Lemon pound cake that'll woo even people who don't like dessert

Pound cake is a thoroughly underrated dessert. It's light yet dense, sweet but never cloying and perfect to accompany just about anything — from a stiff drink to a cup of tea to cream and berries ... the possibilities are endless! Plus, since the version here is lemon-flavored, you can make this light and summery dessert in the dead of winter. Serve it with a little lemon curd or some fresh whipped cream.

Sifting the dry ingredients three times might seem excessive (speaking as someone who almost never sifts, I feel your pain), but in this context it really is necessary. Any little clumps of flour or sugar could totally throw off the end result, so put in that elbow grease. You won’t be sorry.

Lemon pound cake

30 minutes

35 minutes

1 hour 5 minutes

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

4 eggs, separated

¾ cup plus 3 tablespoons superfine sugar, divided

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Grease a 9-by-5 loaf pan or Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a bowl, then repeat twice more

In a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks, then add ½ cup of the sugar gradually, beating after each addition. Gently transfer the egg white mixture to a separate bowl, and clean out the mixer bowl.

Fit the stand mixer with a paddle attachment, and add the butter to the bowl. Beat for 2 minutes, then add the lemon juice, the zest and the remaining sugar. Beat until fluffy, then add the egg yolks and beat a final 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides regularly to ensure everything is incorporated.

Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, and fold in the egg white mixture until just incorporated, then add the flour mixture a little at a time, folding after each addition, again until just incorporated.

Transfer the mixture to the loaf pan, and bake 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.