Lemon Matcha Pound Cake with Hibiscus Glaze

make the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 F

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar with the paddle attachment. Scrape and mix again at med-high speed until it’s light and fluffy. Then add the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the bowl after the second.

Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a separate bowl. Then zest the lemon straight into the dry mix, and whisk.

In a third bowl, mix the lemon juice, zest, and sour cream into the buttermilk.

Alternating with the buttermilk mixture, add the dry ingredients into the bowl of the electric mixer.

Mix slowly until just combined.

Next, Separate half of the batter out into a separate bowl. In that bowl add the matcha powder, and mix.

Prepare your baking pan by spraying it lightly with oil and then line it with parchment.

Pour half of your plain batter into the pan and spread it out using a small spatula. Then, scoop half of the matcha batter and pour and spread it over the plain batter in the pan.

Repeat with the remaining batter.

To create the swirl in your pound cake, insert a small knife or spatula into the pan at an angle and mix the batter making a circular motion from the bottom to the top of the pan. Try not to overmix.

Bake the poundcake for about an hour but start checking it after 45 minutes. Bake time may vary. You are looking for the cake to be a dark golden on top, but you’ll know it's done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few dry crumbs.

Let cool completely

to assemble:
Once the pound cake is cool, remove it from the pan and place it on a piece of parchment. This will catch any excess glaze that may drip off.

To make the glaze, mix the powdered sugar with the hibiscus powder using a whisk, or using an electric mixer. Then, add half the milk in, and the rest just a tablespoon at a time. You’ll need less than you think so be patient and stir the glaze as smooth as you can before you add more milk.

Once your glaze is smooth, pour it into a piping bag for an easier application. Cut the end about a ½ inch thick. Then carefully cover the top of your pound cake. Try to Zig-zag the bag back and forth over the top but stay about an inch away from the edges of the cake because the glaze will spread and might start to drop over the sides.

Let the glaze set for about 15 minutes before you begin to slice into it!

To get the best results in your swirl pattern, try to imagine a corkscrew coming into the pan horizontally from one side- all the way through. This is the type of motion you're trying to recreate with your knife or spatula.

Pound cake is not the most forgiving recipe- for best results make sure all ingredients are at room-temperature. This will help your ingredients come together quickly.