The richness of this pound cake, buttery and indulgent, is balanced by the addition of lime zest and a tart lime glaze. It’s great to nibble on any time of day, but we particularly like it after dinner, paired with icy sorbet.

Game plan: Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature before beginning.

Special equipment: We used our hefty stand mixer to make this cake, but you can easily do it with a regular hand mixer too.by Kate Ramos

  • Yield: 1 (9-inch) loaf
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 1 hr 35 mins 
  • Active: 25 mins

Ingredients (9)

For the cake:

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 5 large eggs, at room temperature
  • Finely grated zest of 1 medium lime (about 1 packed tablespoon)

For the glaze:

  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (from 2 medium limes)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

For the cake:

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the upper third. Coat a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan with butter and flour; set aside.
  2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to break up any lumps; set aside.
  3. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter at medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes more. (Stop the mixer to scrape down the sides occasionally.) Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
  4. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in two additions, mixing each until just incorporated. (Do not overmix, or your cake will be tough.) With a rubber spatula, fold in lime zest. Spread batter into the prepared pan and place in the oven.
  5. Bake until top of cake is puffed and golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 60 to 70 minutes. Meanwhile, make the lime glaze.

For the glaze:

  1. Combine lime juice and sugar in a small bowl, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
  2. Remove cake from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes; remove from the pan. Stir lime glaze again, then brush top of cake with glaze (use it all). Cool completely before serving.