemony thank-you to you!

And I'm including a fabulous lemon recipe here.

Lemon Verbena Pound Cake

Pound cake comes to the American dessert repertoire from European roots. The French call it “quatre quarts” or four fourths. The British just knew that a pound of four different ingredients—butter, flour, eggs, and sugar—was needed to make this cake and named it accordingly. With lemon in the batter and a tracery of lemon-scented leaves, this moist and fragrant pound cake is wonderful.

Makes (12-cup) tube or Bundt cake to serve 12

Fresh lemon verbena, lemon balm, or Rober's Lemon Rose scented geranium leaves

Softened butter for the pan

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

3 cups sugar 

6 jumbo eggs           

3 cups sifted cake flour

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons lemon zest

Confectioners' sugar for dusting 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a (12-cup) tube or Bundt cake . Press fresh leaves into the perimeter of the pan and set aside.

With an electric mixer or food processor, cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Beat in the sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour, a little at a time, until well blended. Stir in the flavorings. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert the cake on a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.