This time of the year, when the days are short and bone-chillingly cold, I turn to citrus to help brighten my mood. I bring home clementines by the bagful, order boxes of sweet-tart Meyer lemons direct from California and peel myself at least one red grapefruit every afternoon as a snack.

Most of the time, my citrus consumption feels spare and virtuous, but occasionally I put a few lemons and limes to work in a less austere manner. I have a small, dense lemon loaf recipe that I adore. Lemon curd happens at least once a season in my kitchen. And this year, I’m having a hard time keeping myself away from Ree Drummond’s Lemon-Lime Pound Cake.

This cake is simple enough to make, but it's in no way spartan. You start by creaming three sticks of butter together with three cups of sugar. Once they’re well-incorporated, you add eggs, flour, a little salt and some lemon-lime soda. If you’re a seasoned baker, you might for a moment question the fact that there’s no baking powder or baking soda in the cake. However, the bubbles in the soda provide plenty of lift so that the finished cake has a fine crumb but is in no way dense.

Do make sure that you grease your Bundt pan well before adding the batter, so that it doesn’t stick when you turn the cake out (though, if your cake does break a little, the glaze will cover any number of imperfections). And don’t trust only the clock when it comes to doneness. Make sure to use a long skewer as a tester so that you don’t end up with a goopy center.

The end result is a large cake that is sweet, vibrant from the citrus and more than large enough for sharing with friends and neighbors. It’s perfect mood-elevating recipe for The Weekender.