Today's luscious pound cake descended from a nineteenth century French recipe calling for equal weights of butter, sugar, eggs and flour. The cake weighed 4 pounds. This is a recipe for mini-pound cakes decorated with candied lemon peel stars.

Cake

    1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
    1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    3/4 cup granulated sugar
    1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    1/8 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia
    1 cup butter, softened
    3 large eggs
    2 tablespoons glacé fruit mix, chopped

Lemon Glaze

    Lemon peel
    1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
    1/2 cup granulated sugar

1.  Preheat the oven to 350° .

2.  Cake batter: Butter and flour two 5 3/4 x 3 1/4 x 2-inch
     mini-loaf pans, which are available in grocery stores.

3.  In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt.
4.  In a large bowl, cream the sugar, vanilla, Fiori di Sicilia and
     butter. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then add the flour mixture.
     Stir in the fruit.

5.  Divide batter into the loaf pans. Bake in preheated oven 30      
     minutes, then reduce heat to 300° and bake for 20 minutes.
     Turn out and slice off each top. Turn upside down with the
     cut side down on a plate. 

6.  To decorate cakes, slice large thin pieces of lemon peel with
     a vegetable peeler or small sharp knife. Slice off any bitter          
     white pith. Use a mini-star cutter to cut out baby stars from
     the lemon peel.

7.  Lemon glaze: Heat the lemon juice, sugar and lemon peel
     stars in 1-quart saucepan. When syrup is thick and bubbly,
     remove candied stars and place on wax paper. Pour hot syrup
     over loaves and let set until cooled. Arrange half the stars on
     each cake. Cool completely.

8.  Tear off a 6-inch piece of baking parchment. Fold in half,
     then cut into 2 pieces. Cut the edges in a scalloped pattern.
     Open up and set each cake on paper. Fold up around the
     cake and slide into a mini-cellophane bag. Tie with a bow.

     Makes 2 mini-loaves