LEMON VERBENA POUND CAKE WITH STRAWBERRIES

Lemon Verbena Pound Cake with Strawberries image

Number Of Ingredients 16

For cake
1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh lemon verbena or 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
For glaze
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Accompaniment: strawberries

Steps:

Make cake:
Preheat oven to 325°F. and butter and flour a 1-quart kugelhopf pan, knocking out excess flour.
In a bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, verbena (or zest), and zest. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in vanilla. Beat in half of flour mixture. Beat in milk and lemon juice and beat in remaining flour mixture until just combined.
Spoon batter into pan, smoothing top, and bake in middle of oven 45 to 55 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack 15 minutes and invert onto rack to cool completely.
Make glaze while cake is cooling:
In a small bowl whisk confectioners's sugar, a little at a time, into lemon juice until smooth and thick.
When cake is completely cooled, drizzle glaze over cake and let it drip down sides. Cake may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
Serve cake at room temperature with strawberries.