Lemon Pound Cake with Strawberry Coulis

To my boyfriend's family, Easter is a big deal. They all get together for a huge pot luck worthy of Christmas and just enjoy each other's company. There is an easter egg hunt where you can rack up some serious dough (especially if you find the gold or silver eggs). There is a grand prize winner. There are little girls in new easter dresses and little boys with new toys to keep them occupied.

I counted 1 dessert for every 2 people: Cherry Cheesecake, Double Chocolate Chip Cookies, Poppyseed Pound Cake, Coconut Cake, Vanilla Cupcakes, Chocolate Cupcakes, Turtles, Black Bottomed Pie Carrot Cake Cupcakes and the one I brought: Lemon Pound Cake with Strawberry Coulis.

Now I'm not going to pretend that my dessert was the best one of the bunch (shockingly, I didn't manage to try them all) but there was a buzz about the Lemon Pound Cake- people were asking for the recipe and I was assured that the accompanying strawberry sauce was good on pretty much every dessert.

And I'm not even that big a fan of pound cake- I just think it's too heavy and cloying- but this pound cake it surprisingly light, deeply lemony and not too sweet. And I should know- I've made it twice in one week.

Lemon Pound Cake

Adapted from the Boyajian website (and from the side of their box of Citrus Oils)

• 11/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 21/2 cups sugar
• 6 eggs, beaten well
• 3 tsp pure lemon oil
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 cups sifted flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the lemon oil and eggs and mix until combined. Add the sour cream, flour, baking soda and salt and mix very well. Grease a large bundt pan very well (I like Pam Baking). Place the batter in the bundt pan and cook for about 1 1/2 hours or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool for at least 20 minutes before trying to flip it.

Strawberry Coulis

Adapted from Epicurious.com

• 16oz frozen strawberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbls lemon juice

In a medium saucepan combine the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Make sure to stir every once and a while. Let the mixture cool a little and then either puree the mixture with a handheld blender or transfer the mixture to a blender. For an extra smooth coulis, pass the blended sauce through a fine mesh strainer or chinois. Keeps in an airtight container for about a week.