Cornmeal pound cake
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a deep 9-inch cake pan, tapping out the excess flour. (For best results, use a light metal pan for this cake. A dark metal or nonstick pan makes the crust very thick and dark.)
- Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Beat the butter and lemon zest until fluffy in a large bowl with an electric mixer set to high speed. With the mixer running, slowly add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla. With the mixer set to low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, beating each time only until it disappears into the batter.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Invert onto another rack or a large plate and then back onto the rack, so that the top side is up. Cool to room temperature.