Sweet Soulful Baking: Recipes Inspired by Southern Roots, written by Monique McLeod-Polanco, features an incredible collection of 60 desserts inspired by her family’s celebrations and holiday meals along with gorgeous photography. A few highlights include Coconut Cake with Lime Curd, Salted Caramel Apple Pie, Orange Rum Cheesecake Trifles, White Chocolate Bread Pudding, and Pumpkin Cream Brioche Doughnuts. I will also be sharing her recipe for Southern Meyer Lemon Pound Cake following the review.
Disclosure: I received this book from Page Street Publishing in exchange for my honest review. All opinions and statements are my own.
Monique McLeod-Polanco
Monique McLeod-Polanco is a recipe developer, food photographer, and the creator behind the blog, Peaches 2 Peaches. She has also appeared as a guest judge on The Chew and her work has been featured in feedfeed, Bake from Scratch, and Kitchn.
She is currently based in Rockland County, New York with her family. This is her first cookbook.
Sweet Soulful Baking
Monique begins Sweet Soulful Baking with a short introduction and how she developed a passion for Southern desserts through her family.
Chapters are divided according to type of dessert: Showstopping Cakes, Creative Pies for Every Season, Last-Minute Treats, Make it Ahead, and Simple & Elegant Bite-Sized Bakes. The contents have a list of the included recipes with page number for easy reference.
Monique also provides the stunning photography. Every recipe is paired with a full-page photo of the finished dish. There are also a few smaller photos to demonstrate techniques such as assembling a pie and creating chocolate pinecones.
Measurements are listed in US Customary and Metric. Each recipe has a headnote with background information, personal memories, yield, serving ideas, and helpful tips.
Southern Meyer Lemon Pound Cake
I absolutely love Meyer Lemons and was so excited to see a recipe highlighting this beautiful citrus fruit. It is also on the book’s cover! Monique was inspired by her grandmother who would add a bit of extra flavoring to her pound cake such as almond or lemon extract.
This Southern Meyer Lemon Pound Cake features that bright citrus flavor with both Meyer lemon juice and zest in the cake.
After baking until set and lightly golden, the cake is drizzled with a Meyer lemon-based glaze for even more flavor. Slice and serve with an assortment of fresh berries.
The instructions are made for a 10 inch (25 centimeter) tube pan. I ended up dividing the batter between four quartlet bundt pans with a 10 cup capacity total.
If using different pans, the cooking time may vary. My smaller pans took about 35-40 minutes. Bake just until a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out clean.
After cooling to room temperature, the Southern Meyer Lemon Pound Cake can be wrapped completely in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, then frozen for up to 3 months.
Meyer Lemons
The Meyer lemon is a hybrid fruit (likely the cross between a lemon and mandarin orange) originally grown in China and first brought to the United States in 1908.
They are rounded with a yellow to orange tinted skin and are sweeter/less acidic than other types of lemons. Meyer lemons are available year-round in some areas, but are best in the winter. I have been able to locate them seasonally in the produce section of my larger grocery store.
If unavailable, you can substitute for other lemon varieties.
More Baking
I also made the Chocolate, Espresso & Kahlua Bundt Cake with Kahlua Glaze; Deep-Dish Molten Brownies; Pink Grapefruit Possets; and White Chocolate Peppermint Meringue Cookies.
The Chocolate, Espresso & Kahlua Bundt Cake is quite the decadent treat and perfect for celebrations. Inspired by a variety of drinks, this cake brings together Kahlua, espresso, and chocolate. After baking until set and cooling, it is topped with a Kahlua Glaze for even more of a coffee liqueur flavor.
The Deep-Dish Molten Brownies were my daughter’s favorite. These rich individual brownies have a chocolate lava ganache center that oozes out when cut. We topped them with scoops of peanut butter cup ice cream.
I’ve made a Lemon Posset before, but this was my first time making a Pink Grapefruit Posset! This recipe uses grapefruit juice and zest to create a rich and creamy texture in the heavy cream. After setting in the refrigerator, it is topped with a grapefruit gelee for a beautifully layered dessert.
The White Chocolate Peppermint Meringue Cookies are a fun and delicious addition to the holiday season. The instructions were perfect for creating light meringues. Before serving, each meringue is dipped in white chocolate and covered with crushed candy canes.
Sweet Soulful Baking is a fantastic pick for those looking for a variety of treats using fresh, seasonal flavors. Many come together with only a few steps while others are perfect for fun weekend activities or entertaining.
Most of the ingredients are readily available in larger American grocery stores. A few items that may require further searching include butter pecan extract, key limes, Biscoff cookies, and blood oranges.
Southern Meyer Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
Excerpt from Sweet Soulful Baking
Southern Meyer Lemon Pound Cake
Ingredients
Pound Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups (341 grams) butter room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) fresh Meyer lemon juice juice from regular lemons can be substituted if needed
- 1 tablespoon (6 grams) Meyer lemon zest
- 3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) sour cream
Lemon Glaze:
- 2 cups (240 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) Meyer lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 milliliters) whole milk divided
Garnish:
- A mix of fresh berries
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (177˚C). Spray both parts of a 10-inch (25 centimeter) tube pan with baking spray.
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and granulated sugar.
- Add the eggs, vanilla, Meyer lemon juice and zest. Mix until everything is incorporated.
- Add the flour, salt, baking powder and sour cream. Mix again.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tube pan.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack.
For the lemon glaze:
- In a bowl, add the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of milk.
- Mix well until the glaze is smooth.
- Add the additional tablespoon (15 milliliters) of milk if the glaze seems too thick.
- Drizzle the lemon glaze on top of the pound cake, slice and serve with fresh berries.
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