Lemon Raspberry Swirl Pound Cake

Do you ever get those cravings you just can't shake? As if your body is desperately crying out for a hot fudge sundae from Dairy Freeze...or you just can't continue on without brie on a baguette. Anyone? Bueller? Ok, maybe it's just me.


I've been craving pound cake. Real, honest pound cake, filled with eggs and butter. The tender crumb melting in my mouth, the glistening glaze cracking as you cut yet another slice. I realize I have issues, but who doesn't like pound cake? The husband said he didn't like pound cake, but somehow managed to eat 2 slices at home and at least 1 at work. He has issues, too.


Check out those luscious swirls encased in lemon-scented cake...yum.



You may have noticed that my photography has improved. Confession- these pictures are lovingly brought to you by the husband. He actually knows how to use his fancy camera and had quite the photo-shoot with this cake. At one point, this cake was balanced upon two stockpots and at another it was on top of a table on top of the living room chair. Oh, the places cakes will go!


Now that my craving is satiated, it's time for a new one.

What are you craving?



Lemon Raspberry Swirl Pound Cake
This recipe is thoroughly adapted from the queen of pound cake, Ms. Paula Deen

For the pound cake:
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature (leave out ~30 minutes)
2 tsp lemon zest (~1/2 a lemon)
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla

For the raspberry filling:
1 cup frozen raspberries
1/4 cup raspberry jam
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup powdered sugar

For the glaze:

1/3 cup powdered sugar
~1 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325. Grease a bundt pan generously.

For the raspberry filling:
Do this before making the cake so it has a chance to cool. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Break up any large raspberry chunks. Once the mixture has come to a bubble, remove from heat and let cool.


For the cake:

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in separate bowl.

In your mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, until well-incorporated. Then add the buttermilk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Blend until well-mixed.

Add the dry ingredients, one third at a time, until just mixed. Don't overmix- if you do, your batter will be tough.

Assembly:

Into the bottom of your bundt pan, add 1/4 of the batter. Smooth it out so that it evenly covers the bottom. Spoon in 1/2 of the cooled raspberry filling. Attempt to keep in it the middle, but it's hardly a capital offense if it spills toward the sides.

Top the filling with 1/2 the remaining cake batter. Smooth so that the raspberry filling is completely covered.

Spoon the rest of the filling over the batter. Top with remaining batter. Smooth out batter as best as you can so that the raspberry filling is completely covered. You should have two separate raspberry layers running through your gorgeous cake!

Bake in oven for 1 hour. Check and bake for an additional 15 minutes if batter is still wet. Check is multiple places to be sure.

Cool cake in pan for 10-15 minutes and then invert on a cooling rack. Cool cake completely before glazing.

For glaze:

Whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake.