Buttery and rich pound cake is perfectly balanced by the addition of sweet clementine zest and the herbaceous notes of fresh rosemary and thyme in these sensational mini loaf cakes.
Clementine-Herb Pound Cakes
Makes 12
Ingredients
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh clementine zest
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup sour cream
- Garnish: fresh thyme sprigs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray wells of a 12-well mini loaf baking pan with baking spray with flour.
- In a large bowl, whisk together by hand sugar, clementine zest, and herbs until oils in the zest have released and the sugar is fragrant, approximately 1 minute. Beat in butter with a hand mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl. Add egg and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. With mixer at low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Divide batter evenly among prepared wells, approximately 2½ tablespoons each. Smooth batter as needed.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted in centers of cakes comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan. Remove cakes from pan, and place on a wire cooling rack. Store at room temperature in an airtight container and serve within 3 days.
- Just before serving, garnish with fresh thyme sprigs, if desired.
