Limpa Pound Cake

Each week, I spend 270 minutes, give or take a few, lost in my thoughts on my way to and from work.  Don't get me wrong - I am paying attention to what is going on around me - but there really isn't much else to do but watch, listen, signal, pedal, shift, break, and think when you're riding a bike, especially if 80 percent of your ride is on a trail.  On my way to work, chances are that I spend at least a few minutes thinking about what I'm going to do that day; on the way home, my thoughts often stray to baking. 

Last week on my way home, I was particularly focused on the pressing question of what to bake that evening.  I had asked Scott to put out two sticks of butter to soften with the hopes that I would be inspired on my ride.  I knew that I wanted to make something, but I didn't really have any specific ideas besides that I wanted to make something quick and easy.

At some point, I started to think about the conversation I had with my parents the previous night about their recent trip to Sweden to celebrate their anniversary.  It happens to be a special anniversary year that is divisible by 5, hence the trip.  As I reflected on the trip highlights they had shared with me, I zeroed in on my mom's description of a cinnamon-roll-kind-of-thing she had eaten that was made with cardamom.  As soon as she told me about it, I wanted one.  Right that minute.  Unfortunately, my private jet was grounded, so I couldn't dash off to Sweden to try one for myself.  I had to be content with her mouth-watering description.  In a way, it reminded me of the Limpa (a type of Swedish bread) that Scott had made for us a while back.  I don't know if you have ever had Limpa before, but the version Scott made contained anise seed, cardamom, orange peel, and honey, and was amazing. 

So there I was on the trail, pedaling away on my super-sweet red road bike with my thoughts flitting between cardamom rolls and Limpa, when it hit me:  I should make a pound cake modeled after the Limpa!  I knew that we already had all of the necessary ingredients to make a cake with just the right amount of spices that was both moist and delicious.  As an added bonus, pound cakes are relatively simple to make, so I would still have the majority of my evening left to pursue other activities.  With the recipe decided, I picked up my speed and focused on getting home. 

Our irises are blooming!

When I pulled the cake out of the oven later that night, it was perfectly golden-brown and smelled so inviting that it took everything in me to resist cutting into while it was still hot.  Yum. 

Notes:
I buy whole star anise, grind it in a clean coffee grinder, and then sift it to remove the pieces that aren't small enough.  Coating the inside of your tablespoon with a bit of canola oil before you add the honey will ensure that the honey slips easily off the spoon and into your mixing bowl without any effort on your part.  If you find that the top of your bread is browning too quickly, tent a piece of aluminum foil over top of the bread and continue baking until the bread is done. 

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon ground star anise
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1⅓ cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon honey
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of 1 orange
1 cup sour cream (full-fat)

Yields one 10x5 inch loaf cake (about 12 servings)

Recipe adapted from Luscious Lemon Loaf Cake (which was adapted from Chocolate: From Simple Cookies to Extravagant Showstoppers) and Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.
Mix and Bake:
Adjust the rack to the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F.  Butter a 10x5-inch loaf pan, and line it with parchment paper or wax paper, leaving some overhang on the 10-inch sides of the pan to easily lift the cake out of the pan once the cake has baked.  In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground star anise, cinnamon, and cardamom, and set aside.  In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar, and then beat in the honey.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, until each egg is fully incorporated, then beat in the vanilla extract and orange zest.  Scrape the beaters well, and add half of the dry ingredients to the mixture.  Beat until the dry ingredients are incorporated, scrape the beaters and bowl, and add all of the sour cream.  Beat until the sour cream is fully incorporated, scrape the beaters and bowl, and then add the remaining flour mixture and beat until fully incorporated.  Use a spatula to transfer the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top of the batter.  Bake at 350°F for 55-65 minutes or until the cake has raised and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Allow the cake to rest in the pan for 5 minutes, and then use the parchment paper overhang to lift the cake out of the pan and allow the cake to fully cool on a rack.  Gently remove the parchment paper.  Store the cooled cake in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic at room temperature or in the refrigerator.  You may also freeze the cake.
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