Cream Cheese Pound Cake With Lemon Glaze

This recipe was given to me by Mrs. Betty Jean Adams from my hometown of Thomaston, Georgia.  I have made only small changes to the original recipe, so I am still giving her all of the credit for it.  It is my favorite pound cake recipe that I have ever tasted in my 42 years on this earth.  I first tasted it in December 2003 after my Paw Paw's death (because it is a Georgia tradition to bring lots of good food when someone passes away).  And let me tell you, no one in The South puts on a funeral spread like the Hayes/Ellington family in west central Georgia.

Ingredients:

• 3 sticks of butter at room temperature
• 1  8 oz package of cream cheese at room temperature
• 6 eggs brought to room temperature and then separated
• 3 cups of sugar
• 3 cups of cake flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon extract

Bring butter, cream cheese, and eggs to room temperature. (I usually set my first three ingredients on the counter several hours prior to beginning the cake.) Sift cake flour three times (Yes, I said THREE times).  Cream butter with cream cheese with an electric mixer until soft and fluffy.  Add sugar and beat well.  Add egg yolks, one at a time, and beat until well blended.  Add sifted flour gradually, continuing to mix well until all flour is incorporated.  Stir in vanilla and lemon flavoring.  In a separate bowl, use a hand mixer or whisk to beat egg whites to stiff peaks.  Fold egg whites into the cake batter.  Spoon into a well-greased and floured tube pan.  Bake at 350 F for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the cake tests done with a knife or toothpick.

Ingredients for lemon glaze:

• ½ cup confectioners sugar (sifted)
• 1 teaspoon white corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons heavy cream
• 3 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon softened butter
• dash of salt

Combine all ingredients and beat well (use medium high setting if using an electric mixer) to blend.  Drizzle over top of cake.  This icing adds flavor and helps to retain moisture.