Lemon Thyme Pound Cake

Are there certain herbs that just grab your attention 

when you see them in a recipe?

Me? 

I'm crazy about cilantro... 

besotted with basil...

red-hot for rosemary...

I lust after lavender... 

and lately,

I'm loving lemon thyme.

I don't have anything against the other herbs...

in fact, I'm an equal-opportunity herbalist.

But show me a dish with my top five "superb herbs"...
especially when they are used in
desserts or beverages, 

and I'm ripping and pinning recipes like crazy. 

This recipe came from Edible Boston magazine,
which I picked up in April on my crazy "girls weekend."

I've got to admit that I can't easily
detect a strong lemon thyme flavor,
but this cake was still delicious... 
in an understated way.

To me, this is not a true "pound" cake,
because it doesn't have a pound each of
butter, sugar, flour and eggs.
If it were my recipe, 
I'd just call it a lemon bread.

Usually Mr. Goo Shoes and I are on two different
planets when it comes to desserts.
 He prefers rich and gooey...
I like plain and simple best. 
But he liked it,
he really liked it! 
So that, in and of itself, 
is a good endorsement.

This lovely lemon-thyme pound cake
is perfectly suited with a glass of iced tea,
(or a cup of hot tea),
maybe after lunch with the ladies...
or perhaps while reading a book
 in a secret garden nook.

Or, if you're like me...
just eat it with whatever, whenever,
like while you are vacuuming,
or just after you've exercised. 

A couple of notes about the recipe:
I didn't use all of the lemon juice in the glaze.
I thought it would be too thin,
so I used about 1/4 cup, instead of 1/2.

Next time, when brushing the cake with the glaze,
I'll poke some holes in the top with the cake tester,
so some of the glaze seeps into the cake.

There's something about a lemony glaze
 that's lip-smackin' good, isn't there?

Lemon Thyme Pound Cake

(recipe courtesy of Edible Boston magazine)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons lemon thyme, finely chopped
4 teaspoons grated lemon peel
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease a loaf pan and dust with flour.
Cream together butter and sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Add lemon thyme, grated lemon peel, eggs and vanilla, and mix well.
Stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Add dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture alternately with the sour cream, and blend.
Pour batter into pan and bake for approximately 1 hour.

Place confectioner's sugar in a bowl.
Gradually whisk in the lemon juice (see my note, above).
Brush the top of the hot cake with some of the mixture.
Let it  stand for 10 minutes, then brush cake again.
Repeat again after 10 minutes. 

Enjoy!

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