Recipe: Lemon pound cake brings sunshine to the table

Cooking at home enables anyone to customize ingredients and gain control of the foods they eat. Too often commercially processed items contain ingredients that compromise consumers' overall health. This recipe for "Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake" is made from pantry staples.

Whether baking alone or with the family, try this recipe, courtesy of "The Pampered Chef Stoneware Inspirations" (The Pampered Chef, Ltd).

Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake

Makes 1 cake or 6 mini pound cakes

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup (11⁄2 sticks) butter, softened (do not substitute margarine)
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon Pantry Double Strength Vanilla
• Powdered sugar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Spray Stoneware Fluted Pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine flour, granulated sugar, lemon zest, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt in a stainless, two-quart mixing bowl; mix well. In a stainless four-quart mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese on high speed of handheld mixer for 1 minute, or until blended (mixture will form a stiff paste).

2. In a small batter bowl, whisk eggs, milk and vanilla until blended. Add egg mixture to cream cheese mixture in four additions, beating 2 minutes after each addition. (Do not undermix).

3. Pour batter into pan. Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes. Loosen cake from sides of pan; carefully invert onto a stackable cooking rack, keeping pan over cake. Cool completely.

4. Place cake on serving platter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or prepare glaze, if desired.

For glaze: Combine 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and enough lemon juice to make a thick frosting. Spread glaze over top of cake.