Confession: I’m a cake-mix person.

Don’t ask me why. I make other things from scratch. Most everything, really, from pasta sauce to soups to macaroni and cheese.

So, what’s so intimidating about cakes?

Maybe it’s because I’m scared my cakes will turn out hard as a rock. My mom used to make cakes for our birthdays, and every one — from the chocolate I would request to the pineapple upside-down that was my brother’s favorite — turned out more like a doorstop than a dessert.

That’s why I chose this week’s recipe. I wanted to make a cake, darn it. A good cake. One that was light and airy.

I finally settled on a lemon pound cake with cherry compote from Cooking Light magazine.

It’s a good fit for summer.

You don’t need fancy ingredients. No cake flour. No vanilla from Madagascar or cinnamon from Vietnam. I had pretty much everything in the pantry and the garden.

The kids helped me mix up the batter. When the cake was in the oven, we started the compote. This is where kids come in handy. They love to pit cherries.

Once everything was made, and the cake cooled, we put the dish together.

My impressions: The cake was a bit dry, but lemony. Couldn’t taste the mint. The compote was delicious. Fresh cherries really made a difference.

Better than a cake mix. Or a doorstop.

Recipe: Lemon Pound Cake with Cherry Compote1

LEMON POUND CAKE WITH CHERRY COMPOTE

Cake:

Cooking spray

3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

1 tablespoon grated fresh lemon rind

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Compote:

4 cups pitted sweet cherries (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 10-inch tube pan with cooking spray; dust with 2 tablespoons flour.

Lightly spoon remaining 3 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 3 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

Combine 2 cups granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating at low speed, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Add rind, juice and mint; beat just until blended.

Spoon batter into prepared pan; sharply tap the pan once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Sift powdered sugar over top of cake. Cut cake into 16 slices.

To prepare compote: Combine cherries, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons water, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in extract. Cool. Serve with cake.

Serves: 16 (1 slice cake and 1/4 cup compote).

— Recipe from Cooking Light magazine.