Beautiful Pound Cakes from Nathaniel Reid Bakery

How does a Missouri-born, French-trained pastry chef elevate pound cake? Nathaniel Reid's recipes all share three critical steps: Brushing the loaves with a syrup ensures moisture. Coating them in icing, chocolate, nuts or coconut adds flavor and texture. And garnishing (with restraint) lends the loaves a Parisian elegance worthy of the glass cases at Nathaniel Reid Bakery—or of your own buffet.

Candied Lemon Pound Cake: This moist, buttery pound cake has a triple threat of lemon: Chopped candied peel speckles the interior, and thin strips dance along the top, over a sheen of puckery lemon icing. Get the recipe.

Earl Grey and Raspberry Pound Cake: No food coloring here-just the brilliant hue of pureed raspberries. Fresh berries also ripple through the cake, which has subtle floral and citrus notes from tea in the batter. Get the recipe.

Double Chocolate Pound Cake: Brushing on tangy apricot jam cuts the cake's bittersweet richness and creates a sticky surface for mini chips. For a mod finish, hold a piece of paper over the loaf while sifting powdered sugar. Get the recipe. 

Yogurt Pound Cake with Apricots and Coconut: Pistachios and dried apricots dot the shredded-coconut top of this light spring cake. Canola oil and yogurt make it more soft and tender than a traditional pound cake. Get the recipe.

Hazelnut and Milk Chocolate Pound Cake: Under the candy-bar coating of chocolate and nuts, the cake is flavored with ground hazelnuts and hazelnut butter (easily made in a food processor in one step), plus a whisper of orange and lemon zest. Note: If you don't have a food processor, make the cake with toasted almond flour and almond butter instead. Get the recipe.