Did you know pound cakes got their name because of how they were measured? These cakes contain four main ingredients (flour, sugar, butter, and eggs) and were traditionally made with a pound of each. Today’s recipe comes from “The American Heritage Cookbook and Illustrated History of American Eating and Drinking” from the Mercer Museum Research Library.

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups (4 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
Zest of two lemons
9 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Grease a 10” tube pan or bundt pan.
3. In medium sized bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
4. In larger bowl, cream together butter and sugar until mixture is smooth.
5. Beat egg yolks then add to creamed mixture along with the lemon zest.
6. Gradually add in flour mixture and lemon juice, alternating between the two and making sure to end with the flour mixture.
7. Set mixture aside. In separate bowl, beat eggs whites until stiff peaks form. Add mixture to egg whites and mix just until all white patches are gone. Avoid overmixing.
8. Bake in 350°F oven for 35 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 325°F and continue baking 25 minutes or cake tester comes out dry.
9. Let sit in pan for 10 minutes before turning out on to cooling rack.